Summary
Overview
Zoe Ball and Jo Wiley reflect on their transformative 2024, discussing personal challenges, career changes, and memorable moments. They explore the year's standout music, films, and TV shows, before looking ahead to 2025 with insights from astrologer Francesca Oddy about what the new year holds for them and their podcast.
A Year of Transformation and New Beginnings
Both hosts reflect on 2024 as a seismic year filled with major life changes. Jo navigated family health crises, including Brody's brain tumor diagnosis, while launching the podcast and juggling her busy schedule. Zoe made the brave decision to step back from the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, finally giving herself time to process grief from losing her mother and other unresolved losses. The podcast became a therapeutic outlet and unexpected highlight for both, creating a supportive community they hadn't anticipated.
- Jo describes 2024 as quite a year, starting with a bathroom renovation before Brody's brain tumor diagnosis in May
- The Chelsea Flower Show collaboration with Radio 2 and meeting Monty Don at Longmeadow were highlights for Jo
- Zoe stepped back from the Radio 2 Breakfast Show to finally deal with stored-up grief
- The podcast became an unexpected therapeutic outlet and community for both hosts
" I think it's been a seismic year for both of us. Because you've had to be really brave making that decision to move on, change your life completely, and to face the grief that you've been storing up. "
" This year has finally given me some time for myself to deal with lots of grief from my life and it's been a quite incredible eye-opening experience for me to just be like oh my gosh you never dealt with this and you didn't really deal with that because you just keep on running. "
Personal Milestones and Family Moments
The year brought both joy and loss for the hosts. Jo celebrated a big birthday with a Wild West hoedown but also experienced tragedy when Steve accidentally ran over their cat Simba, later welcoming ginger kitten Nemo who destroyed their podcast dolls. Zoe's highlights included watching her son Woody DJ at Glastonbury with his sister Nell, building her garden inspired by the podcast's Henry, and taking a favorite holiday to Ibiza with friends and their children.
- Jo had a big birthday celebration with a Wild West hoedown theme
- The family cat Simba was tragically killed, later replaced by Nemo the ginger kitten who destroyed their podcast dolls
- Zoe watched her son Woody DJ at Glastonbury alongside his sister Nell, describing it as a moment of wonder and pride
- Zoe took her favorite holiday in years to Ibiza with her kids and friends
" I really feel like this year my friends we've all had the baton has been handed to the next generation of ravers. "
" Our little dolls that were made of you and me. Have we got any hair left? We've got no hair left. I put them on the highest shelf and Nemo managed to get up there, God knows how, and he tore all the hair from our heads. So we're bald now. "
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