BBC Radio 2 star Zoe Ball has revealed her body transformation after undergoing one session of a stomach sculpting massage.
The presenter, 54, has stunned fans after sharing pictures of her stomach from before and after an £120 lymphatic drainage massage in London. The results showed Ball’s stomach appearing to be significantly more toned and sculpted after just one hour of the treatment.
Massage therapist Sophie Yerby, an “award-winning body contourist” who performed the massage on the presenter, said online that Ball had a Brazilian sculpting and lymphatic drainage massage designed to benefit those experiencing fluid retention or menopause symptoms.
Ball previously opened up about her menopause symptoms in Davina McCall’s 2021 documentary, Sex, Myths and the Menopause, in which she spoke about her experiences of weight gain, anxiety, mood swings and loss of libido as a result of the menopause. She said: “I really thought it was the beginning of the end.”
Yerby said the lymphatic drainage treatment was “combined to increase blood flow, help drain toxins, boost metabolism, reduce fluid retention, support the immune system, and sculpt and slim the body”.
A lymphatic drainage massage is a special type of massage designed to stimulate the lymphatic system, which is supposed to reduce swelling and encourage the body’s detoxification process.
The hand movements and sequences are adapted for each person, but the massage has gained popularity in recent years thanks to celebrities such as Maya Jama, Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber and Jennifer Aniston all being fans of the treatment.
Yerby said that she added cavitation – the use of low-frequency ultrasound technology – to Ball’s treatment, which the practitioner claims “helps to break down stubborn fat cells”.
Once broken down, “the body naturally flushes them out through the lymphatic system”.
She added: “To finish, we used radio frequency, which helps tighten and firm the skin – leaving everything feeling lifted, smooth and sculpted.”
Ball’s radio colleague Gaby Roslin commented on the post: “Wow! I so need that,” as singer Sharleen Spiteri echoed: “Bloody hell! I need that!”
One commented on the post to suggest Ball was “just breathing in”, to which the presenter replied: “I’m not, I promise.”
Ball, who stepped down from presenting BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show last year, will return to the station this Spring with a new weekly show on Saturday afternoons from 1pm to 2pm.
Her departure from Radio 2 came after she took time off in April 2024 to care for her mother, Julie Peckham, who was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer earlier that year. In April, Peckham died aged 74, and Zoe was absent from the show with Gaby Roslin and Scott Mills stepping in to cover her.
Ball’s father Johnny Ball told Saga Magazine last month that she was “in a good place” after quitting the programme, adding: “Her mum died last year and she’s had various other problems, but she’s chuffed to have packed in the Radio 2 breakfast show, as she’s realised every day has 24 hours now.”
“Her days used to start at 4am and by the time it got to midday she was knackered. She visited me recently and said: ‘I’m in such a good place’.”
After she left the show, her son Woody, whom she shares with ex-husband Fatboy Slim, revealed that his mother was adapting to a slower pace of life and was working in a beachside café owned by the DJ, real name Norman Cook.
“These crazy party people I grew up with are now gardening, making puzzles and working in the local café,” Woody told MailOnline of his parents.
