Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim net worth: what son Woody Cook said about money and ‘not being able to afford bread’

Zoe Ball and Norman Cook, better known by his DJ name Fatboy Slim, got married in 1999 before splitting in 2016

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Woody Cook, who found fame on the Channel 4 reality show The Circle in 2019, has recently opened up about how he is financially “self-sufficient” despite having famous parents.

This is everything you need to know.

Who is Woody Cook, and who are his parents?

Cook is a 20 year old student studying at Bristol University who you may recognise from the second series of the Channel 4 reality show The Circle in 2019.

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He entered into the show as one of the original lineup of contestants, and placed fifth overall in the finale.

More recently, Cook appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox in June 2020 alongside his mother.

Cook’s mother is Zoe Ball, the British radio and TV presenter. She was the first female host of both Radio 1 Breakfast and The Radio 2 Breakfast Show on the BBC.

In 2011, she replaced Claudia Winkleman as the host of the BBC Two programme Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two but she recently departed from the role.

Zoe Ball attending the Audio Radio & Industry Awards (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)Zoe Ball attending the Audio Radio & Industry Awards (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Zoe Ball attending the Audio Radio & Industry Awards (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
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Cook’s father is Norman Cook, better known by his DJ stage name Fatboy Slim.

Ball and Cook met at BBC Radio 1 and the two got married in 1999, at Babington House in Somerset.

They had their son Woody together in 2000. The pair split up in January 2003 but reconciled three months later.

Ball later gave birth to their baby daughter in 2010, called Nelly May Lois.

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In 2016, Cook and Ball announced their separation after 18 years together.

Ball met her current partner Michael Reed in 2017. They were together for two years and briefly split up at the end of 2019 before getting back together in January 2020.

What did Woody Cook say?

Speaking to the Mirror, at the Attitude Awards, Cook said: “My parents make it clear that I was born into a privilege they have had to work their ass off to get.

“My parents have cut me off completely. They are like, “Do you want to be a trust fund child or do you want to work?” I want to work, so I am now self-sufficient. I don’t have a student loan.

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“I am doing it all by myself. The other day I couldn’t afford bread, but I’m working through it.”

Woody Cook attends The Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2021 at The Roundhouse in London (Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images)Woody Cook attends The Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2021 at The Roundhouse in London (Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images)
Woody Cook attends The Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2021 at The Roundhouse in London (Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images)

Cooked added: “My parents taught me to be myself and not rely on someone else.”

What is the net worth of Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim?

Net worth refers to the value of “the value of all assets, minus the total of all liabilities”, according to Bank Rate.

In other words, net worth is what is owned minus what is owed.

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Fatboy Slim has been reported by a number of online publications to have a net worth of $30 million, which is roughly equivalent to £22,034,520.

Norman Cook aka ‘Fatboy Slim’ performs Brixton Beach Rooftop on 1 June 2017 in London (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)Norman Cook aka ‘Fatboy Slim’ performs Brixton Beach Rooftop on 1 June 2017 in London (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Norman Cook aka ‘Fatboy Slim’ performs Brixton Beach Rooftop on 1 June 2017 in London (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Ball’s net worth varies wildly between publications, with some placing an estimate at around £3.5 million.

She took a voluntary £380,000 pay cut during negotiations in order to remain a host of the Radio 2 Breakfast show for another two years. Her salary had hit £1.36 million presenting the radio show, however a BBC spokesperson said that Ball felt it was inappropriate to earn so much whilst in the middle of a pandemic.

The spokesperson said that Ball volunteered to take the pay cut in 2020 during talks with the broadcaster, and signed a new deal with a £980,000 salary.

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In 2020, Ball also sold her home, known as “London House”, which was listed for £1.1 million.

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