I was never going to like Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio Two breakfast show. I’d still listen to it in preference to literally any commercial radio show, but when the BBC offers me choice, then I’ll choose to stay away from Ms Ball thank you very much.
Ball is the modern day icon, a presenter. Not blessed with exceptional talent at anything in particular, she presents stuff on telly and on radio. It’s hard to do well, I know, talking incessantly without creating unwanted dead air. Ball’s delivery style is frantic, breathless, like when you are running to catch the next bus. In her case, hard work is an alternative to quality.
I heard enough of it to know I wouldn’t like it. The music is standard safe Radio two fare, she seemed desperate to please. I am sure for a certain demographic she did please. As someone who is well in the catchment area for R2, I felt no inclination to listen for long.
The departure of her predecessor Chris Evans was long overdue. Another presenter as opposed to disc jockey – there is a big difference – it was always about him and the music was secondary, sometimes lower than that if some celebrity or other was on. I wasn’t expecting Jeremy Paxman style questioning but hoped it would be more than “Hello, you’re great.” I don’t see Ball being much different to that.
Avoiding Radio Five’s dire ‘Brexit Barometer’, as the station declines from rolling news into a 24 hour a day phone in, the best alternative for me was BBC 6 Music. I am far too old for Radio One and Lauren Laverne’s mid morning show was always a must-listen. Now she has replaced leaden-tongued Shaun Keaveny and suddenly I have a great DJ to listen to who plays great music. Her first two days have been excellent. If you want to try something a bit different from the mainstream, try it.
Zoe Ball isn’t Marmite because Marmite is great. I am sure she is a very nice woman who loves her family and pets and cares for the homeless of an evening. I just think she’s a crap presenter and if I had become weary with Chris ‘It’s all about me’ Evans, I was knackered after just a few minutes of Johnny’s daughter, the former ladette, Ms Ball.
