ZOE Ball appeared in good spirits on a day out with ex husband Fatboy Slim and their friends after vanishing from her BBC Radio 2 show. Zoe , the BBC's highest paid presenter after Gary Lineker, has taken six weeks off the flagship breakfast show but will return later this month. The legendary broadcaster, the BBC highest earning female presenter, laughed and joked with the group at a beach cafe in Brighton.

Earlier this months insiders claimed "nobody knows what's going on" as she failed to return after her summer break. Zoe, 53, takes the reins on the flagship show every weekday morning from 6:30am. Last week her replacement Scott Mills, who is usually in the drivetime hotseat, addressed his appearance on her show and wished Zoe well.

He said: "If you set your alarm every morning to go off at 6:30am and normally Zoe comes on, please do not freak out. You have not overslept. "If you've just put us on this morning, it's Scott Mills in for Zoe for the next few weeks.

I'm sending you all my love Zo', as are the team." The BBC and Zoe has remained silent on the reason for her time off. She had a tough time earlier this year as she revealed her mother Julia Peckham had cancer, and tragically passed away in April.

She returned to the show and thanked listeners for their support, while Zoe has not been on the The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show since she briefly returned to hosting on August 8, following a summer break. A source told MailOnline about the mystery surrounding Zoe's absence a.