Heartbroken Zoe Ball was her 'dear mama's' double in curly-haired childhood photos
Zoe Ball, 53, hosted a private funeral for her mother Julia weeks after announcing she had died from pancreatic cancer.
To publicly mark the occasion, the Radio 2 DJ posted a carousel of family photos, ranging from when Zoe was a young child to her mother's wedding day and more recent pictures with her grandchildren.
One glance at the family album and it's clear that Zoe and Julia, whom she nicknamed "mama", had a very strong resemblance. In one black and white snap, the mother-daughter duo sported near-identical grins, pale eyes and smart collared outfits. While Zoe's wavy hair had been pulled away from her face and fastened into a smart ponytail, her mother's curls were loose around her face in a short bob.
Years earlier, toddler Zoe modelled light brunette hair that fell to her shoulders with a soft curl at the ends – much like Julia's shoulder-length honey blonde 'do.
The precious photos were accompanied by a heartbreaking message that read: "Yesterday we said goodbye to our dear Mama, Granny J. It was the perfect day and she would have loved it.
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"Forever in our hearts Mama, thank you for your magic [and] love. Missing you so much but holding tight to each other.
"Thank you to everyone who sent kind messages, cards [and] flowers. Big love to the many of you who have shared with us about your own loss and heartbreak, to those battling with cancer or looking after loved ones affected by cancer. we wish you all the strength and love. and of course the humour you need to keep going. some days it's so hard to be brave.
"My wonderful brother Jamie @tikikontiki and I will be fundraising in the future for the fantastic caring folk at @stpeterstjames [and] @pancreaticcanuk let's hope one day more can be done to help those diagnosed. Our mum was diagnosed in February, we lost her in just 12 weeks," she added, alongside the heartbreak emoji.
Zoe had announced the sad news of her mother's cancer diagnosis in March but added she was being "incredibly brave" as she underwent treatment.
By April, the former Strictly star told radio listeners that her mother had been transferred to hospice care as she dedicated a Bon Jovi song to her paramedics. Just days later, Zoe shared the sad update that Julia had died.
Next to a snap of a young Julia sitting on a bridge with flowing blonde hair, she wrote: "Sleep tight dear Mama. Thank you for teaching us how to love unconditionally, to always show courage and empathy, and how, even in the darkest of days, laughter is the greatest of gifts. We are bereft without you but will hold so tight to each other. Your grace [and] your smile that lit up every room you were in, will light the stars to guide us."
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