Zoe Ball has shared an emotional Instagram snap of her late partner Billy Yates to mark his birthday.
The radio presenter, 48, took to the social media platform with an image of the late cameraman lighting a fire lantern.
She added the caption: ‘Beautiful full moon for your birthday eve Billface. Your star still shines the brightest up there. Fly forever free. Always in this old ♥️ of mine ⭐.’
‘Your star still shines bright’: Zoe Ball, 48, has shared an emotional Instagram snap of her late partner Billy Yates to mark his birthday
‘Fly forever free’: The radio presenter added a sweet caption to the poignant post
Zoe’s partner Billy tragically took his own life in 2017 following a long battle with depression.
In May, Zoe took a day off from her BBC Radio 2 show to mark the exact two year anniversary of the funeral of Billy.
A source later told The Sun that Zoe took the day off because she already knew the second anniversary of Billy’s passing would be tough for her.
Earlier that month, Zoe spoke about her grief ahead of the devastating two-year anniversary of Billy’s death during her heartfelt Radio 2 show.
Tragic: Zoe’s partner Billy tragically took his own life in 2017 following a long battle with depression
The It Takes Two presenter admitted that the heartbreaking day makes her knees wobble’ and ‘heart hurt’ as she encouraged her struggling listeners to reach out for help.
During the emotive radio speech, Zoe, who has found love again with Michael Reed, said: ‘So tomorrow it’s going to be two-years since our dear Billy Yates died.
‘Anyone who has lost someone dear to them, be it a friend or a family member, will know that these anniversaries have a tendency to make your knees wobble and your heart hurt.
‘With grief, it’s often an every day feeling not just anniversaries. The longer the time without them, the more you miss their ways and their voice in your life. Even though of course they’ll never leave your heart.
‘These anniversaries are good as they give you an excuse to just spend some time with your thoughts about them.
Heartbreak: In May, Zoe took a day off from her BBC Radio 2 show to mark the exact two year anniversary of the funeral of Billy
‘I wanted to send some dear love to his family today and all weekend, and all his brilliant friends – mates with Yates, who we love to pieces.
‘I just wanted to reach out with thoughts and an extra dollop of love to anyone going through anything at the moment, whether it be mental health problems, perhaps a loved one is poorly or maybe you’re just having a right old tricky time of it at the moment.
‘Life is very tough for many reasons, when you can, if you are suffering from mental health problems try and be brave, reach out for help from your friends and family.
‘I can promise you they would do anything for you and it’s not an easy thing to do. Try to remember you’re not alone in this funny old life, cuddle those who you love and treasure those memories.’
Last year, Zoe broke down in tears recalling the last time she saw her partner before he took his own life in May 2017 after a long battle with depression.
The television star became emotional as she spoke about Billy during BBC documentary Zoe Ball’s Hardest Way Home, which aired in March 2018.
Fighting back tears as she spoke about their final moments together, she said: ‘He got on his bike and he cycled off and he turned round and he blew me a kiss goodbye, and that was the last time I saw him.
‘And I feel really grateful that I got my goodbye in a way. And I think that was my goodbye.’
Zoe and Yates, a cameraman and technician, began dating following her marriage split from DJ Norman Cook in 2016 and were first pictured together in February 2017.
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Emotional: Last year, Zoe broke down in tears recalling the last time she saw her partner before he took his own life in May 2017 after a long battle with depression
