Bristol-based Woody Cook, star of The Circle and son of Zoe Ball and Norman ‘Fatboy Slim’ Cook, has opened up about how family tragedy led him to reassess his life. The 24-year-old was left heartbroken when both his grandmothers passed away last year.
Julia, Zoe’s mother, died in April after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and eight months later, Norman’s mother Ros also passed away.
Woody said: “Last year a lot of stuff happened as a family. The family is a little bit smaller than it was. So it’s given us time to spend more time together and reevaluate. Life can be very busy. I live in Bristol. My family live in Brighton. My mum was always working in London. There wasn’t always time. And now – more than ever – it’s about making that time. Because you never know how long a life is. Sometimes I realise that my parents need me just as much as I need them to support me. I didn’t really realise that before. We’ve got each other.”
In addition to his DJ and TV career, Woody is passionate about raising awareness around mental health, describing it as “the epidemic that everyone is facing.”
Both he and his mother Zoe have undergone therapy, and he maintains daily rituals to keep his mind healthy. He further added: “We spend life running away whether it’s gigging, working or whatever we do. There’s a quote ‘everyone’s got something to numb the pain'”, reports the Express.
“We can all run away from the fact that some of us feel like that. I’ve had a lot of mental health stuff around me. So many friends go through horrible situations, people aren’t here anymore. There’s a real epidemic.
“We don’t do enough to help and educate these people.”
Speaking about how therapy has transformed his life, he added: “I’ve had therapy before. And like my mum says, the first thing her therapist told her years ago is that everyone needs therapy. Gratitude is quite a powerful emotion in the body. Just walking down the street and being grateful can shift the way your brain is feeling.”
Woody is leading a campaign with Specsavers for Tinnitus Awareness Week, which took place from February 3-9. As a long-time tinnitus sufferer, he’s warning others about the dangers of the disorder, explaining: “For me it’s about protecting my hearing for the future. It feels good to be able to help people and to spread a positive message. He continued: “I didn’t know I had it. It doesn’t have a crippling effect on my life but what it represents is worse. If I’ve got hearing damage now, God forbid it gets worse later in life.
“It’s about protection and people understanding the dangers so that you can hear your grandkids. “is the epidemic that everyone is facing. I’ve had such a warm response from people. When I can use my platform, which I’m so blessed to have, to spread a positive message, I will never turn that down.”