Zoe Ball said she could have been left homeless after she left a candle burning when her house was empty.

The DJ said she had been distracted by the film The Matrix and the fact she had made a cake the day before which led to the mistake. 

Speaking on her Radio 2 breakfast show this morning, Zoe said: “Something that happened to me for the first time was that yesterday, the fire brigade went to my house.

In 2020 we reported how Zoe had moved from Ditchling to the Newick area.

“I had left a candle burning in the lounge. I was so obsessed with The Matrix and the fact that I had made a cake on Sunday, I had gone out and hadn't blown out one of the candles.

"It was left smouldering in the lounge and at 9.25am my smoke alarms went off and thank goodness. Otherwise I might have gone home to no home."

Zoe added: "Thank you to my neighbour Abs and my gorgeous Em who called the fire brigade. And I'd like to give a big shout-out to Duncan and the Uckfield boys, Joe and Cameron and Steve, who went around, put out the candle and stopped my house from burning down."