The Idler

LADY OF LEISURE

Bathtime with Zoe Ball
We found the lovely Zoe Ball relaxing in her new bathroom and asked her intimate questions about her ablutions. Photography and interview by Charlotte Baker Wilbraham. Taken from Idler 20, Winter 1997

“I spend up to an hour, sometimes longer, in the bathroom. Most of my time is spent with tweezers in hand. I love tweezing whatever I can… eyebrows, legs. I’ll tweezer at any time of the day but don’t have much time for it first thing in the morning.

I have a huge collection of girl’s products: nail varnish of every description – glitter, electric blue. I like to keep everything visable so my friends can play with the products. I find that boys play more than girls.

I find the bath a good place to think and get a bit of space. I play very loud music when in the bath, and enjoy listening to my Roberts radio – Radio 4 only. However, I don’t linger in the bath, as it makes me feel unclean. I like the water boiling hot and jump out before my toes get too pruney. I love the idea of a good scrub down – I love those tin baths in Westerns. I scrub my skin with pumice stone and loofah regularly.

I’ve only recently moved in to this house and haven’t changed the bathroom yet. I’m planning to remove the tiles – I’m not into tiled walls. I like bathrooms with windows. This one doesn’t have one, so to compensate I bought a huge mirror which is set in an old window frame. I generally bathe by candlelight. I once saw a girls bathroom which was mostly set in wood with a large bath in the middle of the room, freestanding, candles dripping everywhere. I loved it. I want my bathroom to go back to nature.

I do love the bath and the shower head fittings. The bath is a Victorian freestanding one. I’ve also got old Indian railway carriage brass soap holders. It’s a great loo but I have to clean it a lot because of boys’ business.

I bathe in Kiehls bath foam and Neal’s Yard aromatherapy oils, like lavender. I love the smell.

Although I’m frightened of the sea I love a bathroom which reminds me of it. I have a blue fish made of clay and a small mermaid figure. With a bit of seaweed I could bring the sea into the bathroom.”