Devastated Zoë Ball has thanked fans for their support after her boyfriend Billy Yates tragically committed suicide last week

Zoë Ball has spoken out for the first time since her beloved boyfriend Billy Yates' devastating death last week.

Billy, 40, who suffered from depression, was found dead at his home last Thursday by his friends who called the police.

Although the cause of his death has not been confirmed yet, it is known that he tragically took his own life.

Zoë, 46, had only candidly spoken about her boyfriend last Tuesday, two days before he passed away, saying that she was having the "best year of her life" with him.

Fans in their droves took to Twitter to comfort the Radio 2 DJ, encouraging her to stay strong and offering their love and support.

Whilst Zoë still hasn't made any public announcements herself, she released a statement through her representatives MHM, thanking everyone who has taken the time to send her a message.

It read: "On behalf of Zoe Ball, we would like to thank everyone for the kind messages and support during a very difficult time."

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Zoë herself then retweeted it, along with a tweet by food blogger Jack Monroe who had posted offering support to those suffering from mental health issues.

Jack wrote: "You don't have to 'man up' - the biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide. The strongest thing to do is talk. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek"

This is the first time since the days following Billy's death that she has been active on social media, previously posting a photo of a beautiful pink flower on Instagram, and retweeting a tweet by the Samaritans charity, encouraging those suffering from mental health issues to seek help.

Since Billy's death, it has been revealed that he fell victim to an accountant who was previously jailed and who had driven Billy to financial ruin.

A source told The Sun: "Billy suffered from depression but the strain of being left with an unexpected tax bill hit him hard.

"These sorts of things are a considerable concern for anyone — but it's particularly tough when someone already has mental health issues to overcome."

Our thoughts are with Zoë and Billy's families at this difficult time. ❤️

Are you a fan of Zoë's? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.

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