Zoe Ball warned to be wary of new boyfriend Michael Reed by his ex’s pals
ZOE Ball has been warned to be wary of her new man - by pals of his ex lovers.
Michael Reed - whose romance with the presenter we revealed last week - dated a string of beauties before getting together with Zoe, 47.
Among them is Lorraine Ashdown, 43, a TV and radio presenter and announcer who has worked for Radio 1.
Lorraine - who has a one-year-old daughter with Reed, 47 - has mutual friends with Zoe who are said to have spoken to her about him.
A friend of Lorraine said: “She knows people, including veteran DJs, who are mates of Zoe and have spoken to or plan to speak to her about Michael.
“He certainly has a type and he also has a reputation.
“He tends to ‘lovebomb’ women and chats them up online and in person.
“It is great at first but it can all go wrong and he can end up falling out with them.
“He is a bit of a wannabe and has mates in the media, which is how he gets to know women like Zoe and Lorraine.”
After splitting from Lorraine three years ago, Reed had a romance with businesswoman Hannah Maynard who lives in a £1.5million home near him in Chislehurst, Kent.
He has also dated other women, including one who split from him recently after a holiday to Bali.
A source close to pretty blonde Hannah - director of an interior design business - said she had had issues over the break-up with him.
The source said: "She got solicitors involved when it all went wrong - it was over texts and she wanted to stop Reed contacting her.
“Since the story broke, Hannah has also been contacted by women who have dated Reed.
“There are a lot of ex-girlfriends who all say the same thing - that Reed is charming but that women should be cautious.
"Hannah would not want anything to do with him now, and feels really sorry for Zoe.
"He got into Hannah’s head and she was bowled over at first. But six months later it started to go wrong.
"She thinks Zoe will be having the most hedonistic period of her life and he'll make her feel amazing.
“He's got good looks and charm and it’s easy to get taken in.
“But he doesn’t have the substance and people should be speaking to Zoe about him.”
We told last week how Zoe and Reed went on a date to a members’ club in central London before heading together to the nearby Soho Hotel.
Friends of Strictly: It Takes Two presenter Zoe have said she is “smitten” with Reed but said their romance is in its “early days”.
Reed - a company director who runs a building development firm - also has daughters aged 18 and 12 with long-term ex Carrelyn Gardner, 47.
A source told how the couple had a legal dispute after they split in 2012.
Reed claimed a share in a house owned by businesswoman Carrelyn, who runs a holistic massage firm.
Land registry records show Reed has a charge registered against the property dated February 2015, which states it cannot be sold without his permission.
A source said: “It got very bitter between him and Carrelyn.
“They are still in a legal dispute.
“As part of it, she claimed he admitted to an affair in 2012 when they split.
“They also met when she was engaged to an Italian bloke and got together after that ended.
“Carrelyn also claims that he wants part of her house but did not pay his way when they were together.
“She says he lived beyond his means and liked spending money on credit on holidays, designer clothes and living the high life.
“Carrelyn also says Reed was investigated by HMRC and that she applied for a Non-molestation and Occupation Order against him in 2013 and contacted his solicitors.”
Company records show Reed - director of building project firm Zero Zero Five Limited - has a string of dissolved businesses.
He has two current company directorships, and six former directorships.
His current firms are Fab 10 and Zero Zero Five.
Fab 10 went was incorporated in October 2012. It was put into voluntary liquidation in November 2016.
Its statement of affairs reported an “estimated deficiency” of £41,722 – including £4,837 due to HMRC and £24,500 to Reed.
Zero Zero Five was incorporated in September 2016.
His six former companies are: Fabric Tensile, Fabric Ten, Sail Shade, Smart Shade, Bizykidz and Deck-It.
All of these companies were dormant apart from Sail Shade. It was incorporated in January 2007.
It traded as Fabric Ten - a roof firm - and went into voluntary liquidation in October 2011. At that time it owed £31,770, including £7,343 to HMRC.
Radio 2 presenter Zoe’s romance with Reed comes after she suffered the heartache of TV cameraman ex Billy Yates, 40, committing suicide in May.
In September 2016, we revealed that Zoe’s 18-year marriage to ‘Fatboy Slim’ DJ Norman Cook had ended.
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The couple have two children - son Woody, 17 and seven-year-old daughter Nelly May.
A showbiz source said: “It was great to see Zoe so happy, but friends will be watching closely how this develops.”
Michael Reed declined to comment.