Zoe Ball has said she reads to escape “everything that is going on” in the world today.

The BBC presenter revealed that she is happy to get lost in a book rather than her mobile phone, and shut out the daily news cycle.

Ball said that she often hopes her trains are delayed, so she can spend more time reading on her commute, and not facing the world.

Speaking at the National Book Awards, which she hosted, Ball said: “I think especially as we are lost so much in our phones, sometimes it’s just so wonderful to just shut out the world,  especially with everything that is going on currently, and just get lost in another world.”

Ball has said she is devoted to reading, and has been in a book club with TV colleagues.

She added: “I take a lot of trains, so I love reading on the train. I get really annoyed when there are no delays, because I just want to keep reading and finish my book.

“It’s where all the great stories come from, whether they’re old or new, whether they’re historical stories or love stories. It’s where a lot of our movies come from.”