SCOTT Mills was sacked by the BBC amid fallout from a previously undisclosed police investigation into alleged sexual offences against a teenage boy, according to The Mirror.
The Radio 2 star was questioned under caution during a Met probe that began in 2016 and examined allegations said to date from 1997 to 2000. The case was later closed after prosecutors decided the evidential threshold for charges had not been met.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told the Mirror: “In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.
“These were reported to taken place between 1997 and 2000. As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
“A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.”
The Mirror says the BBC’s decision to axe Mills last week is linked to the same individual at the centre of that earlier investigation.
Insiders say the corporation moved fast after a fresh complaint landed, pulling Mills off air last Wednesday while bosses urgently assessed the information. By the weekend, his contract was terminated.
Mills had signed off his breakfast show as normal, telling listeners he would be back the next day. Instead, he vanished from air without warning and was replaced by Gary Davies.
That sudden switch only fuelled the sense of chaos around one of the BBC’s biggest stars. Mills had taken over the flagship Radio 2 Breakfast Show from Zoe Ball in 2025 and had been positioned as a major face of the network.
He was also one of the corporation’s top earners, taking home up to £359,999 a year, and had been expected to play a key role in this year’s Eurovision coverage. Now the BBC is scrambling to plug two high-profile gaps.
The BBC has refused to go beyond confirming Mills is no longer contracted to work there. Behind the scenes, insiders say crisis talks are now under way over who replaces him and how the broadcaster contains the fallout.
For Mills, the collapse is brutal.
After more than 25 years at the BBC and what he once called a lifelong dream job, his exit has detonated at the peak of his career — and the pressure is only building.
Key Points
- BBC swiftly terminated Mills' contract after a fresh complaint, causing shock across the newsroom.
- Met probed alleged incidents from 1997–2000; investigation closed in 2019 with no charges.
- Departure leaves major Radio 2 gaps, Eurovision role uncertain and executives scrambling replacements.
Why They're In The News
Why This Matters
The abrupt dismissal of Scott Mills amid revelations about a past police probe underscores risks to the BBC’s reputation, forces urgent leadership decisions over programming and safeguarding, and highlights how allegations can rapidly destabilize major public broadcasters.
