BBC Terminates Scott Mills' Contract Following New Information on Personal Conduct

The BBC terminated the contract of Radio 2 breakfast show presenter Scott Mills on March 27, 2026, following what the broadcaster described as "new information" regarding his personal conduct, days after quietly removing him from air. Mills, who had hosted the station's flagship morning programme since January 2025 after taking over from Zoe Ball, signed off his final show on March 24 with the words "See you tomorrow," unaware — or at least giving no indication — that veteran DJ Gary Davies would replace him the following morning. The Metropolitan Police subsequently confirmed that they had launched an investigation into Mills in December 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy under the age of 16, with the alleged incidents said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. That investigation was closed in May 2019 after the Crown Prosecution Service determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. The BBC confirmed it had been made aware of that investigation as early as 2017, a disclosure that has since prompted significant scrutiny of the broadcaster's internal processes.

A second investigation closed quietly in 2024 A separate and more recent investigation adds further complexity to the timeline. According to a statement issued by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary on April 1, 2026, that force received a new allegation of non-recent sexual offences against a teenage boy in May 2023, dating back to the 1990s, and passed the matter to the Metropolitan Police. Mills was interviewed under caution by the Met in December 2023, and the BBC confirmed it was made aware of this second ongoing investigation in late 2023. That probe was also closed in October 2024, again with no arrest or charge, after the Metropolitan Police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which again found the evidence insufficient. Freelance journalist Anna Brees reportedly emailed the BBC on March 18, 2026, regarding alleged "inappropriate communications" involving Mills, according to reporting by The Telegraph, though she did not receive a response. The BBC stated that in the weeks before March 27 it obtained "new information" relating to Mills, spoke with him directly, and then acted, though the corporation has not specified what that new information was or whether it was connected to Brees's email.

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Mills confirms investigation, cites lack of charges in his defence Mills issued his first public statement through his legal team following the public disclosure of his sacking, confirming that the Metropolitan Police's statement related to him and stressing that he had cooperated fully with the process. He acknowledged the 2016 allegation and the subsequent investigation but pointed to the Crown Prosecution Service's conclusion as central to his position. „An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.” — Scott Mills via RTE.ie Mills also addressed the media environment that followed the announcement of his departure. „Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.” — Scott Mills via Irish Independent He closed his statement by thanking former colleagues and listeners, saying he "greatly missed" them. The BBC, for its part, said it recognised the news had come as "a shock and surprise to many" but declined to elaborate on the nature of the new information that prompted the dismissal, citing the rights of those involved.

BBC faces scrutiny over years of inaction on known allegations The case has renewed pressure on the BBC to account for how it handled knowledge of the police investigation over a period of years while Mills remained on air and was even promoted to the corporation's most prominent radio slot. The BBC stated it was "doing more work to understand the detail of what was known" internally at the time of the first investigation. „The BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time.” — BBC spokesperson via Irish Independent The BBC also referenced an independent culture review it had undertaken, stating it had set out behavioural expectations for all staff and contractors and had been clear that action would be taken if those were not met. The dismissal of Mills follows a series of high-profile misconduct cases at the broadcaster, including the 2024 conviction of former news presenter Huw Edwards for making indecent images of children. The BBC has faced recurring scrutiny over its handling of allegations against prominent on-air figures. Former presenter Jimmy Savile, who died in 2011, was posthumously found to have committed widespread sexual abuse over decades, with subsequent inquiries criticising the BBC for institutional failures. Comedian and presenter Russell Brand, DJ Tim Westwood, and former television presenter Huw Edwards have all been subjects of separate misconduct allegations in more recent years. Huw Edwards pleaded guilty in 2024 to charges related to indecent images of children, a case that drew particular attention given his role as the BBC's most prominent news anchor for two decades. The news of Mills' sacking broke publicly on March 30, 2026, when The Mirror reported it, with BBC News confirming the departure on its website minutes later. Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine said on air that he was "taken aback" by the news.