The BBC terminated Scott Mills' employment in March 2025 following the emergence of new information connected to a police investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000. Mills was investigated by police over these allegations, with the broadcaster admitting it knew about the police investigation into Mills in 2017. The BBC declined to specify the exact reason for Mills' dismissal, citing only 'personal conduct' as the grounds for its decision.
The police investigation began in December 2016 after a third-party report or referral from another police force. Mills was questioned under caution by police in July 2018, and the Crown Prosecution Service closed the case in 2019 due to insufficient evidence.
Time actually does fly when you're having fun, and that's certainly been the case over the past 24 years at my beloved Radio 1.
The BBC's knowledge and response to the situation have drawn scrutiny. The broadcaster was aware of the police investigation into Mills in 2017. While declining to specify why Mills was dismissed beyond citing 'personal conduct,' the BBC apologized for not following up on a press query in 2025 about the investigation.
The nature of the new information that prompted Mills' dismissal remains unclear, though reports indicate it related to the same alleged victim but was different from previous claims. The exact details of what triggered the dismissal have not been disclosed.
The station I pretended to be on in my bedroom from the age of six. The station I told my mum I wanted to work at, but never in a million years thought I would.
During the police investigation from 2016 to 2019, Mills continued to host BBC shows, including Eurovision coverage and a Strictly Come Dancing podcast. The reasons why the BBC kept Mills on air throughout the investigation period remain unknown.
Mills had worked for the BBC for almost 30 years, having joined the broadcaster in 1998. According to reports, Mills was one of the highest-paid presenters at the BBC, with a salary of £315,000 to £319,999 in 2025 after replacing Zoe Ball on the Breakfast Show. Weeks before being dropped, Mills had been announced as the host for the Race Across The World spin-off podcast.
I really cannot believe I'm going to be calling Radio 2 my new home!
Mills' personal background includes being interviewed by police following the drugs death of his boyfriend Mitchell Berger in 2000. He publicly came out as gay a year after his boyfriend's death. Mills met his husband Sam Vaughan in 2016 at a radio industry event in Wales.
The dismissal has sparked public reaction, with Roy Wood Jr mocking Scott Mills on Have I Got News For You over his BBC exit.
Mills thanked the listeners, his 'immensely talented' co-workers and Chris Stark, who was also leaving the station.
Several key unknowns remain about this case. It is unclear what exactly the new information was that led to Mills' dismissal in March 2025, or whether Mills informed the BBC about the police investigation earlier than 2017. The reasons why the BBC continued to employ Mills during the police investigation from 2016 to 2019 have not been explained. The identity and current status of the alleged victim have not been disclosed, and it remains unknown whether there will be any legal or employment consequences for Mills beyond his dismissal.