Scott Mills Sacked After Allegation Tied to Relationship from Over 10 Years Ago

BBC Radio 2 breakfast presenter Scott Mills has been dismissed from the corporation following an allegation concerning his personal conduct, the BBC confirmed on Monday. The 53-year-old, who took over the breakfast show from Zoe Ball in January 2025, is no longer contracted to the BBC.His exit ends a BBC career spanning nearly three decades across Radio 1, Radio 2, and Radio 5 Live.

According to The Mirror, which has reported exclusively on the details of the allegation, the claim relates to a historic relationship from more than 10 years ago. The BBC itself has not publicly elaborated on the nature of the allegation, stating only that it does not comment on matters relating to individuals.

'Sudden and Unexpected'

Mills signed off his final show on Tuesday, 24 March, with the words 'See you tomorrow.' The following morning, veteran DJ Gary Davies took over the breakfast slot, telling listeners simply: 'Morning, Gary in for Scott.'No explanation was offered to listeners at the time.

Mills was taken off air last week while bosses reportedly assessed the information, before sources claimed he was informed at the weekend that his contract had been terminated. The BBC's official announcement came on Monday morning, when Director of Music Lorna Clarke informed staff via an internal email.

Clarke wrote: 'I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the Breakfast show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock... Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.'

Vine 'Taken Aback' on Air

The news reverberated through the BBC's own airwaves almost immediately. News of Mills' sacking led the 12 pm bulletin on his former station, BBC Radio 2. At the start of his own show, Jeremy Vine said he was 'taken aback' by the news.

Vine said: 'I had not heard anything about it until 17 minutes ago, when it was on the BBC website and I only had the information that was given to you in the bulletin, I have nothing more, that it was allegations about Scott Mills's personal conduct, which have led to him being sacked.'

The admission was unusual — a senior BBC presenter publicly acknowledging, live on air, that he had been blindsided by the dismissal of a close colleague.

A Career Built Over Decades

Mills joined BBC Radio 1 in October 1998, initially presenting the early breakfast show between 4 am and 7 am. He would go on to front his own long-running evening programme before moving to Radio 2 in 2022, where he replaced the late Steve Wright on the afternoon slot. His ascent to the flagship breakfast programme marked the pinnacle of his BBC tenure.

The latest RAJAR figures showed Mills had an average weekly audience of 6.47 million between October and December 2025, up from 6.16 million the previous quarter — his highest since taking over the Radio 2 breakfast show. He was paid between £355,000 and £359,999 in 2024/2025, making him the 11th highest-paid star at the BBC.

Mills' dismissal is the latest in a series of high-profile departures to rock the BBC in recent years, arriving just weeks after Channel 5 aired a dramatisation of the Huw Edwards scandal. The corporation's Royal Charter also expires next year, placing renewed pressure on its leadership and prompting continued debate about its funding and the future of the licence fee. How the BBC manages the fallout from Mills' exit — and who permanently fills the Radio 2 breakfast slot — will be closely watched by both the industry and its millions of loyal listeners.