The BBC has been plunged into a new crisis after sacking the Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills over allegations about his personal conduct.
Mills, who hosted Britain’s most popular radio breakfast show, was blindsided by the decision to take him off the air last Tuesday. The corporation has opted to terminate his contact after claims made against him.
BBC News, citing a report in the Mirror, which first reported the story, said the allegations related to a “historic relationship” more than 10 years ago.
His dismissal is the latest crisis to hit the BBC over the alleged behaviour of one of its leading figures. The broadcaster has repeatedly said it is trying to create a culture where no one is unaccountable, after allegations against prominent presenters such as Huw Edwards and Tim Westwood.
The departure took place in Tim Davie’s last week as the BBC’s director general. He announced his resignation at the end of last year after he was worn down by a series of crises including over the conduct of some BBC presenters.
The BBC said: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted and has left the BBC.”
Replacing Mills is now likely to become one of the first big personnel decisions for Matt Brittin, the former Google executive chosen to replace Davie as director general.
Mills, 53, took over the Radio 2 breakfast show from Zoe Ball in January 2025. Under his stewardship, the show’s audience increased to 6.5 million listeners, making it the UK’s most popular breakfast show.
He had joined the station’s weekday schedule in 2022 when he replaced Steve Wright as the host of the afternoon slot, having previously worked on Radio 1 and hosted a weekend show on Radio 5 Live.
Lorna Clarke, the director of music at the BBC, said in a statement to staff: “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.
“Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything.”
Mills’ place on Monday morning was taken by Gary Davies, who interviewed The Pitt star Noah Wyle. The BBC has confirmed Mills’ temporary replacements for the next week as Davies and OJ Borg, both longstanding hosts. Mills was also due to host the upcoming BBC podcast Race Across the World: The Detour, and the Pop Top 10 podcast alongside Rylan Clark for Radio 2, where they would rank music and pop culture.
Mills apparently did not know he would not be returning to his radio show when he signed off on 24 March, telling his listeners: “See you tomorrow.”
At the start of his own Radio 2 show, Jeremy Vine said he was “taken aback” by the news and said he only learned of the exit after reading about it on the BBC website.
“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’ personal conduct, which have led to him being sacked,” Vine said.
A Radio 2 source told Deadline they had been “completely blindsided” by the news.
Mills was paid between £355,000 and £359,999 annually for his work at the BBC, according to the corporation’s 2024-25 pay report. He first joined Radio 1 in 1998 as a presenter of the early breakfast show, on air between 4am and 7am.
He wrote in his autobiography about his Radio 1 debut that he had “no personality” and spent most of the time between songs reading out the station phone number over and over again. Even so, no one phoned in, and he said he expected to be sacked within a few months.
In July 2005 he shifted to an early evening weekday slot while covering for Sara Cox, who was on maternity leave. Cox decided not to return, so the slot became Mills’.
Mills has been approached for comment.
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