BBCs Scott Mills: Allegations and Lack of Transparency

The was plunged into fresh scandal on Tuesday as one of its most high-profile radio stars was sensationally axed.

Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Scott Mills was hauled off air last Tuesday and his contract has now been terminated over his 'personal conduct'. 

The allegations against Mills, 53, are thought to date back a decade to his time on Radio 1, and allegedly relate to a 2016 police investigation into 'serious sexual offences' against a teenage boy.  

It has since been reported that BBC bosses were left with 'no choice' but to dismiss the DJ after being passed fresh details about his conduct. 

While the new information is understood to involve the same person as the original complaint, it is different to the claims made during the 's investigations. After review, the BBC decided 'Mills had to go', according to the Daily Mirror. 

One of the Corporation's highest-paid stars, who earned up to £360,000 a year, Mills' departure has caused 'absolute chaos' at Radio 2, insiders told the Daily Mail, with colleagues 'in shock' and bosses scrambling to find a replacement.

It is believed the unceremonious sacking, announced with a curt public statement, was one of the last acts of Director General , who wanted to 'clear the decks' before leaving his post on Thursday.

Mills' team are taking legal advice in the wake of his sacking. The DJ is the latest in a string of talent to lose their jobs at the scandal-ridden BBC. 

His ousting follows the sacking of news anchor , along with MasterChef pair and , in the last two years.

Mr Davie, who himself resigned after it emerged that footage of a speech made by US President Donald Trump had been edited and spliced together in an episode of Panorama, wanted one last roll of the dice, an insider said.

But he will be leaving interim Director General Rhodri Talfan Davies, and permanent replacement Matt Brittin, with a major headache as the race is on to find a replacement for Mills or risk losing listeners. 

The biggest breakfast show in the country currently brings in a weekly audience of some 6.5million, after listeners lost under Mills' predecessor Zoe Ball returned.

In an internal note to staff on Tuesday morning, Lorna Clarke, Director of Music, said: '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 Radio 1, Radio 5 Live, Radio 2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.'

She said it would 'come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too' as she promised to update everyone with 'more information on plans for the show when I'm able to'.

She added: 'While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now.'

In a statement on Tuesday morning, the BBC said: 'While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.'

Mills' final show was last Tuesday – following his presenting stint on BBC's Comic Relief the previous Friday – and he signed off by telling listeners: 'See you tomorrow.'

Just six days later, Mills was gone from the job.

'People are walking around crying,' said one BBC employee. 'The BBC has taken this very seriously.'

Mills landed the coveted BBC 2 Breakfast Show job in January last year when he took over from Ms Ball.

But it was at the more free-wheeling Radio 1, aimed at a younger demographic, where Mills made his name, rising through the ranks from the early breakfast show in 1998 to the afternoon slot vacated by Sara Cox in 2004.

Renamed The Scott Mills Show, it ran from 2004 until 2022, when Mills jumped ship to Radio 2 where he replaced Steve Wright on his afternoon slot.

Now married to long-term partner Sam Vaughan, 36, Mills enjoyed a more hedonistic lifestyle during his 24-year tenure on BBC Radio 1.

'This relates back to the culture at Radio 1, not at Radio 2,' the BBC source told the Mail of the allegation made against Mills.

And it would seem that no one was prepared for the BBC's decision to axe the DJ, with some of the Radio 2 communications team having taken this week off for the Easter holidays.

The beleaguered BBC is still dealing with the fallout of the Huw Edwards scandal