Scott Mills, the top radio presenter who was sacked by the BBC earlier this week over unspecified charges of personal misconduct, was questioned under surveillance by the Metropolitan Police in 2018 in connection with historic sex offenses involving a teenage boy, according to BBC News.
Police later confirmed the boy was under 16.
Scotland Yard said the investigation, which began in December 2016 following an inquiry from another party, focused on alleged offenses that occurred between 1997 and 2000. Mills, who was in his 40s at the time of police questioning, was not charged. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the case and concluded in 2019 that the evidence did not meet the necessary standards for prosecution, at which point the investigation was officially closed. It remains unclear whether a prior police investigation factored into the BBC’s decision to sever ties with Mr Mills.
Mills’ representatives did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
Mr Mills took over Radio 2’s flagship Breakfast Show from Zoe Ball in early 2025, and his last show was on March 24, the same day he left the show without incident. The next morning, veteran DJ Gary Davis filled the slot. The Mirror newspaper, which first reported the dismissal, suggested that the allegations were rooted in historical ties.
Lorna Clark, the BBC’s director of music, told staff internally on Monday that the news would come as a shock to colleagues and regular listeners alike, adding that she would share as much detail as possible about plans for the Breakfast Show.
Mr Mills joined Radio 1 in 1998 and spent more than 25 years at the BBC. He anchored the station’s Official Charts program from 2018 to 2022, before moving to Radio 2 to take over the afternoon slot vacated by the late Steve Wright. In addition to radio, he competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, co-commentated the Eurovision semi-finals with Rylan in 2025, and had a short stint on TV in Comic Relief’s Traitors skit.
