The BBC has terminated the contract of radio host Scott Mills, citing allegations related to his personal conduct. The decision follows a previous police investigation into serious sexual offences against a teenage boy under the age of 16, which was closed in May 2019 due to insufficient evidence.
Key Takeaways
The BBC has terminated Scott Mills' contract after discovering new information about an alleged victim being underage. The move follows a previous police investigation that was closed due to insufficient evidence.
- BBC sacks Scott Mills after learning alleged victim in police investigation was under 16
- New information emerged recently, leading to Mills' dismissal
- Police investigated Mills for serious sexual offences between 1997 and 2000
- Crown Prosecution Service found insufficient evidence to bring charges
- Mills issued a statement expressing his wish not to make further public comment
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in December 2016 following a referral from another police force. According to Sky News, Mills was questioned under caution in July 2018 regarding alleged offences reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. The Crown Prosecution Service determined there was insufficient evidence to bring charges, leading to the case being closed.
The BBC announced Mills' termination on Monday, stating that it was due to allegations related to his personal conduct. According to Sky News, the BBC apologized for not following up on press queries about Mills last year. The dismissal is the latest crisis to hit the BBC, following previous controversies involving prominent presenters such as Huw Edwards and Tim Westwood.
The broadcaster has been working to create a culture where no one is unaccountable. Mills' departure occurs during Tim Davie's last week as the BBC’s director general. According to The Guardian, new 'compelling evidence' from an underage accuser emerged a decade after the initial police probe, leading to Mills' dismissal.
The BBC reportedly felt they had 'no choice' but to dismiss him after reviewing fresh information about his alleged conduct. Concerns were raised by friends as Mills was avoiding phone calls and had 'gone to ground' following Monday's announcement. The BBC has confirmed it knew about the police investigation into Scott Mills in 2017, but the presenter was sacked after new information about his conduct came to light in recent weeks.
The corporation stated that Director-General Tony Hall did not know about the allegations at the time of the investigation. According to Sky News, the BBC received a press query in 2025 which included limited information regarding inappropriate communications involving Mills, but failed to follow up on it. It is not clear if BBC managers at the time of the investigation in 2017 knew the age of the alleged victim, but current management only became aware in recent weeks and took action.
Mills issued his first public statement since news broke of his dismissal. 'An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018,' he said. 'As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.'
Mills went on to say, 'Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter.'
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