Friends of Scott Mills are unable to reach him after he was abruptly fired from the BBC over allegations of ‘serious sexual offences against a boy under 16’.
An investigation started in 2016 over incidents reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000, but no charges were brought.
A statement from 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 had been missing from the Radio 2 Breakfast Show for a week after saying ‘see you tomorrow’ to listeners on Tuesday, March 24, as he signed off.
Now, a source close to the presenter has told The Sun he has ‘completely shut down’ and is not responding to attempts to communicate.
‘Scott was told about the allegation in a meeting with senior staff present,’ they shared. ‘He was tense.’
The insider continued: ‘He has completely shut down now and no one can get hold of him. No calls, no messages — nothing.
‘The people who know him are blindsided by all of this and they can’t get hold of him.’
Mills has not made a statement regarding the accusations and has not been publicly seen since his firing.
An email sent to staff by BBC’s director of music, Lorna Clarke, suggested the dismissal was ‘sudden’ and ‘unexpected’ for his colleagues.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Mirror: ‘In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force.
‘The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.’
They continued: ‘A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.
‘Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.’
Mills had been one of the BBC’s top presenters, with a salary of £315,000 to £319,999 in 2024 after replacing Zoe Ball.
There’s heavy speculation that Vernon Kay will be the next to take over the show, as at the moment he is hosting mid-morning on Radio 2.
Other names, such as current breakfast stand-in Gary Davies or overnight DJ, OJ Borg, are in the mix as well as Radio 1 star Clara Amfo.
Mills first joined Radio 1 in 1998, hosting the early breakfast slot before going on to launch his most recognisable show in 2004.
He later fronted Radio 1’s Official Chart from 2018 to 2022, but after 24 years at the station, moved to Radio 2, taking over the weekday afternoon 2pm–4pm slot from the late Steve Wright.
Metro has reached out to Mills’ team for comment.
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