Following the shock announcement that popular radio presenter, Scott Mills, has been sacked from his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, new details have emerged regarding the allegations surrounding the presenter's "personal conduct".
According to recent reports from The Mirror, the 53-year-old DJ was previously investigated by police regarding allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy, who was under the age of 16. The alleged incidents were reported to have taken place over two decades ago, between 1997 and 2000. Mills would have been in his mid-twenties at the time of any alleged incidents.
In a statement confirming the historic investigation, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "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. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000."
The police spokesperson added that a man in his forties was interviewed under caution in July 2018. However, the case was ultimately dropped. "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."
The Mirror claims that the BBC’s recent decision to abruptly terminate Mills’ contract relates to the same individual involved in the closed police investigation, describing the situation as a "historic relationship".
The BBC has also reported on the historic allegations, but said: "The BBC has not given any further details over the allegations and it is not clear what, if any, role the police investigation played in his sacking."
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The broadcaster confirmed Mills' sudden departure earlier this week. Lorna Clarke, the BBC's Director of Music, told staff in an internal email that the news "will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock." In a brief public statement, a BBC spokesperson noted: "While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted and has left the BBC."
Mills, who took over the flagship Radio 2 breakfast slot from Zoe Ball in January 2025, has not yet publicly addressed the recent claims or his departure from the BBC. He had been a familiar voice on the network for almost thirty years, beginning his career at Radio 1 in 1998.
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to Scott Mills’ representatives for comment.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
