Radio presenter Scott Mills, whose shock firing was announced by the BBC earlier this week amid reports he was previously investigated (and cleared) over an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teenage boy, has shared his first statement in response.
Mills thanked the public for their kindness in the statement, and did not confirm or deny that the allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy were true.
It's reported that although the alleged offences took place between 1997 and 2000 that new information had recently come to light.
"The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation," Mills said. "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.
"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.
"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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Mills added, "I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
He was last heard on air presenting his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on 24 March, before his sudden departure.
A BBC spokesperson said earlier this week of the news: "The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards.
"Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met."
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to Scott Mills' team 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.
