The BBC has apologised after admitting it failed to follow up on allegations about Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills that were raised with the broadcaster last year. Mills was sacked on Monday over his “personal conduct”, and it later emerged that he had been questioned in 2018 over alleged serious sexual offences against a boy under 16, though the case was closed due to insufficient evidence.
The Telegraph reported that a freelance journalist contacted the BBC in May 2025 with information about separate allegations of “inappropriate communications” involving Mills. The journalist asked whether the BBC was aware of any related matters or had received any formal or informal complaints about Mills regarding safeguarding or harassment, but received no response.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We received a press query in 2025 which included limited information. This should have been followed up and we should have asked further questions. We apologise for this and will look into why this did not happen.” The broadcaster urged anyone with concerns to raise them.
Mills, 53, had hosted the UK’s most popular breakfast show on BBC Radio 2 since January 2025. His sacking followed a police investigation into historical sexual offences against a teenage boy between 1997 and 2000. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man in his 40s was questioned under caution in July 2018, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge him, and the case was closed in May 2019.
Mills has also been dropped as a patron by the charity Neuroblastoma UK, which stated: “Following his dismissal from the BBC, Neuroblastoma UK have taken the decision to part ways with Scott Mills.”
