BBC Presenter Scott Mills' Alleged Victim Maintained Contact for Eight Years After Offences
Scott Mills, the former BBC Radio 2 star, reportedly stayed in contact with his alleged sexual abuse victim for eight years after the offences are said to have occurred. Mills, aged 53, was investigated and cleared in 2017 over allegations of historic 'serious sexual offences' against a boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000.
Ongoing Contact Revealed
It has now emerged that Mills' alleged victim was still in contact with the presenter as late as 2006, eight years after the offences are alleged to have taken place. A source familiar with Mills during the 2000s disclosed that many of the presenter's friends were aware of the 'lad' and that they remained 'friendly' with each other in the subsequent years.
The source stated: 'Scott stayed in touch with him, and I first heard about him in 2001. They used to see each other, and Scott was friendly with him like he was with a lot of people. I'm sure they were still in contact until around 2006, it suggests they were still on good terms so I'm not sure what prompted the investigation.'
BBC's Knowledge and Response
The BBC admitted it was aware of the police investigation into Mills in 2017 but only terminated his contract last week after 'new information' came to light. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Wednesday that it had been in contact with the corporation on 'several occasions' regarding the allegations since 2017, after taking over the case from Hampshire police in December 2016.
However, Tony Hall, the Director General at the time, was reportedly not aware of the 'full picture', including the accuser's age. The BBC stated: 'We are doing more work to understand the details of what was known by the BBC at this time.'
Mills' Statement and Legal Proceedings
In an extraordinary statement issued via his lawyers, Mills broke his silence to confirm he was the subject of the investigation. He stated: '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.'
Mills added that the Crown Prosecution Service determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges, and the case was closed in 2019. He expressed his wish not to make further public comment on the matter, thanking those who had shown him kindness.
Recent Developments and BBC's Actions
The BBC dismissed Mills on Monday, citing his 'personal conduct' without elaboration. Corporation chiefs felt they had 'no choice' but to act after 'new information' about his alleged conduct was brought to them in recent weeks. A spokesman said: 'In recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts.'
Pressure is mounting regarding why Mills was kept on air despite it being known that he was interviewed under caution between 2018 and 2019. The Met Police confirmed discussions with the BBC's lawyers as recently as last week after the corporation learned about the 'new information', which was already known to police when the investigation was closed.
Additional Revelations and Apology
It was further revealed that a former BBC presenter, Anna Brees, contacted bosses in May 2025 about alleged 'inappropriate communications' involving Mills. The BBC was forced to admit it failed to investigate this query properly. A spokesman apologised, saying: '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 allegations first made to Hampshire police in 2016 involved claims of non-recent sexual offences against a teenage boy aged 13 to 16. It is believed Mills and the alleged complainant met online. The investigation was passed to the Met in December 2016, and Mills was invited for questioning rather than arrested.
