Channel 4 has officially scrapped the episode of The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer featuring former BBC presenter Scott Mills. This decision follows the BBC's recent termination of Mills' contract and a growing controversy surrounding historical allegations.
Channel 4's Statement on the Cancelled Episode
In February, Scott Mills was announced as one of the celebrity participants for the charity baking series. However, his episode, which had not yet aired, has now been pulled from the schedule. Channel 4 released a formal statement explaining their position.
The statement read: 'Having carefully considered the circumstances, we’ve taken the decision not to air the final episode of the 2026 series of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer, featuring Scott Mills. Acknowledging the seriousness of the accusations that have been made against Scott, we don’t believe it would be appropriate to air the episode at this time. An alternative episode of Celebrity GBBO will go out in its place.'
Background of the Allegations and BBC Action
The 53-year-old presenter was sacked by the BBC just six days after his final Radio 2 breakfast show. The Daily Mirror reported that this dismissal is linked to a 2016 police investigation into 'serious sexual offences' against a teenage boy, alleged to have occurred between 1997 and 2000. It is important to note that the case was dropped around seven years ago due to a lack of evidence.
Despite the lack of prosecution, the BBC has taken swift action to distance itself from Mills, removing his presence from various platforms.
BBC's Removal of Historical Content
Viewers have observed that episodes of Top Of The Pops from 1999, which are available on BBC Four and were presented by Scott Mills, have been omitted from broadcasts. On social media platform X, users commented on the skipping of specific editions, such as those from August 6, 13, and 20, 1999.
One user noted, 'BBC Four are skipping the 6, 13 and 20 August editions of #TOTP, as they're the final three presented by Scott Mills...' Another speculated, 'wonder if some BBC intern is frantically deleting old Top of the Pops eps that Scott Mills hosted.'
According to The Daily Star, the BBC will not repeat any Top Of The Pops episodes featuring Mills. Additionally, The Sun reported that a commemorative plaque dedicated to Mills has been removed from the BBC Radio 1 studio, and his photographs have been taken down from Radio 2 areas.
A source described the plaque as 'a silver plaque which is up on a wall. It’s the studio where Greg James hosts his Radio 1 Breakfast Show from. People in and out of the studio over the weekend noticed it had been taken down. His photographs have been removed from the Radio 2 areas too.'
Impact on Future Broadcasts and Eurovision Role
The BBC has confirmed that all future work planned with Scott Mills has been cancelled. This includes his role in Eurovision coverage, where he has been a commentator for the semi-finals on BBC One since 2011 and for the live final on BBC Radio 2, often alongside Rylan Clark.
The Sun revealed that fellow BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox, 51, will replace Mills for Eurovision 2026. Cox previously commentated on the semi-finals during a radio show last year with Rylan. The BBC stated that Mills will no longer appear at the annual contest, which takes place in May.
Daily Mail has contacted the BBC and representatives for Scott Mills for comment, but no response has been disclosed at this time. The situation highlights the broader implications for broadcasters when dealing with historical allegations against public figures, even in the absence of legal convictions.
