Former BBC Radio 1 presenter Nihal Arthanayake has urged caution following the sacking of Scott Mills from the corporation, warning of a 'feeding frenzy' driven by those who 'hate the BBC'. Mills was taken off air from his Radio 2 show last week and his contract terminated over the weekend, according to sources.
The BBC confirmed Mills is 'no longer contracted to work with the BBC', but did not comment on the reasons. Reports suggest the sacking relates to a historic relationship dating back more than 10 years, and a 2016 police investigation into 'serious sexual offences' against a teenage boy. Mills was questioned under caution but the case was dropped due to lack of evidence.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Arthanayake said: 'My first thoughts are obviously with the alleged victim here, without question, but also Scott Mills is a human, he's a person who got his dream job that has now been taken away from him... we have to be very careful.' He referenced the case of Caroline Flack, who took her own life amid intense media scrutiny.
Arthanayake, who resigned from the BBC last year, described Mills as a 'dream' Radio 2 presenter and said he never heard a bad word about him during 12 years at Radio 1. BBC staff were reportedly 'shell-shocked' by the news, with Director of Music Lorna Clarke informing them that Mills had left the Breakfast show and the BBC.
Mills began his career on Radio 1 in the late 1990s, later hosting the Scott Mills Show before moving to Radio 2 in 2022. He took over the Breakfast Show after Zoe Ball's departure. Mills has not yet responded to the allegations.
