The BBC has abruptly sacked Radio 2 breakfast show presenter Scott Mills following allegations of a failure of 'personal conduct', in a decision taken with unusual speed during the final days of director general Tim Davie's tenure. The announcement on Monday came without prior public speculation, marking a rare instance of summary dismissal at the corporation.
Mills, who turned 53 on Saturday, had hosted the breakfast show since January 2025, attracting 6.5 million weekly listeners. He last presented on Tuesday morning, telling listeners he would return the next day. Instead, stand-in Gary Davies covered the rest of the week, and the sacking was announced days later.
The BBC has not disclosed the nature of the allegations, but the swift termination suggests the corporation's legal team took a rapid view on ending his contract, worth approximately £355,000 per year. Mills was the 11th highest-paid on-air star, though recent pay disclosures were expected to place him in the BBC's half-millionaire club.
BBC departures in this manner are rare. Previous cases, such as Jeremy Clarkson and Gary Lineker, used more sanitised language in press releases. More commonly, presenters are suspended pending investigation, as with Wynne Evans and Kaye Adams. The speed of Mills's sacking contrasts with the lengthy suspension of Huw Edwards, who faced police investigations.
Mills began his BBC career on Radio 1 breakfast in 1998, later moving to afternoons and then Radio 2 slots before taking the breakfast show. He also presented Top of the Pops and the National Lottery draw, and competed on Strictly Come Dancing. His sudden departure ends what seemed set to be a lifelong career at the corporation.
