The BBC has dismissed Scott Mills, presenter of the Radio 2 breakfast show, with immediate effect over an unspecified failure of “personal conduct”. The decision, announced on Monday, was taken with unusual speed in the final days of Tim Davie’s tenure as director general, raising questions about the nature of the allegations.
Mills, 53, had told listeners on Tuesday last week that he would return the following morning, but instead Gary Davies has stood in since Wednesday. There was no prior public speculation about an investigation, making the abrupt sacking “truly shocking” according to BBC sources.
Unlike previous high-profile departures, such as Jeremy Clarkson or Gary Lineker, the BBC has used the word “sacking” directly, avoiding sanitised language. The corporation’s legal department appears to have taken a rapid view on terminating his contract, which was worth approximately £355,000 per year, making him the 11th best-recompensed on-air star.
Davie, who steps down as director general on 2 April, may have aimed to isolate this as the last furore of his regime, leaving a clean slate for interim DG Rhodri Talfan Davies and permanent successor Matt Brittin. The speed of the decision contrasts with typical BBC practice, where serious allegations would usually lead to a suspension pending investigation.
Mills had been with the BBC for decades, starting on Radio 1 breakfast in 1998 and hosting various shows before taking over the Radio 2 breakfast slot in January 2025. His parallel TV career included presenting Top of the Pops and the national lottery draw, and competing in Strictly Come Dancing.
