When Scott Mills was asked about the early days of his love story with now-husband Sam Vaughan,⁠ he likened it to the nation’s favourite BBC sitcom, Gavin and Stacey.

Sam, who worked as an executive at Nation Radio, is from Bridgend in Wales. The pair met in 2016 at a radio industry event in Wales and Scott later gushed: ’The moment I met Sam, everything just went blurry. It felt different than before.’

Almost instantly, the presenter was getting the train up to Cardiff every other week to see him and Sam, earning significantly less than his new lover, would get the bus down.

Fans of the BBC sitcom will no doubt appreciate the similarities drawn between Scott and Sam and the beloved on-screen couple, Essex lad Gavin and Barry-born Stacey.

But, in the wake of the news about his shock axing from the BBC last Friday, I can reveal the truth of what really happened in the early days of their relationship ⁠– a story that James Corden and Ruth Jones would never dream of writing into their cosy sitcom.

Indeed, their ’movie romance’ started off rather more messily than the pair would like to admit.

Radio insiders have told me Scott, then 44, was introduced to Sam, who is 16 years his junior and was then 28 years old, by his close friend, a director at Nation Radio.

A source close to the men told me: ’It was all a bit murky – as in, it was a love triangle but they were also all thick as thieves.

’Scott was dating his friend at the time, who introduced him to Sam, and there was a well-known crossover: Scott only had eyes for Sam and ditched his then-flavour of the month.

’Everyone thought it was such a boys’ club in that group, but they were also all sleeping with each other. It was really odd, in my opinion.’

It emerged on Tuesday that around the time he and Sam met, Scott was under investigation by the Metropolitan Police for serious sexual offences against a boy under the age of 16.

A year later, he would be questioned by the police over the allegations but was cleared in 2019 by the Crown Prosecution Service for lack of sufficient evidence.

It is unclear what Sam knew about the investigation into his future husband and the producer has yet to break his silence.

Though, behind the scenes, his career was under pressure during the 2017 probe, Scott’s relationship with his new love interest was blossoming.

’The more time we spent together, the more I could see we were right for each other. I just needed him to see that too,’ Scott revealed to The Times in a joint interview with Sam.

But when the Strictly podcast host asked to take the relationship further, he was rebuffed by Sam, who had a ’wobble’, and they split for six months.

’I was gutted,’ Scott admitted and recounted how he had cried on the sofa eating ice cream until the Welsh radio host decided he wanted to make a go of things.

Three months before the Covid pandemic, the pair moved in together and bought a five-bedroom, £1.4million new-build property in Hertfordshire, where they still live with their cavapoo, Ted.

After four years of dating, while on a wintry weekend away in a shepherd’s hut, Scott got down on one knee in a surprise proposal.

Three years later, the pair were wed in a Mediterranean villa on the coast near Barcelona, cheered on by their pals Rylan Clark, Zoe Ball, Vick Hope and her husband Calvin Harris.

Whenever he is asked about their six-month break back in 2017, Scott says that Sam just ’wasn’t ready to commit’.

But viewers got a glimpse of what really went on behind closed doors when the couple took part in BBC’s Celebrity Race Across the World in 2024, two months before they were set to wed.

Riding the Serra Verde Express train through the lush Brazilian countryside, the couple were asked by producers to discuss their relationship.

Smiling across at his husband, Scott said: ’Bet you didn’t think you would be doing this with me seven years ago.’

He then pressed: ’I couldn’t get you to go anywhere with me for a while.

’You weren’t keen on me at the start, were you?’

Sam shot back in an awkward tone: ’I wouldn’t say not keen, it went a bit quick, too fast, too quick. So I just had to put the brakes on a little bit.

’Scott asked me, Do you just want to be friends? I had to be honest and say, I think I do at the moment. And Scott rightfully at that time said, I can’t do this.

’And there was about six to seven months where he didn’t talk to me.’

Tapping his partner on the shoulder, Scott rounded off the scene by quipping, ’All worked out though, didn’t it?’

But what is now abundantly clear is how Scott has tried to paint a picture of marital bliss for his fans.

He used his column with the i newspaper in May to do just that.

Scott wrote: ’Sam irons, Scott gets car cleaned, big shop, Sam makes food, Scott walks Teddy. That’s it. That’s the life I want. It’s ordinary. It’s ours. And I love it.

’It’s not perfect – he’s not perfect and neither am I. I can be grumpy and snappy, and I struggle to switch off from work.

’With the new breakfast show, we’ve had to adjust. We had a conversation early on about how life-changing this job [his BBC Radio 2 slot] would be. He just said, I’m so proud of you ⁠– and it’ll all be OK.’

After they won Celebrity Race Across the World, Scott declared it was ’the ultimate test to our relationship’.

It’s safe to say the past week has perhaps been a bigger test than that.

This is the moment the BBC’s science editor was left in tears during NASA’s Artemis II lift-off. 

The spacecraft will take four astronauts on the first manned mission to reach the moon since 1972.     

It officially launched yesterday evening on its mammoth 285,000-mile (1.1 million km) round trip to the dark side of the moon before returning to Earth on April 6. 

The BBC‘s Science Editor, Rebecca Morelle joined hundreds of other spectators in Florida to witness the historic launch. 

As Artemis II’s booster ignitions are activated, sending large plumes of smoke billowing across the launch pad, the excitable reporter can be heard saying ‘oh my goodness’ and repeatedly clapping.

The rocket then blasts off into the sky to thunderous cheers from crowds gathered at the Kennedy Space Centre.

‘Oh my goodness that is spectacular,’ a visibly emotional Ms Morelle said. 

‘It’s not just want you see and you hear as the rocket lifts off. You can feel the force of it through your body. This is the most powerful rocket that NASA has ever built.’ 

The roaring engines of the massive spacecraft then interrupt Ms Morelle as it commences its journey towards the stars.

She can be seen struggling to be heard over the thunderous noise as she looks over her shoulder at the rocket in wonder. 

Artemis II will take American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen farther into space than any human has ever gone before, breaking the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. 

Four minutes into the historic journey, Artemis II crossed the boundary into space with no issues with the flight reported and a clear view of their target destination. Mr Wiseman, the mission commander, said: ‘We have a beautiful moonrise. We’re headed right at it!’

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman reported that Artemis II suffered a temporary communications problem after launch and was still dealing with a ‘controller issue’ with the toilet on board the Orion capsule.

However, all major systems were still functioning and the crew was busy preparing for the next stages of their orbital burn over Earth before the space agency declared the spacecraft ready for its trip to the moon. 

Just after 6pm in the US, Mr Wiseman declared ‘Full send,’ as he and his crewmates sat atop NASA’s towering rocket, confirming they were ready for launch.

From mission control, launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson delivered an emotional message to the crew, telling them they carried ‘the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of this generation.’

‘Good luck. Godspeed, Artemis II. Let’s go,’ she said, following the final launch checks. 

The crew will spend the first one to two days conducting extensive systems checks.

These include testing Orion’s life-support, propulsion, navigation and communications systems to ensure the spacecraft is ​ready to head into deep space.

Once checkouts are complete, Orion’s propulsion system will perform ​a critical engine burn known as translunar injection, sending the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and onto a trajectory ‌toward ⁠the moon.

It will take three to four days for the Artemis II crew to reach the moon, with the Orion spacecraft projected to enter what NASA calls the moon’s sphere of influence on day five.

This is the point at which lunar gravity overtakes Earth’s pull and begins guiding the spacecraft toward its destination.

Day six is likely to be historic for NASA and the rest of humanity, as Artemis II conducts its lunar flyby and travels to the dark side of the moon.

The spacecraft will not only reach a point farther from Earth than any previous crewed mission, but NASA confirmed that the astronauts will be able to see a lunar eclipse – when the moon blocks out the sun. 

After looping around the moon, the Orion craft will begin its return journey, leaving the moon’s gravitational influence and heading back toward Earth.

It will take another four days to return, which the astronauts will fill by conducting key safety demonstrations, including testing procedures designed to shield the crew from dangerous solar radiation from solar flares. The crew will also practice manually steering the spacecraft.

As Orion approaches Earth, it will separate key components before plunging into the ⁠atmosphere ​at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour (40,233 kph).

Testing ​the capsule’s heat shield during high-energy re-entry is one of the mission’s primary objectives.

The spacecraft is expected to splash down ​in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery teams will retrieve the crew.

Parachutes will deploy to slow the spacecraft before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, bringing the landmark mission to an end. 

Artemis III, NASA’s next space mission, is set to launch in 2027 and will see two astronauts land on the surface of the moon and stay there for about a week. 

This will be the first time man has set foot on the moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. 

If Doctor Who has taught us anything, it’s that time flies. Somehow, it has been 20 years since David Tennant started his full-time tenure as the 10th Doctor.

After a minuscule appearance at the end of Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston’s finale, Parting of Ways, in 2005, he spent much of his full-length debut festive special, The Christmas Invasion, asleep in Jackie Tyler’s bed.

So, come April 2006, Whovians finally got acquainted with the brand new, spanking Doctor in season two, episode one, New Earth, where he quickly forged himself as a fan-favourite.

Tennant went on to star in seasons three and four, return for the 50th anniversary and regenerate into the 14th Doctor for 2023’s 60th anniversary special.

(It’s confusing, we know. We’re hoping that if you’re interested in a night of Doctor Who reruns, you have a grip of the basic lore).

Now, the BBC is marking 20 years since that fateful season two episode with five hours of non-stop David Tennant Doctor action on BBC Three on Thursday, April 16.

Starting at 7:05pm, it will air the three 60th anniversary specials – The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, The Giggle – where Catherine Tate also returns as Donna Noble.

Next up is Talking Doctor Who, where the 54-year-old Scottish actor ‘tells the story of the Doctor’s Classic era’, followed by a trio of behind-the-scenes Unleashed episodes diving into the 60th anniversary trio.

All in all, with popcorn in hand, it’ll be wrapped up by half-past midnight.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why on earth would the broadcaster air episodes that came out only three years ago and not feature any 10th Doctor adventures, the very anniversary of which they are marking?

I’m afraid, to that we have no answers. Your guess is as good as ours!

As one X user, Kit, The Great Inferno, put it: ‘Personally, I’d have chosen five or six all-timer episodes of Tennant if we were doing this.’

The Twenty Years of Tennant special evening comes amid growing speculation that the screen star could be making a comeback for the 2026 Christmas special after Billie Piper’s unexpected return.

There’s no word yet from showrunner Russell T Davies on how the plot will unfold, but with the 14th Doctor (also played by David Tennant) currently alive and living in Donna’s back garden, a return is certainly possible.

What’s more, the Rivals star is returning to the Whoniverse to ‘save the world again’ with the Big Finish audio productions.

‘Big Finish makes it dangerously easy – you turn up, have a lovely time, and suddenly you’ve saved the universe again,’ Tennant said in an official announcement.

Meanwhile, some fans believe that a post on the in-universe UNIT blogpost discussing the disappearance of Rose Tyler could be another sign of what’s to come.

Twenty Years of Tennant will air on BBC Three from 7:05pm on Thursday, April 16. Doctor Who will return for a 2026 Christmas special.

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MORE: Timeline of Scott Mills scandal after it’s revealed the BBC knew about investigation

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Carol Kirkwood has delivered her final BBC Breakfast weather forecasts after three decades on screen with the broadcaster, leaving her fans emotional as she struggled to hold back her tears. 

The TV presenter announced she would be walking away from the series back in January, with a tearful on-screen announcement to viewers. 

Carol, 63, struggled to get her words out as she announced the news alongside co-stars Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, admitting she ‘loves her job’ but was keen to spend more time with her husband, police officer Steve Randall.

But the presenter appeared to hold it together as she delivered her final forecast today (Wednesday, April 1), even as she was met with loving well-wishes in a VT from her fellow BBC co-stars. 

Carol was seen joining Sally, 54, and Jon, 56, in the studio for the last time, smiling for the cameras as she revealed what fans could expect from the weather this week.

She went on to join Sally and Jon on the sofa at the end of her broadcast, who thanked her for providing details for a ‘few days ahead’ so they could continue to have a ‘Carol forecast’ even after her departure. 

Sally began: ‘I don’t know if you know Carol, but you have changed the way weather is reported on television in lots of ways, whether you’re on the map or out on location, whether you’re meeting our viewers… 

‘You’ve been broadcasting from massive events over the years.’ 

Carol went on to list: ‘The Chelsea Flower Show, Wimbledon, the poppies at the Tower of London, Royal Ascot, there have been so many.’

The BBC then played an emotional VT from other stars at the BBC sending Carol their well-wishes, including Sue Barker, Vicky McClure, Paul Merton, Zoe Ball, Clare Balding, Chris Evans and Sir Chris Hoy. 

A second tribute VT also saw Charlie Stayt, Louise Minchin, Sian Williams, Susanna Reid and Dan Walker gush over ‘lovely, kind and caring’ Carol as they remembered her time on screen over the year.

The messages included telling Carol she was a ‘ray of sunshine’, ‘great friend’ and told her how she ‘brought smiles to so much of the nation’ as they predicted that audiences would ‘really miss her’. 

Sally and Jon also surprised Carol with a message from Bryan Adams, who thanked her for ‘all the great weather reports over the years’, leaving her in shock. 

‘That was lovely,’ Carol gushed over the series of videos as it came to an end, adding: ‘It’s lovely to have made such brilliant friends, all genuinely lovely people.’

Jon then read out some of the messages sent in by viewers for Carol, who admitted they were emotional to wave goodbye to the weather presenter. 

One had written in: ‘We’re gong to miss Carol so much, she rarely misses Shetland in the forecast and we always appreciate that. We wish her all best wishes.’

A second chimed in: ‘I hope Carol enjoys her last shift at the BBC, she has been a steady presence for us in a chaotic world.’

Another took to X, formerly Twitter: ‘Carol, thanks you for being a bright star on many a dull morning,’ as one said: ‘

Someone else wrote: ‘Your smile has brightened up every forecast no matter what the weather BBC Breakfast won’t be the same without you.

A third added: ‘Good luck Carol Kirkwood… she’s a national treasure and BBC Breakfast won’t be the same without her.’

‘Best wishes Carol in your retirement,’ a fourth concluded. ‘You are an icon and I will miss you very much, sweet lady.’

Carol concluded that it hadn’t quite hit her yet that she was leaving the show, adding: ‘I’m in denial, and I expect I will rock up on Monday…

‘It’s going to be weird,  it’s going to be weird not speaking to all our lovely audience, not seeing the crew both in front and behind the camera not just on BBC Breakfast but at BBC Weather. 

‘It’s going to be different and I’m going to miss everyone horribly.’ 

The trio also looked back on Carol’s career, from being a production assistant on BBC Breakfast before becoming the resident meteorologist for three decades. 

Just before Carol waved goodbye to the show, she was joined by her husband Steve Randall, who appeared with a cake and a large bunch of flowers. 

She concluded: ‘I’m going to try and get through this. This is a forecast I’ve known for quite a while was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier to present. 

‘After 28 years as a BBC weather presenter, tracking storms, chasing sunshine, and occasionally getting it completely wrong, I’m saying goodbye. 

‘When I first walked into this studio, I could never have imagined what was ahead. Back then the graphics were simpler, the maps were a bit clunkier and I had a lot less grey hair than this.

‘But one thing has never changed, and that is the privilege and honour of being welcomed into your homes. Thank you for trusting me, be it telling you about heatwaves or snow, to big national events and the every day question of: “Do I need to take a brolly?”

‘You’ve been the constant in all of this, and I’ve never taken that for granted. I’m really going to miss you… I owe you all so much.

‘This job has given me so much more than a career, it’s given me memories, I’ll carry them forever. Friendships I treasure deeply.

‘It’s time for a new chapter, a bit more time with Steve, and perhaps the luxury of watching the weather instead of presenting it. Thank you for letting me be part of your lives.’ 

Back in March, Carol explained: ‘My last shift on air will be on April 1, and it’s not an April Fools! I can’t believe it’s coming around so quickly…’ 

Joking about the final eight early starts she will have to go through before exiting the programme, Carol added: ‘First thing I’ll do is throw my alarm in the bin.’

‘Oh it’s going to be sad,’ she continued. ‘It’s a really happy thing as well, but I’m going to miss you guys and everyone, the viewers as well.’ 

Back in January, Carol broke down as she made the announcement that she was due to leave, explaining that she ‘loved her husband more than her job’. 

The Met Office-trained star choked up as she said: ‘So, I’m going to be leaving – and it’s really hard, really hard for me to say this because I love my job.

‘But it’s great – I don’t want to be coming in in my Zimmer frame and saying, “I can’t reach the Northern Isles anymore!”.’

Discussing spending more time with her husband, she added: ‘We only got married a couple of years ago and we’re like ships that pass in the night, so I’m so looking forward to doing that.’

Carol had kept the news of her departure secret from everyone – including her friends and her colleagues at BBC Breakfast.

She added with a smile: ‘I love my job, I’ve loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job.’

Turning to Sally and Jon, she added: ‘I didn’t want to get emotional but you two are my friends and I love you dearly.’

As Carol finished delivering the news, Sally held her hand and Jon reached for a box of tissues, before both giving her a tight hug.

Sally joked: ‘There’s one important thing that we haven’t mentioned, which is that you are going to get a lie in.’ 

Carol’s BBC career has regularly seen her go above and beyond the use of a clicker.

She has memorably reported on sunshine and showers at Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show and Royal Ascot for BBC Breakfast, where she has been the main weather presenter since 2010.

And her sunny disposition has seen her laugh through the perils of live broadcasting, including being dragged to the ground by dogs on more than one occasion and laughing off a gaffe in which she called dog-walkers in Greenwich Park ‘doggers’.

Carol began her BBC career as a production secretary and production assistant on, ironically, BBC Breakfast – and had no plans to become a meteorologist, leaving the corporation for a time to work in consultancy.

She then auditioned for and underwent training at The Weather Channel in the US to become a presenter on its short-lived UK edition, before she trained with the BBC and the Met Office to join the corporation full-time.

She joined the BBC Weather Centre in 1998, and quickly became a familiar face to millions on BBC News and BBC Breakfast.

Her sparkling personality and endless on-screen charm has won her fans across the country, a collection of industry awards and wider recognition, including a place on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, where she reached week eight with Pasha Kovalev. 

Born Carol MacKellaig, she wed property developer Jimmy Kirkwood before announcing that they were separating in 2008 after nearly two decades.

The split left her crying between delivering forecasts – but, as she later revealed to the Radio Times, encouraged her to come out of her shell. 

She told the magazine: ‘I found myself when I got divorced. I started to do things and to think, “I’m not going to say no, I’m going to say yes!”

‘I’m braver now. I’ve flown with the Red Arrows, jumped out of planes with the Red Devils. When I was younger I would never have done that because I’d have thought, “Too dangerous!” Now I think, “Oh, you’ve got to live your life!”‘

She wed Steve in December 2023 at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire, and the pair now live together in Windsor. 

She told House Beautiful magazine in July 2024: ‘If he’s at home, I’m happy. I don’t need anything else. He’s tall, handsome, kind, gentle, strong, funny, charming. 

‘He’s a gentleman. He’s good at cooking. I could wax lyrical about Steve forever.’

Carol had dropped hints that she might leave Breakfast last year – and in a written statement, she added that leaving the broadcaster ‘hasn’t been an easy decision to make’, but added it ‘feels like the right moment to step away’. 

She said: ‘It’s been an absolute privilege to bring you the weather every day. My job is something I’ve never taken for granted and I’ve loved every minute!

‘From early starts and all manner of forecasts, I’ve shared it with incredible colleagues at BBC Breakfast, BBC Weather and programmes across the BBC. I’d like to thank them for their support and friendship which has meant the world.

‘And to those watching and listening at home – thank you for all the kindness you have shown me over the years, being part of your mornings has been a joy. 

‘This hasn’t been an easy decision to make, but it feels like the right moment to step away. I’ll carry with me the most wonderful memories.’

Jonathan Munro, interim chief executive at BBC News and Current Affairs, said: ‘Carol’s contribution to BBC News and BBC Weather has been exceptional.

‘From major national moments to the everyday forecasts that are such an important part of our audiences’ lives, she has set the gold standard for our accurate, valued journalism – always delivered with an appropriately sunny outlook.

‘She will be greatly missed by teams across the BBC. We wish her all the best for the future.’

Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer 

By BRIDIE ADAMS

Published: 19:33 EDT, 31 March 2026 | Updated: 19:36 EDT, 31 March 2026

Jeremy Vine has labelled the axing of his BBC colleague Scott Mills ‘unfair’ after the Radio 2 presenter was abruptly fired.

Yesterday news broke that the radio DJ had been sacked by the national broadcaster following allegations over his ‘personal conduct’, which allegedly relate to a ‘historic relationship dating back more than 10 years’.

A statement from the BBC said: ‘While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.’

Then, this morning, it was reported that Mills was let go after an alleged complaint was made against him about a historic police investigation into ‘serious sexual offences against a boy under 16’. The case was dropped around seven years ago due to a lack of evidence

However, around the same time, Vine shared his opinion on the saga and insisted ‘there’s been no crime’.

During his daily Radio 2 show in which he discusses the latest headlines, Vine expressed his disappointment at the handling of Mills’ exit.

The TV and radio presenter suggested the BBC had regrets over its failing to handle the behaviour of Huw Edwards and had gone harder on responding to Mills.

Vine questioned why Edwards ‘couldn’t be sacked because he was in a fragile mental state’ before adding: ‘Everything I have read about Scott’s history today goes back to his own anxiety and depression but there doesn’t seem to be the same break cut for him.’

The disgraced BBC News presenter Edwards was handed a six-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of making incident images of children two years ago.

‘Scott Mills sacking has left a lot of people very confused. What do you make of it? I’d love to know?’ Vine, who has worked alongside Mills at Radio 2 for four years, said when starting his show.

‘We heard the news just before 12 yesterday here at Radio 2, it came as a complete shock to those of us who work at the station, the presenter of our Breakfast Show, Scott Mills, had been sacked over allegations, we’re told, related to his personal conduct,’ he began.

Later in the show, he noted: ‘It’s a very painful episode for anyone who knows Scott, he’s a very popular guy in the building.’

During his show, Vine also spoke to the BBC’s media and culture editor Katie Razzell, who explained that she’d put ‘a series of questions’ to bosses about Mills’ sacking, specifically whether they’d been aware that he had allegedly been investigated by police.

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MORE: Kate Garraway asks ex-BBC radio DJ ‘did you hear rumours about Scott Mills’

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Jeremy Vine called the sacking of his BBC Radio 2 colleague Scott Mills ‘unfair’ as he insisted ‘there’s been no crime’ on his Tuesday show.

Mills was sacked six days after being hauled off air following his final Radio 2 breakfast show last Tuesday.

Last night, the Daily Mirror linked the decision to fire Mills to a 2016 police investigation into ‘serious sexual offences’ against a teenage boy between 1997 and 2000. The case was dropped around seven years ago due to a lack of evidence.

Vine, who hosts a daily Radio 2 show dissecting the days headlines, shared his upset over Mills’ departure, adding that he felt bosses had sacked him due to regrets over failing to handle the behaviour of Huw Edwards. 

Vine then questioned why ‘Edwards couldn’t be sacked because he was in a fragile mental state, and everything I have read about Scott’s history today goes back to his own anxiety and depression but there doesn’t seem to be the same break cut for him.’

The disgraced BBC News presenter was handed a six-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of making incident images of children.

‘Scott Mills’ sacking has left a lot of people very confused. What do you make of it? I’d love to know?’ Vine, who has worked alongside Mills at Radio 2 for four years, said at the top of the show. 

‘We heard the news just before 12 yesterday here at Radio 2, it came as a complete shock to those of us who work at the station, the presenter of our Breakfast Show, Scott Mills, had been sacked over allegations, we’re told, related to his personal conduct.’

Later in the show, Jeremy noted: ‘It’s a very painful episode for anyone who knows Scott, he’s a very popular guy in the building.’

During the show, Jeremy also spoke to BBC’s Media and Culture Editor Katie Razzell, who said she’d put ‘a series of questions’ to bosses about Mills’ sacking, in particular whether they were aware he had been allegedly investigated by police.

She then shared that the period for which the probe was launched began in 1997, when Mills was still working at Heart FM. He joined Radio 1 the following year. 

Oasis Charitable Trust founder and baptist minister Steve Chalke who is friends with Mills and has worked with him on the Pause For Thoughts segment of the Breakfast Show noted there was ‘a sense of grief, of loss, of sadness and shock.’

‘My thoughts, my heart, my pain, is for him and also of any victim of any crime and their family of everybody involved in this,’ he added.

Jeremy then stated that ‘there hadn’t been a crime’ as Mills was never charged with any offence. 

He said: ‘The whole point is there wasn’t a crime, and that’s where this gets difficult, the met have been over it and there is no crime. We are dealing with something we are calling misbehaviour.

‘There is a thought here that what the BBC has done has sacked Huw Edwards, they wish they got in earlier with Huw and they decided to treat Scott how they wish they’d treated Huw. Which would be a bit unfair would it not?’

‘Regarding the inconsistency here, we were told Huw Edwards couldn’t be sacked because he was in a fragile mental state, everything I have read about Scott’s history today goes back to his own anxiety and depression and everything else but there doesn’t seem to be the same break cut for him.’

Another senior broadcaster at the BBC has said there is ‘total shock’ at the corporation after Mills’s sacking.

There were apparently ‘audible gasps’ from staff as they were told on Monday morning in an email from BBC director of music Lorna Clarke.

Several stars who have spent time with him described him as ‘kind and generous’ and that friends are ‘devastated’ for him.

He was also described by a radio colleague as ‘hugely popular’ internally.

‘It is not like the BBC to act so fast’, a household name broadcaster told the Daily Mail.

Another source claimed that wild rumours are flying around Broadcasting House about the reason for his sacking.

‘No suspension period or prolonged investigation does not bode well’, another insider said.

The teenage boy who accused Mills of serious sexual offences in the 1990s was under 16 at the time, it was revealed today.

Scotland Yard has also confirmed the Crown Prosecution Service rejected the case due to a lack of evidence and their investigation into the broadcaster was closed in 2019.

The Daily Mail can also reveal that the complainant may have been inspired to speak out again this year due to the new Huw Edwards docu-drama.

Two sources have said that within the BBC it is being claimed that the unnamed man may have gone to the corporation due to the huge publicity surrounding Martin Clunes starring as Huw Edwards in Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards.

Former police officer and now investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas said police contacts confirmed to him that Mills was interviewed by the Met in 2018 – in a spin-off investigation from Operation Yewtree.

Mr Williams-Thomas helped expose Jimmy Savile and his work led to the police investigation against Savile and others including Rolf Harris.

He told the Mail today: ‘The police were swamped with allegations post-Savile and as a result it led to high profile stars being named [by complainants], one of these was Scott Mills. He wasn’t charged – but was allowed to continue working’.

The BBC is refusing to say why he was sacked other than that it was related to his ‘personal conduct’. The corporation is now under pressure to explain what they knew about Mills’ brush with police and when.

Mills joined BBC Radio 1 in 1998 from Heart 106.2, where he started in 1995 after working in local radio in Hampshire, Bristol and Manchester. He left the BBC after 28 years yesterday.

A source has claimed that the director general at the time of the police probe, Tony Hall, did not know about the allegations.

One BBC executive in London told the Daily Mail today that there’s a real belief amongst bosses at the corporation that the timing of Mills’ sacking and the release of the Edwards drama was ‘not a coincidence’.

‘The Huw Edwards drama showed that there could be a reckoning’, they said.

Another senior broadcaster at the BBC added that this claim that the Edwards drama was the ‘spark’ is swirling around Broadcasting House.

The BBC declined to comment on the claims.

Last night the Daily Mirror reported the decision to fire Mills came after a 2016 police investigation into ‘serious sexual offences’ against a teenage boy.

The BBC declined to comment on why he was not suspended or sacked at the time and why they have fired him almost a decade later.

The two-line email sent to Scott Mills’ BBC colleagues announcing he had been sacked has been revealed after star faced a ‘police probe over sex offences against a teen boy’. 

On Monday, an all-round email from Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC, dropped the bombshell news of the 53-year-old DJ’s dismissal. 

The email said: ‘I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock. 

‘Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes.’ 

Scott’s own production team were not given advance warning about his dramatic sacking by the BBC.

The Radio 2 star was dramatically fired last Tuesday over allegations about his personal conduct over a ‘historic relationship’ from around a decade ago.

Mills, who had taken over the breakfast slot from Zoe Ball last year, hosted his last show as normal, signing off at 9.30 by saying ‘Back tomorrow.’

Until that moment, his team, who had no idea what was coming, had worked on the Monday breakfast show normally.

News of his dismissal was not briefed to his production team, though to include long time collaborators Patrick Thomas and Ben Stones, before the Clarke email.

A BBC source told the Daily Mail today: ‘Mills’ own team only found out the same way that everyone else did so you can imagine the shock they experienced.’

Gary Davies opened the Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Tuesday morning with no mention of his sacked colleague Scott.

The Radio 2 Breakfast Show host was hauled off air last Tuesday, and his contract was then terminated after a ‘tense meeting’ with BBC bosses over his ‘personal conduct’. 

Experienced DJ Davies, 68, has stepped in to host the show since Mills’ departure last week and is scheduled to host for at least the next week as the broadcaster scrambles to find a permanent replacement. 

Davies was introduced on Tuesday morning’s show with his own Breakfast Show jingle, asking listeners to message in with what ‘you have already accomplished so far this morning?’ before heading straight to a string of songs.

There was also no mention of Mills in the 7am news bulletin but the 7:30am update led with the headline that Mills was investigated in a 2026 police probe into ‘serious sexual offences’ against a teenage boy. 

Davies later read out a message from one fan praising his Breakfast Show stint, which read: ‘Top Of The Pop in the eighties was my favourite era and now you’re waking me up in the morning, what could be better?’

The DJ littered the first thirty minutes of his show with plugs for Radio 2’s Eurovision coverage, an awkward moment as Mills is one of the BBC’s long-standing Eurovision commentators.

Listeners were bemused by the BBC’s failure to address Mills’ exit, with one posting on X: ‘Radio 2 going for the Basil Fawlty approach this morning. Don’t mention the war! Curious item missing from the news bulletins.’

‘Gary Davies desperately playing records non-stop. No discussion between any presenters.’ 

Radio 2’s Sounds of the 80s presenter Davies has previously provided holiday cover for other Radio 2 DJs and temporarily took over Pick Of The Pops following the 2024 death of Steve Wright.

One of the Corporation’s highest-paid stars, who earned up to £360,000 a year, Mills’s departure has caused ‘absolute chaos’ at Radio 2, insiders told the Daily Mail, with colleagues ‘in shock’ and bosses scrambling to find a replacement.

A source explained how Mills was called in for a meeting after an allegation was made against him last Tuesday.

‘He was taken off air from Radio 2 the following day and his contract was terminated at the weekend. It was a very fast process between the complaint being raised and Scott leaving. It happened in less than five days,’ the insider has told The Sun. 

A source close to Mills said: ‘Scott was told about the allegation in a meeting with senior staff present. He was tense.

‘He has completely shut down now and no one can get hold of him. No calls, no messages — nothing. The people who know him are blindsided by all of this.’

Last night, the Daily Mirror reported the decision to fire Mills came after a 2016 police investigation into ‘serious sexual offences’ against a teenage boy.

It claimed the DJ was questioned at the time but the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence. The newspaper alleged his sacking related to the same individual.

Mills is the latest in a string of stars to lose their jobs at the scandal-ridden BBC. His ousting follows the exit of news anchor Huw Edwards, along with MasterChef pair Gregg Wallace and John Torode, in the past two years.

It is believed the unceremonious firing, announced with a curt public statement yesterday morning, was one of the last acts of director-general Tim Davie, who wanted to ‘clear the decks’ before leaving his post on Thursday.

Mr Davie, who himself resigned after it emerged that footage of a speech made by US President Donald Trump had been edited and spliced together in an episode of Panorama, wanted one last roll of the dice, an insider said.

But he will be leaving interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, and permanent replacement Matt Brittin, with a major headache as the race is on to find a replacement for Mills or risk losing listeners.

The biggest breakfast show in the country currently brings in a weekly audience of some 6.5million, after listeners lost under Mills’s predecessor Zoe Ball returned.

Mills’s team are said to be taking legal advice in the wake of his sacking.

Last night, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force. The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to taken place between 1997 and 2000.

‘As part of these inquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.

‘A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.’

A representative for Mills declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail.

In an internal note to staff yesterday morning, Lorna Clarke, the Corporation’s director of music, said: ‘I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the Breakfast Show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.

‘Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on Radio 1, Radio 5 Live, Radio 2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.’

She said it would ‘come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too’ as she promised to update everyone with ‘more information on plans for the show when I’m able to’.

She added: ‘While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now.’

In a statement, the BBC said: ‘While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.’

Mills’s final show aired last Tuesday – following his presenting stint on BBC’s Comic Relief the previous Friday – and he signed off by telling listeners: ‘See you tomorrow.’ Just six days later, Mills was gone from the job.

Scott Mills admitted he should have been fired for presenting his Radio 1 show while drunk – long before his shock sacking by the BBC today.

It was confirmed on Monday that the 53-year-old Radio 2 star has been fired by the BBC following a complaint about his personal conduct. Hours later it was then claimed that the sacking relates to a ‘historic male relationship from more than ten years ago’.

The broadcaster had a difficult relationship with alcohol after one of his first serious boyfriends died following a drug overdose.

Scott dealt with the pain by drinking heavily, sometimes a bottle of spirits per day before work, and later admitted being drunk on air when on the night shift.

He leant heavily on celebrity friend Robbie Williams, who also struggled with alcoholism – but Mills said true stability only came in recent years when he met his husband Sam Vaughan.

The couple married in 2024 after winning the celebrity version of BBC hit show Race Across The World. 

Mills, who has suffered from chronic anxiety, depression and panic attacks all his life, revealed previously how he was lucky not to be sacked in 2001 when his boyfriend Mitch died suddenly – but the BBC cared for him.

In a 2012 interview with Now Magazine he said: ‘I was 26 and we spent every minute together… It was truly awful. I’d been to the Brits. After my Radio 1 show, the police were waiting for me. They told me he’d died. I couldn’t process it.’

He went on: ‘As it dawned on me, it got worse and worse and worse. I started smoking that day and I haven’t stopped since.’

The star explained how his grief and loneliness whilst presenting Radio 1’s early morning show saw him turn to alcohol, describing how he’d ‘wake up at 2.30am, do the show, come home and go back to sleep’.

He went on: ‘Then I’d wake up in the evening and drink two bottles of wine or a bottle of spirits in front of the TV. It was a way to escape.’

His alcohol problems followed him into work, with the rising star going on air drunk. ‘That could have been a massive f***-up for me. Even I would’ve sacked me,’ he admitted. ‘But thank God for Radio 1 – they knew about Mitch and why I was having a bad time. It was a proper wake-up call.’

It was claimed on Monday that Mills’s sudden sacking relates to a ‘historic male relationship from more than ten years ago’.

Mills, who also presents the BBC’s Eurovision coverage, was taken off air last Tuesday while bosses looked at the claim before announcing his dismissal today, telling the Daily Mail in a statement: ‘While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC’.

The BBC will not comment further. 

Veteran DJ Gary Davies replaces Mills from Wednesday onwards with Vernon Kay the bookies favourite to take over full-time.

Scott Mills joined the BBC in 1998 after starting his career in local radio at home in Hampshire at the age of 16 but his 28-year tenure at Radio 1 and then Radio 2 has not been without controversy. 

In 2003 though Mills would again let his drinking cross over into work, famously turning up to his early morning show at 4am whilst still audibly ‘really, really drunk’ after partying at the Brit Awards until 2.30am. 

His producer was forced to get a hotel manager to let him into the star’s room to physically wake him after he failed to turn up to work. 

‘I absolutely should not have gone on air,’ Mills admitted at the time. 

‘The producer was telling me to sit there, play another song and not say a word while she made me a coffee.

‘But as soon as she left the room I was slurring away. I couldn’t even say artists’ names properly.’ 

Mills admitted he was ‘very lucky to walk away with my job, but it did teach me a lesson and I’ve not done anything like that since’, before quipping that ‘that show has become part of Radio 1 folklore’.

He turned to his celeb friend Robbie Williams, revealing how he shared ‘comforting’ talks with the singer, after successfully managing to keep his problems hidden from public life. 

A year after the drunken incident Mills was moved from the Early Breakfast Show and given the Drivetime slot. 

After eight years he swapped timeslots with Radio 1’s rising star, Greg James, and was effectively demoted to the 1-4pm show.

Mills admitted at the time that losing the covetable Drivetime slot to Greg in 2012 was ‘like a punch in the stomach’.

The star carried on at the station for another decade though, eventually leaving after 24 years to replace Steve Wright on Radio 2, where he was awarded the best paid role on the station in January 2025 – replacing Zoe Ball on the Breakfast Show.

Mills declared after winning the top job that it capped the ‘best year of my life’.

Four months before being announced as the new Breakfast Show host, Mills had allowed fans into his personal life as he competed on the popular BBC show Celebrity Race Across The World with his husband Sam.

The show aired weeks after Mills announced he had married his boyfriend of eight years in a star-studded Spain ceremony in front of his radio pals Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark and Jordan North.

Race Across The World viewers watched as Mills and Sam opened up about their at times tumultuous relationship on the show, revealing how brand manager Sam had initially turned down the star.

Mills recalled how for him it was love from the beginning but Sam, who had just ended a three-year relationship and had only come out a few years earlier at the age of 23, required more convincing. ‘The more time we spent together, the more I could see we were right for each other. I just needed him to see that too,’ Mills has recalled. 

‘When we had the conversation about taking it forward and he said “I’m not ready”, I was devastated,’ he said. ‘Being friends with someone you’re in love with doesn’t work. We didn’t speak for six months.’

Mills told The Times: ‘My mum came to stay because I was in bits, sitting on the sofa crying, eating ice cream.’

But luckily Sam’s mother intervened and gave him the courage to go for it.

‘When he sent me a text saying “I miss you”, his mum sat him down and said, “Don’t mess him around. Either go for it or leave him alone,” Mills explained. ‘We moved in together three months before the first lockdown [in 2020].’

Mills’s sudden sacking by the BBC reportedly relates to a ‘historic male relationship’, it was claimed today.

The 53-year-old Radio 2 star was fired by the corporation this morning over his ‘personal conduct’.

He was taken off air last week while bosses looked at the claim before announcing his dismissal on Monday – just six days after he vanished from Radio 2.

The BBC has refused to comment on the nature of Mills’s personal conduct, but the Daily Mirror claims that his shock exit is related to a ‘historic male relationship from more than ten years ago’.

The presenter was last on air on Tuesday, with veteran DJ Gary Davies replacing him from Wednesday onwards. 

The BBC said in a statement today: ‘While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.’

It has been claimed he was informed over the weekend that he was sacked. 

Mills, who is paid between £355,000 and £359,999 a year by the BBC, took over the Radio 2 breakfast show from Zoe Ball in 2025. 

He married his long-term partner Sam Vaughan at a celebrity-studded wedding in Barcelona in 2024, the year they won Celebrity Race Across The World together. Previously, Scott had a three-year relationship with Brad Harris, which ended in 2016. 

A senior broadcaster at the BBC has said there is ‘total shock’ at the corporation after Mills’ sacking. There were apparently ‘audible gasps’ from staff as they were told on Monday morning in an email from BBC director of music Lorna Clarke.

Scott was fired just six days after he was secretly suspended. He signed off at the end of his Radio 2 show as usual last Tuesday – but he never came back, with Gary Davies stepping in.

Several stars who have spent time with him described him as ‘kind and generous’ and that friends are ‘devastated’ for him. He was described by a radio colleague as ‘hugely popular’ internally.

‘It is not like the BBC to act so fast’, a household name broadcaster told the Mail.

Another source claimed that wild rumours are flying around Broadcasting House about the reason for his sacking.

‘No suspension period or prolonged investigation does not bode well’, another insider said.

BBC News’ Senior UK Correspondent Sima Kotecha said on the channel this afternoon that Scott’s sacking is the biggest departure since Huw Edwards left in 2024. 

‘Now this is mega news. We heard gasps in the newsroom when people realised that he had been sacked’, she said.

‘We don’t know why he’s been sacked but we do know that it will surely be unwelcome news. The fact that the bosses had to do this means there must be something potentially very significant here to let one of their big names go. 

As I said, this is a huge name in the BBC. We know what happened to Huw Edwards and how he left the organisation because of what he had done. We are now asking questions about another mega star at the BBC who was on between £355,000 to £359,000 per year. This will be unwelcome news. There will be many questions’.

Radio 2 listeners are in shock. 

As he handed over on what was to become his final show, Mills joked about waxing his legs and doing Stars In Their Eyes with fellow Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay, before signing off with: ‘See you tomorrow.’

Davies did not address the reason for Mills’s absence when he began Wednesday’s show, telling listeners: ‘Morning, Gary in for Scott.’

News of Mills’s sacking led the 12pm bulletin on his former station BBC Radio 2.

At the start of his show on BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine said he was ‘taken aback’ by the news about Scott Mills. He said: ‘Obviously, I was taken aback by that opening story to the news.

‘I had not heard anything about it until 17 minutes ago, when it was on the BBC website, and I only had the information that was given to you in the bulletin, I have nothing more, that it was allegations about Scott Mills’s personal conduct, which have led to him being sacked.

‘I have no more than that. Alright, on to today’s show.’

Lorna Clarke, Director of Music, told BBC staff in an email: ‘I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the Breakfast show, and the BBC. I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.

‘Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV. I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.

‘Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything.’ 

The DJ, from Southampton, began his BBC career on Radio 1 in the late 1990s as the early breakfast host, before going on to present weekend slots and then an early evening show while providing maternity cover for Sara Cox. When Cox did not return, the programme was renamed The Scott Mills Show.

In 2022, he joined Radio 2, replacing Steve Wright in his weekday afternoon slot.

He has presented a number of shows on the station before taking up the Breakfast Show after Ball’s departure.

He has also presented a weekend show on Radio 5 Live and appeared on series 12 of Strictly Come Dancing, where he was paired with professional dancer Joanne Clifton, becoming the fifth couple to be eliminated.

Mills has also been a commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest on the BBC – raising the possibility it will be forced to find a replacement for this year’s event. 

Mills’s departure comes weeks before Google executive Matt Brittin is due to start as the BBC’s new director general – replacing Tim Davie. 

Jo Mackie, employment law partner at national law firm Michelmores, said: ‘The BBC has not said on what grounds it has sacked Mills at this time except that it’s a ”personal conduct” issue. 

‘However we can assume it must be a very significant issue for them to dismiss him immediately like this given he is one of their biggest stars. 

‘The BBC has faced criticism for several years for not making immediate and robust decisions and so this could be the start of the new look of their HR and employment regime.’

The news will be a blow to Mills, who welcomed his unveiling as Zoe Ball’s replacement last year by saying he had finally ‘made it’. 

He told how he had started out as a local DJ host earning just £20 a show but had enjoyed success after ‘playing the long game’.

Mills recounted his personal journey at the start of his first show, telling listeners: ‘Here we go then, Monday the 27th of January 2025 and this is The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, and I can’t believe I am finally saying those words,’ the presenter began.

‘As a radio presenter and a radio fan all my life, I’m still finding it quite hard to process that this is happening, if I’m honest. If I think too much about the previous occupiers of this show it becomes mind-blowing to me for a kid who wanted to be on the radio, but wasn’t sure he had the self-confidence to be able to actually do it.’

Mills promised to make listeners smile and dance and ‘keep your spirits up on mornings when maybe you don’t feel so great’.

‘I’ve worked at the BBC for 25 years now on the radio,’ he continued. ‘A lot of you may well have grown up listening to me, I’m sure a lot of you will not have much idea about me at all.

‘Either way, if you could make me part of your morning routine, it would honestly mean so much because, believe me, I’m gonna give it absolutely everything I’ve got.’ 

BBC Radio has seen a wave of personnel changes and restructurings in recent years.

Liza Tarbuck became the last to go earlier this month after she announced she was quitting her popular Radio 2 Saturday evening show. 

The actress had been hosting the 6-8pm slot since 2012 and amassed an army of loyal fans.

‘I think you’ve guessed, some fool left a door open & I sneaked out – a French exit!’ she wrote. 

‘Together we made 2 hours of radio feel like a private member’s club, that’s the stuff of dreams, thousands of people enjoying each others company like great friends. Imagine what else we could do.

‘Thank you for letting me in, it’s been a privilege. [TARBUCK doffs a battered bowler hat & bows deeply] See you on the ice.’

Kaye Adams was axed from BBC Radio Scotland after a disciplinary probe found her culpable of inappropriate behaviour, including allegedly swearing at a colleague, throwing a pen at another and berating an intern’s professional ability. 

Amol Rajan stepped down from Radio 4’s Today programme in January after deciding to pursue other opportunities, but will continue to present University Challenge and the Radical With Amol Rajan podcast.

The Daily Mail has contacted Mills’s representatives for comment.