Scott Mills episode of Great British Bake Off pulled as ‘not appropriate’


The former Radio 2 DJ was sacked by the BBC over historic allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy

A special episode of Great British Bake Off will not air having featured a recently terminated BBC star. Channel 4 announced today (April 8) that an episode of Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer has been pulled from schedule, as it featured Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills.

The 53-year-old broadcaster had been expected to appear in an upcoming celebrity special but the spin-off will no longer air following his sacking from the BBC. Prior to the scandal, Mills had filmed scenes alongside Rag n Bone Man, Edith Bowman and Aston Merrygold.

The episode that would have broadcast Sunday April 18, will no longer be shown. A spokesperson for Channel 4 said it was not appropriate to screen Mills’ episode due to the ‘seriousness of the accusations’ against him.

An alternative episode of Celebrity GBBO will go out in its place The Mirror reports.

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.”

The former Radio 2 DJ was sacked by the BBC shortly before it emerged the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the 53-year-old in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000. The corporation has since admitted it knew about a police investigation into allegations against Mills of a historical sexual offence in 2017, but said it “acted decisively” after receiving “new information” in the weeks before his sacking.

The “new information” was that the teenage boy at the centre of the investigation was under the age of 16. After losing his role on the Radio 2 breakfast show, Scott’s Eurovision podcast with friend Rylan Clark was also pulled.

Charities he worked with including Neuroblastoma UK and the MS Society UK also parted ways with the DJ. Mills has been an advocate for multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than a decade, having become an ambassador for MS Society UK as his mother, Sandra, was diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition.

On Wednesday last week, Mills released a statement through his lawyers saying he had been the subject of “rumour and speculation” since he was fired, and that he “co-operated fully” with the police investigation into allegations of a historical sexual offence.

A statement released through his lawyers said: “The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me.

“An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully co-operated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.

“Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter. I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss.”


Nadiya Hussain ‘facing judgement’ for new job working in a school after BBC axe


Nadiya Hussain ‘facing judgement’ for new job working in a school after BBC axe
TV chef Nadiya Hussain has swapped the studio for the classroom with her new job (Picture: BBC/PA)

Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain has turned her back on showbusiness and is now working as a teaching assistant after the BBC axed her cookery show last year.

The TV chef, 41 was one of the biggest breakout stars of Bake Off following her win in the sixth series in 2015, going on to front several shows for the broadcaster, including the award-nominated Nadiya Chronicles, Nadiya Bakes and Nadiya’s Fast Flavours.

After the BBC’s decision to drop her – something she still ‘doesn’t know why’ happened – Nadiya said she’d been courted with other offers from the likes of ITV and Channel 4.

However, she’s chosen to pursue a career in teaching instead – despite feeling ‘judged’ by some for doing so.

‘I’m currently working as a teaching assistant at a lovely little primary school. The plan is to hopefully gain some training and maybe in the future become a teacher,’ she told Woman & Home magazine.

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‘I had to do an application form, an interview, go in and sit in with the kids and see how they reacted to me. I did get people ringing me, saying, “Sorry, is this actually the Nadiya Hussain?” and I’m like, “Yes, it is and I am looking for a job and I would like an opportunity”.’

Nadiya's Cook Once, Eat Twice,08-10-2024,Impress For Less,4 - Impress For Less,Nadiya Hussain,holding her Thrifty Banana Peel Curry,Wall to Wall,Tom Kirkman
Nadiya, who was a stalwart of the BBC for a decade after her Bake Off win, is now working as a classroom assistant after her cooking show was axed (Picture: BBC/Wall to Wall/Tom Kirkman)
EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 BST SATURDAY 21st FEBRUARY Nadiya Hussain in Woman and Home MUST credit Photos: Elisabeth Hoff and MUST use front cover ANY PICTURE ENQUIRIES TO PHIL.ATTAWAY@FUTURENET.COM PLEASE USE THE IMAGES WITH A W&H COVER SUPPLIED MINIMUM 7 CM HIGH AND 5CM WIDE AND WITH THE BELOW CREDITS CREDITS MUST INCLUDE: Photos: Elisabeth Hoff
She is eyeing a future as a teacher although said some close to her had ‘judged’ her decision to step away from TV (Picture: Elisabeth Hoff/Woman and Home)

Nadiya shared that she was ‘really enjoying being in an environment where I’m not the centre of it’, even though friends and loved ones had questioned her for taking a step backwards, as they see it.

However she brainstormed her career move with the support of her husband Abdal, knowing she could be faced with a fork in the road.

‘There have been lots of tears, sadness and judgement. People [close to me] have asked, “Why would you go from being here, right at the top to being at the bottom?” but I don’t see it that way,’ the TV star and author, who received an MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours, added.

‘Just because I’m famous doesn’t mean I’m at the top. I have been at my lowest at the top.’

She also insisted that since she started working at the school, she’s ‘had some of my highest moments’ because ‘nothing beats’ helping the kids she works with feel safe and achieve their goals.

Television programme: The Great British Bake Off, picture shows - finalists Tamal Ray, Nadiya Hussain and Ian Cumming. (C) Love Productions - Photographer: Mark Bourdillon
Nadiya became the first Muslim contestant to win The Great British Bake Off in 2015 (Picture: BBC/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

When it came to the BBC cancelling her show, Nadiya revealed she had a ‘gut feeling that something wasn’t right’ after 10 years of a regular schedule between her TV work and cookbooks.

She was informed by her agent that the BBC would not be commissioning her to do another TV show and has still not received an explanation as to why from her previous employers.

The former Junior Bake Off judge said: ‘I appreciate that it’s an industry, it’s a business and it’s about making money, but I still don’t know [why they’ve let me go] because I haven’t had a conversation with anyone.

‘There are no answers, no closure.’

EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 BST SATURDAY 21st FEBRUARY Nadiya Hussain in Woman and Home MUST credit Photos: Elisabeth Hoff and MUST use front cover ANY PICTURE ENQUIRIES TO PHIL.ATTAWAY@FUTURENET.COM PLEASE USE THE IMAGES WITH A W&H COVER SUPPLIED MINIMUM 7 CM HIGH AND 5CM WIDE AND WITH THE BELOW CREDITS CREDITS MUST INCLUDE: Photos: Elisabeth Hoff
She said she had ‘no closure’ on the BBC’s decision to drop her because the broadcaster didn’t share any reason (Picture: Elisabeth Hoff/Woman and Home)
EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 BST SATURDAY 21st FEBRUARY Nadiya Hussain in Woman and Home MUST credit Photos: Elisabeth Hoff and MUST use front cover ANY PICTURE ENQUIRIES TO PHIL.ATTAWAY@FUTURENET.COM PLEASE USE THE IMAGES WITH A W&H COVER SUPPLIED MINIMUM 7 CM HIGH AND 5CM WIDE AND WITH THE BELOW CREDITS CREDITS MUST INCLUDE: Photos: Elisabeth Hoff
The author and TV star is the cover star for Woman and Home’s latest issue (Picture: Elisabeth Hoff/Woman and Home)

In a statement at the time, a BBC spokesman said: ‘After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment.

‘Nadiya remains a much-valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects.’

At the time the TV personality took to social media to explain that she had always been made to ‘feel grateful’ for the opportunities she received, which added an ‘invisible pressure’ to not voice her frustrations or her desire for more.

And while she is not interested in TV work right now, Nadiya knows what would pique her interest to return, including more creative input in cookery shows.

She’s also interested in creating travelogues and documentaries ‘about issues that matter’, following her 2019 BBC One documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me.

The April issue of woman&home is on sale on February 26.

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