Scott Mills was sacked by the BBC last month (Image: Joseph Okpako, WireImagevia Getty Images)
Scott Mills has been dropped from yet another role. The former BBC host was dismissed from all positions at the corporation following allegations surrounding his “personal conduct”. Mills, 53, was accused of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under the age of 16 between 1997 and 2000, with London’s Metropolitan Police launching a formal investigation. After being interviewed under caution, the force dropped the case against Mills owing to insufficient evidence. The BBC has since acknowledged that it was aware of a police investigation into historical sexual offence allegations against Mills back in 2017, yet maintained it “acted decisively” upon receiving “new information” in the weeks preceding his dismissal. The “new information” was that the teenage boy at the centre of the investigation was under 16.
Now, Mills, who is a pantomime regular, will not be treading the boards this festive season. It had been understood he had earned approximately £600,000 over the past three years, having commanded a fee of £190,000. Imagine Theatre, which had previously booked Scott, has now confirmed there are no plans to work with him going forward. The production company revealed to The Sun that the decision had been reached before Scott was relieved of his duties at the BBC. A spokesperson said: “There were no plans to work with him this year. This decision was taken prior to this news.”
Scott was doing pantomime at the Imagine Theatre (Image: Phil Rees)
Meanwhile, despite Scott being a firm favourite within the pantomime circuit, insiders suggest there is no path back to the stage for him. A source told the publication: “The panto world is really small, and everyone knows everyone. As soon as the news broke about Scott, it was all anyone was talking about, especially given he’s been so popular since his debut in 2023,” the Mirror.
“Scott is really close with the team at Imagine and was already in talks about taking a break, despite openly telling people about how much he loves the silliness of pantomime.” The source added that Scott would, under normal circumstances, have been “courted” by other production companies, but industry figures are now wary of approaching him.
Last week, Scott released a statement through his lawyers, confirming he “co-operated fully” with police throughout their investigation. He 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.
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Scott Mills the former Radio 2 Breakfast Show host won’t be returning to the stage this winter, despite becoming a panto regular over the past few years. (Image: undefined)
“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.
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“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.”
