The BBC sack another high profile presenter…

There is a lot in the news right now about the sacking of Scott Mills by the BBC on 30 March 2026.

Having worked for the BBC since 1998, the 53-year-old presenter was one of the highest-paid at the BBC, with a reported salary of £355,000 a year.

This is an emerging story, and at the time of writing details are scarce.  However, it appears that the sacking is linked to historical allegations relating to events in the late 1990s that were initially investigated by police from 2016.

The Radio 2 presenter was interviewed under caution in 2018, in connection with claims relating to “serious sexual offences” involving a teenage boy under the age of 16 said to date back to between 1997 and 2000.

No further action was taken at the time, with Mills not being charged and the case dropped due to insufficient evidence.

It may seem surprising that someone can be dismissed for historical allegations that did not result in a conviction.  However, based on information released by the BBC it seems that new information has come to light relating to the conduct and it may be that the BBC fear reputational damage if they continue to work with Mills.

It is unclear whether Mills was directly employed or contracted as a self-employed freelancer, but either way, his contract was terminated with immediate effect on Monday.

For an employee, dismissal with immediate effect usually only happens where there is serious misconduct, including gross misconduct. Employers will normally want to investigate fully and follow a proper process before dismissing.

The BBC hasn’t released details of the procedure followed, but based on the short period between Mills being taken off air and his contract being terminated (his last show was Tuesday 24 March) it seems that the BBC acted very quickly.

Perhaps the urgency stems from lessons they have learned in the wake of their slow reaction to previous scandals including Huw Edwards.

Another relevant factor is that BBC salaries are publicly funded via the TV Licence, which means any scandal involving their talent, along with the BBC’s reaction to the scandal will be subject to intense public scrutiny.

We don’t know what has happened behind the scenes, and Scott Mills may well have left under a settlement agreement.  However, if not, the sacking of Scott Mills could open the BBC up to claims of unfair dismissal, as any investigation carried out appears to have been minimal.

At the time of writing Mills has not spoken publicly about his departure nor the circumstances around it.

For any advice on unfair dismissal, disciplinary proceedings or any other aspect of UK employment law, please feel free to contact Michael Nadin (partner and head of employment) on 01604 609 566 or by email.