Former BBC Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills has publicly addressed the intense speculation and rumours that have swirled since his abrupt sacking by the corporation earlier this week. In his first official statement since the news broke, Mills confirmed his full cooperation with a police investigation into allegations of a historic sexual offence.
Mills Confirms Police Statement Relates to Him
Through a statement released by his legal representatives, Mills acknowledged that the recent announcement of his departure from the BBC has triggered widespread publication of rumour and speculation. He directly linked this to a statement made by the Metropolitan Police, confirming it pertains to him.
"An allegation was made against me in 2016 concerning a historic sexual offence, which became the subject of a police investigation. I fully cooperated and responded to this investigation in 2018," Mills stated.
Crown Prosecution Service Decision Not to Prosecute
Mills further explained that a comprehensive file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service as part of the inquiry. The CPS ultimately determined that the evidential threshold required to bring formal charges had not been met, leading to no further legal action.
"Given that the investigation related to an allegation dating back nearly three decades, and the police investigation itself concluded seven years ago, I sincerely hope the public and media will understand and respect my desire not to make any additional public comments on this sensitive matter," Mills added.
BBC's Knowledge and Decisive Action
The BBC has confirmed it was aware of the police investigation into Mills as far back as 2017. However, the corporation stated it "acted decisively" only after receiving what it described as "new information" in the weeks immediately preceding his dismissal.
The broadcaster revealed it terminated the contracts of the former Radio 2 breakfast show presenter last Friday, mere days after taking him off the air. This decisive move followed the receipt of the new information in recent weeks, though the specific nature of this information has not been disclosed by the BBC.
Mills Expresses Gratitude to Supporters
In a heartfelt conclusion to his statement, Mills expressed profound gratitude to those who have offered him support during this challenging period. "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," he said.
The situation continues to develop, with significant public and media interest focused on the circumstances surrounding the high-profile presenter's departure from one of the BBC's most listened-to radio stations.
