The BBC has apologized for not looking into separate allegations relating to Scott Mills, the radio presenter who was fired amid historical sexual misconduct claims.
The BBC was contacted by freelance journalist Anna Brees in May 2025 regarding information she had received about alleged “inappropriate communications” involving Mills.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Brees asked the BBC if there were ever “formal or informal complaints” about Mills, “relating to safeguarding, inappropriate conduct or harassment.” She did not receive a response.
In a statement on Tuesday, the BBC said: “We received a press query in 2025 which included limited information. This should have been followed up and we should have asked further questions. We apologise for this and will look into why this did not happen. More broadly, we would always urge anyone who has concerns or information to raise it with us.”
Brees has presented news shows for the BBC and ITV during her career, but has been criticized for her support of Alex Belfield, who in September 2022 was convicted of stalking TV presenters, including Jeremy Vine. She described Belfield as a “friend” following his conviction.
The BBC has not commented on the reasons for firing Mills, but since leaving the BBC, it has emerged that the Radio 2 host was questioned by police in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy under the age of 16.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson did not name Mills, but said that in December 2016, the force had investigated “allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.”
“These were reported to taken place between 1997 and 2000,” it added. “As part of these enquiries, 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.”
The BBC’s decision to part ways with Mills has led some to question whether it was proportionate. Richard Bacon, the former BBC radio presenter and creator of ABC gameshow The Hustler, said: “This is a giant public humiliation. It’s a dangerous thing to do, unless there’s a really really really clear reason. I guess we don’t know right now. But it needs to be an incontrovertible really big reason. It’s hard to believe he’s a bad person.”
Source: Read Full Article
