The Scott Mills whispers swirling – and the Tina Daheley question everyone is now asking: TV insiders talk to the Mail about what’s really going on inside the BBC
The BBC has been in ‘shock’ and ‘total confusion’ for 48 hours. On Monday, it was announced that popular host Scott Mills, who had been with the company for almost three decades, had been fired.
Audible gasps were heard as an email was sent to Broadcasting House by music director Lorna Clarke announcing her dismissal.
It emerged that the 53-year-old man, who was suspended from his job presenting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, was the subject of a Metropolitan Police investigation in 2016 into serious sexual offenses against a child under 16.
Mills was cleared by the Crown Prosecution Service three years later due to lack of sufficient evidence. He has no guilt in the eyes of the law.
But BBC bosses appear concerned enough by the historic claims to take decisive action, despite no further explanation.
“Nobody had a clue anything was going on,” a BBC insider told the Daily Mail.
‘He was the loveliest, most genuine person, which touched us all six times over.’
Among the many questions being asked by colleagues and license fee payers alike is this: Where is Mills’ long-time Radio 2 co-host and close friend Tina Daheley?
Tina Daheley has been working with Mills since accepting the Breakfast Show role in January 2025.
Mills was fired from the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2016 after it emerged he was the subject of a Metropolitan Police investigation into serious sexual offenses against a child under 16.
The pair have been working together at the station since Mills accepted the Breakfast Show role in January 2025, with Tina not appearing on air since the sacking of her ‘work husband’ Scott.
‘Questions are being asked about Tina’s whereabouts,’ the insider said.
‘But the general feeling is that it’s probably for the best.
‘There would be pressure to answer everyone’s uncomfortable questions.’
Tina, 44, started working at the BBC in 2007. In 2019 she left Radio 1 alongside Nick Grimshaw and joined Radio 2, working with Zoe Ball until Mills took over.
In January this year, Tina took to Instagram to talk about how much she loved her ‘Radio 2 family’ and shared a photo of herself with Mills and the rest of the team.
He hasn’t posted anything since it was taken off the air.
Other BBC Radio presenters and friends of Mills, including Rylan Clark, Romesh Ranganathan and Greg James, have also opted for rare social media silence, as has Mills’ close friend and former co-host Capital presenter Chris Stark.
It’s been a rather uncomfortable start to the week for the BBC’s biggest stars.
When news of Scott Mills’ dismissal broke on Monday afternoon, his celebrity friends and media pals made it clear they were ‘blindsided’.
The BBC’s Graham Norton was working on rival ITV promoting a new program and, according to insiders, knew “absolutely nothing” and needed to be “informed urgently”.
Former BBC Radio DJ Nihal Arthanayake, who worked with Scott, said he was “shocked”.
Radio 2 presenter Dermot O’Leary told ITV’s This Morning: ‘It was a complete shock to everyone. ‘It came from nowhere.’
It emerged that BBC executives met with Mills on Monday afternoon.
It’s not just Radio 2 that’s been thrown into chaos.
EastEnders writers were left ‘angry’ after realizing Mills’ sacking could disrupt the series because they had planned to use his voice in a future episode, in what they called a ‘worst case scenario’ for producers.
Not only that, but he’s also appearing on Channel 4’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer next month, forcing bosses into meetings.
Other industry rumors suggest he could be lined up for the next season of the BBC’s hit Celebrity Traitors.
Earlier this month she appeared in the Red Nose Day skit alongside BBC pals Ruby Wax, Fleur East and Vicky Pattison.
Last night it was revealed that the Mercedes-Benz Vans Under the Bonnet: On the Road podcast had been removed from Spotify and ‘Scott Mills Top Picks’ had been removed from BBC iPlayer.
It was also announced that Mills’ Radio 2 friend Sara Cox would replace her for the Eurovision broadcast. He had been presenting the show since 2011.
Sara will be joined by Rylan at the competition in May and will commentate in the BBC One Semi-Finals and BBC Radio 2 Grand Final.
Meanwhile, on Mills’ social media, he has disabled the comments section to prevent the barrage of messages and false narratives that media circles are now quite harshly calling ‘Rumor Mills’.
