Jeremy Vine has said the BBC’s decision to sack his Radio 2 colleague Scott Mills “feels unfair”, questioning why action was taken despite no criminal charges.
Speaking on his Radio 2 show on Tuesday, Vine told listeners he was “confused” by the broadcaster’s decision to dismiss Mills less than a week after he was taken off air.
Mills was removed from his breakfast show last Tuesday and informed over the weekend that his contract had been terminated.
The BBC has said only that the decision related to “personal conduct”.
The decision follows reports that Mills was previously investigated by police over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16. The presenter, now 53, was questioned under caution in 2018, but no charges were brought.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the investigation began in December 2016 following a referral from another force and related to alleged offences said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000. A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined there was insufficient evidence to meet the charging threshold, and the case was closed in May 2019.
It is understood the BBC’s decision relates to the same individual, although the corporation has not confirmed this. It is also unclear whether the broadcaster was aware of the investigation at the time.
Addressing the situation on air, Vine said: “Scott Mills’ sacking has left a lot of people very confused. It came as a complete shock to those of us who work at the station.”
He added that Mills remained “a very popular guy in the building”, describing the situation as “a very painful episode for anyone who knows him”.
Vine went on to question the BBC’s handling of the case, arguing that “there hasn’t been a crime” and suggesting the corporation may be acting more decisively following criticism over past scandals.
“There is a thought that the BBC wishes it had acted earlier in other cases and is now taking a different approach,” he said, adding that such a shift could feel “unfair” if applied inconsistently.
He suggested the BBC had regrets over its handling of the Huw Edwards scandal and had gone harder on responding to Mills.
He said: “There is a thought here that what the BBC has done has sacked Huw Edwards, they wish they got in earlier with Huw and they decided to treat Scott how they wish they’d treated Huw. Which would be a bit unfair would it not?”
During the programme, BBC media editor Katie Razzall said she had put questions to the corporation about what it knew and when, particularly regarding the earlier police investigation.
The sacking has prompted strong reaction within the BBC, with reports of shock among staff following an internal announcement on Monday. Colleagues have described Mills as “kind”, “generous” and “hugely popular”.
Reverend Steve Chalke, a friend of Mills who has appeared on his show, said there was a “sense of grief, loss and shock”, adding: “We must be concerned for everyone involved, including Scott and his family. This is a tragic situation.”
Meanwhile, fellow Radio 2 presenter Dermot O’Leary has also spoken out, describing the decision as a shock to staff.
Speaking on This Morning, he said: “As part of the Radio 2 family, and it is a family, everyone gets together, it’s a lovely place to work, it’s very collegiate. This came as a complete shock to everybody, it came from nowhere.”
O’Leary has been with Radio 2 since 2004 and has presented the Sunday morning breakfast show since 2017.
Some listeners criticised Vine’s segment on Mills saying it was a “Scott Mills love in”.
According to the Sun, one said: “So according to Jeremy Vine, Scott Mills should be off sco-free. This world!”
