The following morning Gary Davies started the show saying he was “in for Scott Mills”.
In an email sent to staff, Lorna Clarke, director of music at the BBC said: “I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.
“Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV.
“I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.
“Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too. I will update everyone with more information on plans for the show when I’m able to. While I appreciate many of you will have questions, I hope you can understand that I am not going to be saying anything further now.”
At the start of Jeremy Vine’s show on Radio 2 at midday, Vine said he was “taken aback by the story” and that he had “no further information” about it.
Mills, 53, joined Radio 2’s weekday schedule in 2022 when he replaced Steve Wright as the host of the afternoon slot.
In 2025 he provided TV commentary on BBC One for the semi-finals of Eurovision with Rylan.
He was last seen on TV in a Traitors skit during Comic Relief.
Prior to his work on Radio 2, he worked on Radio 1, which he joined in 1998.
He hosted Radio 1’s Official chart between 2018 and 2022, replacing Greg James.
Mills hosted it for four years, until 2022.
He also hosted a weekend show on BBC Radio 5 Live and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
