BBC Radio 2 listeners slam 'awkward' response to Scott Mills axe as Breakfast Show replacement snubs presenter

Alex Davies
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:39:27 +0000

Radio 2 listeners have expressed their bemusement after presenter Gary Davies avoided any mention of axed former colleague, Scott Mills, when he launched Tuesday morning's Breakfast Show.

The veteran presenter, who replaced Mr Mills following his removal from the air last week, instead opened proceedings in a seemingly breezy manner despite the news.

"Good morning. How are you? Tuesday 31st March. It's Gary here for the next three hours," Mr Davies told listeners before immediately playing his first track.

After the song concluded, he asked the audience what they had "already accomplished this morning" before introducing another record.

The 68-year-old, who normally presents Sounds of the 80s, was given his own Breakfast Show jingle for the programme.

Mr Mills' name went entirely unmentioned during the opening segment, despite this being the first broadcast since news of his sacking became public on Monday.

While the 7am news bulletin made no reference to Mr Mills, the half-hour update at 7:30am opened with reports that the presenter had been the subject of a police investigation in 2016.

The bulletin revealed Mr Mills had been questioned over alleged serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy, with the claims said to relate to incidents between 1997 and 2000.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the investigation began following a referral from another force, with Mr Mills interviewed under caution in July 2018 when he was in his 40s.

A full evidence file was subsequently submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which concluded the evidential threshold for bringing charges had not been met.

The inquiry was formally closed in May 2019 after no further action was taken.

Listeners took to social media to express bemusement at the corporation's apparent reluctance to address the situation.

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One listener posted on X: "Radio 2 going for the Basil Fawlty approach this morning. Don't mention the war! Curious item missing from the news bulletins.

"Gary Davies desperately playing records non-stop. No discussion between any presenters."

Meanwhile, a second agreed: "Bit of a tough situation all round. I get why Gary Davies kept things strictly professional. Live radio isn’t the place to unpack something that serious. Still, the silence does feel a bit awkward for listeners."

And a third weighed in: "I know @BBCRadio2 had to act quickly on Scott Mills, but why on earth am I being subjected to an extended megamix of forgotten 80s Kylie tunes at 8:20 on a Tuesday morning? Save us from Gary Davies please." (sic)

Adding to the awkwardness, Mr Davies filled the opening half hour of his programme with promotional material for Radio 2's Eurovision coverage.

Mr Mills has served as one of the BBC's long-standing commentators for the song contest, providing television commentary alongside Rylan Clark for the semi-finals in 2025.

The segment passed without any reference to the former host's involvement with the event.

Mr Mills was removed from his Radio 2 programme last Tuesday, March 24, following allegations concerning his personal conduct.

Mr Mills had signed off his final broadcast by telling listeners: "See you tomorrow."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the details of their investigation in a statement on Tuesday.

"In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force," a spokesperson said. "The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to taken place between 1997 and 2000."

The force added that a man in his 40s at the time was questioned under caution in July 2018, with a complete evidence file then passed to prosecutors.

Bit of a tough situation all round. I get why Gary Davies kept things strictly professional—live radio isn’t the place to unpack something that serious. Still, the silence does feel a bit awkward for listeners. https://t.co/IazTi01839
— Ballie Lamin Kamara (@LaminBallie) March 31, 2026

The CPS determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges, leading to the case being closed in May 2019.

GB News has contacted Mr Mills' representatives for comment.