Scott Mills Faces Potential Loss of Honorary Doctorate
Scott Mills, a well-known radio presenter, is facing a potential new challenge as he could lose his Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Southampton Solent University. The 53-year-old DJ was recently dismissed from the BBC, just six days after his final Radio 2 breakfast show.
The Daily Mirror has linked this decision to a 2016 police investigation into ‘serious sexual offences’ against a teenage boy between 1997 and 2000. However, the case was dropped around seven years ago due to a lack of evidence.
It has now come to light that Scott may also lose his Honorary award, which he received in November 2009. The academic institution’s Honorary Doctorate Scrutiny Panel is reportedly preparing to meet to rule on the matter, with officials recommending the prestigious title be rescinded.
A source told the Mirror: ‘The committee will meet later this month. It will be recommended that the honorary doctorate is rescinded.’ The Daily Mail has contacted Scott Mills’ representatives for comment.
At the time of receiving the honor, Scott expressed his feelings about it, saying it ‘felt amazing after not really doing any education before.’ He added, ‘I came out of school and just learned from the people I worked with and thankfully the people I worked with were good and took the time to teach me but without that, if I was working at a worse radio station I don’t think I would be doing this now.’
Following his sacking, Scott’s shows on iPlayer have been removed, as well as a plaque at Fleet services on the M3. The radio star has also been replaced on Race Across The World’s spin-off show by TV presenter and DJ Tyler West, 30.
It was previously announced that he and series four’s Alfie Watts would co-host a podcast titled Race Across The World: The Detour. Scott and his now-husband Sam won the second celebrity series of Race Across The World in 2024.
The DJ, who is paid between £355,000 and £359,999 a year by the BBC, took over the Radio 2 breakfast show from Zoe Ball in 2025. A senior broadcaster at the BBC said there is ‘total shock’ at the corporation after Mills’s sacking.
Lorna Clarke, Director of Music, told BBC staff in an email: ‘I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the Breakfast show, and the BBC. 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.’
Elsewhere, Scott’s Eurovision 2026 replacement has been revealed as the BBC removes him from TV and radio gigs following allegations of ‘serious sexual offences’ against a teenage boy. The presenter will no longer be appearing at the Eurovision Song Contest, and instead will be replaced by fellow BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox, according to The Sun.
The BBC said it had removed all future work planned with the presenter, which includes coverage of the contest that takes place in May. He has been one of the commentators during Eurovision’s semi-finals, which will air on BBC One in the week leading up to the final, since 2011.
Scott has most recently been joined by Rylan Clark on the shows, as well as talking listeners through the live Eurovision final on BBC Radio 2. However, the publication revealed that Sara, 51, will instead be taking on the role, after commentating on the semi-finals during a radio show last year, alongside former show commentator Rylan.
