Scott Mills: The radio DJ who began entertaining listeners as a teenager
The radio presenter will take over from Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show in early January.
Scott Mills has been entertaining radio listeners across the country for decades, from his early days on commercial radio to hosting some of the BBC’s biggest shows.
The 51-year-old presenter is to become the new face of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over the reins from Zoe Ball in early January.
Mills has said he is “absolutely thrilled” to be following in her footsteps as well as former hosts including Sir Terry Wogan and Chris Evans.
Eastleigh-born Mills started his career aged 16 at Power FM, a local commercial station in Hampshire, before moving to GWR FM in Bristol, Piccadilly Key 103 in Manchester and later Heart 106.2.
He joined BBC Radio 1 in 1998 as host of the early breakfast show and went on to present a variety of shows across the station before launching his popular eponymous show in 2004, which aired between 1pm and 4pm, and later fronting The Official Chart Show from 2018.
Chris Stark joined as a co-presenter on the Scott Mills show in 2012 and the pair became popular thanks to a number of humorous segments including Innuendo Bingo.
After 24 years at the station, Mills moved to BBC Radio 2 in 2022 to take over the weekday afternoon 2pm to 4pm slot from veteran presenter Steve Wright, who died earlier this year.
Mills first presented on Radio 2 in 2017, when he hosted a show from 10pm to 2am during Sara Cox’s Dance-A-Thon for Comic Relief, and then became a regular voice on the station.
He has also been a part of the BBC’s Eurovision presenting team since 2011, co-presenting a host of coverage alongside Rylan Clark in recent years.
Outside of the airwaves, Scott appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and earlier this year, he won BBC’s Celebrity Race Across The World with his husband Sam Vaughan.
Announcing his latest move to Radio 2’s flagship breakfast show on Tuesday, he praised Ball for supporting him since the early days of his career at the BBC.
“I will never forget how you really took me under your wing and you really looked after me because I didn’t know one person there”, he said.
He recalled sitting in on her BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show after he hosted the early morning show at the station and how she did him the “biggest favour” of his career by oversleeping one morning, allowing him the chance to helm it for a day.
“Because of that I then covered that breakfast show, whether it was in for you or for Sara (Cox), or then for Grimmie (Nick Grimshaw) or Chris Moyles, I did it for well over 20 years, all because you overslept.”
He also thanked her for attending his wedding to his husband Vaughan earlier this year despite her experiencing a “tough year”.
“It meant so much to me that you came to my wedding because I wasn’t sure if you could make it because I know you’ve had such a tough year”, he said.
“But on the big day, or actually the day before on the Friday, you texted me like ‘I’m on the plane’ and I shouted to my Sam, I was like, ‘Zoe’s on the plane’, and I was so glad that you could come.”
Ball said she “wouldn’t have missed it for the world”, adding: “I really needed that weekend, and to see you and Sam, and to see how in love you are, which we all got to see on Race Across The World, and I love you both to pieces.
“You are going to be amazing at this job. Can I say thank you for doing it as well so that I can set my alarms slightly later of a morning.”
Following the announcement, friends and famous faces shared their support with Clark sending love to Ball and telling Mills: “I’ve never been more happy for someone. If you grazed your knee you would bleed radio.
“I know how much this means to you and I’m so so proud of you. Just gutted we won’t have many late nights now… actually we will. Love you both x”
Stark, who now hosts Capital’s Breakfast Show, hailed Ball as a “legend” and told Mills: “This is where hard work and persistence gets you. Love ya my brother.
“Couldn’t be prouder of you. Feel I’ve said that a lot to you this year. Excited to get back to lunches together.”
Former BBC Radio 1 presenter Grimshaw wrote: “Ahhhh yay massive congratulations to you @realscottmills xx” while The Saturdays singer and BBC Radio 1 presenter Mollie King added: “From one icon to another, so SO happy for you @realscottmills! Bring it on”.
