The BBC sacked Scott Mills earlier this week and removed shows he presented from both BBC iPlayer and Spotify after the corporation received “new information”
Ex Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills looks set to lose his honorary doctorate of arts from Southampton Solent University following his sacking by the BBC.
Scott Mills is set to have his Honorary Doctorate of Arts stripped by Southampton Solent University.
The radio DJ received the prestigious accolade in November 2009, but the academic institution’s Honorary Doctorate Scrutiny Panel are now preparing to meet to deliberate on the matter, with senior figures recommending the distinguished title be withdrawn.
A well-placed source today told the Mirror: “The committee will meet later this month. It will be recommended that the honorary doctorate is rescinded.”
The latest setback for Mills, 53, comes after programmes he fronted were pulled from both BBC iPlayer and Spotify, while a plaque commemorating him has also been taken down. It was unveiled at Fleet Services on the M3 motorway in March 2016 following a campaign on his programme to have the bridge named after him.
It also emerges less than 24 hours after BBC boss Tim Davie stated it became “very clear” the former Radio 2 breakfast presenter had to be dismissed after the corporation received “new information” about him. The outgoing director general also added Mills’ sacking “was a real shock to the organisation”
An image displays a metallic plaque with the inscription “The Scott Mills Bridge,” positioned between two dark green curtains, suggesting an official or commemorative marker
He added: “It was new information quite recently we received that made it very clear the decision we had to make.”
Questioned about when the BBC learnt there was an issue, Davie said: “I think people need to look at the statement; we made [it] as clear as we can. We obviously have to be sensitive when you’ve got personal information, and we work carefully through it, but the statement is really clear.”
The Mirror revealed exclusively earlier this week that Mills had been sacked by BBC Radio 2 and detailed how he was interviewed in 2018 regarding historical allegations of serious sexual offences. The inquiry was concluded in 2019 after the CPS determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges.
This followed the Met Police opening an investigation into Mills in December 2016. According to the Met, a referral was submitted by another force concerning allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy, which purportedly occurred between 1997 and 2000.
BBC Radio star Scott Mills was sacked following an allegation relating to his personal conduct(Image: @realscottmills/Instagram)
During the investigation, Mills was in his 40s. The first of the alleged incidents happened when he was approximately 24-years-old and still working at Heart FM. Twelve months later, he became part of the team at BBC Radio One.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed to the Mirror that the teenage boy at the heart of the investigation was under the age of 16 at the time of the alleged offences.
The Mirror had previously disclosed that the DJ was interviewed in 2018 concerning historical allegations of serious sexual offences, but the investigation, which commenced in 2016, was closed in 2019 after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed with charges.
In May 2025, a former presenter came forward with information concerning alleged “inappropriate communications” involving Mills, but received no response.
Mills had presented a number of shows on BBC Radio 2 before taking up the Breakfast Show after Zoe Ball’s departure(Image: PA)
The BBC has since issued an apology, acknowledging it should have acted on the complaint. It has not been suggested that these matters are connected to the same alleged victim whose 2018 report triggered Mills’ police interview.
The scandal has continued to deepen, with revelations that the BBC had been aware of the police investigation as far back as 2017.
In a statement, the corporation said: “We can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time.”
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