The BBC has officially announced that Sara Cox will take over the Radio 2 breakfast show, replacing Scott Mills who was dismissed earlier this year. Cox, aged 51, expressed her excitement about the new role, describing it as a dream come true and a full-circle moment in her career.
Sara Cox's Statement
In her announcement, Cox said: "It's been a dream to host the breakfast show since I joined Radio 2 and it feels like a bit of a full circle for me. I've had the most glorious seven years of my career on teatime so thank you to my brilliant teatime listeners who hopefully will join me at breakfast for excellent music and all my usual nonsense plus some superstar guests. I honestly can't wait to wake the nation up with the biggest most fun breakfast show ever."
Teatime Slot Replacement Pending
The BBC has confirmed that the replacement for the teatime slot, which Cox is vacating, will be announced at a later date. This move follows the abrupt departure of Scott Mills, who was taken off air in March after new information came to light.
Background on Scott Mills' Dismissal
Scott Mills was sacked from his Radio 2 show after the BBC received "new information" regarding his conduct. The DJ had hosted his last show on Tuesday, March 24, and did not return the following day. The BBC stated that they acted decisively in line with their culture and values, terminating his contracts on Friday, March 27.
Reports revealed that Mills had been investigated by police in 2018 over historical allegations of serious sexual offences dating back to between 1997 and 2000. The investigation, which began in 2016, was closed in 2019 after the Crown Prosecution Service determined there was insufficient evidence to press charges. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the complainant was a teenage boy under 16 at the time of the alleged offences.
BBC's Response
A BBC spokesperson said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many. We also recognise there's been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved. What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values, and terminated his contracts on Friday March 27. Separately, 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."
Scott Mills' Statement
In a statement, Mills said: "The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter. I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."
The BBC has not yet confirmed a start date for Sara Cox's breakfast show, but listeners can expect her to bring her trademark energy and humor to the morning slot.
