Scott Mills has broken his days-long silence following his shock axe from the BBC.
A statement released by the BBC Radio 2 host’s team today read: “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.
Scott Mills was dismissed by the BBC | PA
“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 also released a fresh statement earlier today about the 53-year-old which read: “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 27 March.
“The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards. Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met.
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The BBC confirmed new information about Scott Mills had come to light | GETTY
Shortly after the announcement, The Mirror reported that Mr Mills was questioned as part of a 2016 Metropolitan Police investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16.
The Met Police confirmed the alleged offences, which are understood to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
Mr Mills was interviewed under caution by officers in July 2018, but the Crown Prosecution Service determined there was insufficient evidence to bring charges, and the case was closed in May 2019.
Concerns quickly arose about the new Race Across the World programme, particularly as other shows have been thrown into chaos in light of the news, including BBC soap EastEnders.
However, Deadline reports that the spin-off, which will be similar in nature to The Apprentice: You’re Fired and Traitors: Uncloaked, will continue as planned without Mr Mills.