Rylan Clark

EXCLUSIVE: Scott Mills was axed from the BBC earlier this year after new evidence came to light about a historical alleged sexual offences – but this might not be the end of the former radio DJ

Axed star Scott Mills has seen a flurry of support this week as his husband Sam Vaughan returned to Instagram to mark their two-year anniversary.

In his first post since the DJ’s shock sacking, Sam posted a sweet picture of him and his husband from their wedding day, captioning the post with a white heart emoji and the words “2 years.”

Stars including Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark and Sara Cox reacted to the post, with former colleauge Zoe writing: “Love you,” in the comments, followed by four red heart emoji’s. Rylan and Sarah also posted hearts in the comments section.

It comes as the Mirror exclusively revealed that Scott is set to sue the BBC for unfair dismissal after his surprise sacking. The DJ has enlisted top lawyers to lodge a case against the BBC. It’s understood he will claim that he disclosed the full details of the cop probe – including the accuser’s age – to BBC Radio 1 bosses at the time.

The BBC has previously said that they knew about the investigation but that “new information” came to light which sources claim was the fact the accuser was under 16. But it’s understood Mills will argue that this was all raised at the time to Radio 1. A source said: “It’s going to get very messy indeed.”

Mills was interviewed by police in 2018 under caution after being accused of serious sexual offences against a boy under the age of 16. A full file was sent to the CPS, who said there was not enough evidence to charge him.

In April, Mills released a statement through his lawyers claiming he had been the subject of “rumour and speculation” since his sacking and that he had “co-operated fully” with the police investigation into the allegations.

As Scott gears up for a battle with the Beeb and his partner returns to social media, questions have been raised on when the DJ could make a career return. “I think Scott Mills’ route back into the spotlight will depend on whether the public see his departure as a temporary setback or as a sign that his broadcasting career has reached a crossroads,” Mayah Riaz, a PR to the stars, tells the Mirror.

“Historically, we have seen that established presenters who have a strong personal brands and years of goodwill behind them are often afforded a second act. This is especially true when they have built up a loyal audience and have industry support over many years,” she said.

The expert noted the significance of the public show of support towards Scott’s husband Sam as it highlights that the star still has a network of influential friends and colleagues who are willing to publicly stand by him. She said this can help “soften the narrative” and “remind people of the affection that exists for a personality.”

The DJ has lost a number of gigs since being axed by the BBC, including podcast roles on Race Across the World and Pop Top 10 with Rylan Clark. Mills was also dropped as a patron of children’s cancer charity Neuroblastoma UK and “stepped back” from his role as an ambassador for the MS Society UK.

His regular panto work, which reportedly made him £600,000 in the last three years, has also been cut. Imagine Theatre, which got Scott involved in Jack And The Beanstalk shows, said there are no plans to work with the presenter for the 2026/2027 season. It said the decision was taken before he was fired by the BBC.

If Scott was to make a comeback, Mayah suggests it won’t be through a “grand relaunch”. Instead, it could be through a project that reminds his audience why they connected with him in the first place.

She explained: “Talent and familiarity remain powerful currencies in broadcasting. It goes without saying that authenticity will be key. The public are increasingly sceptical of overly polished comeback campaigns and media-managed statements.”

Mayah says the public respond “far more positively to resilience, humility and genuine passion for the work” and the biggest mistake Scott Mills could make is to come across “desperate to reclaim the spotlight”. She added: “The strongest celebrity comebacks are those that give people something new to talk about.”

Mills previously issued a statement via lawyers thanking his well-wishers. He said: “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.”

On the police probe, he 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 co-operated and responded to in 2018.” He added: “Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven 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.”

Rylan Clark is the latest celebrity to be grilled on ITV’s The Assembly, where autistic and neurodivergent interviewers pose no-holds-barred questions

Rylan Clark was left stunned when probed about his ex-husband on ITV’s The Assembly. The Radio 2 star, 37, is the latest celebrity to be grilled on the experimental programme, where autistic and neurodivergent interviewers pose no-holds-barred questions to a host of famous faces.

Rylan knew he would be asked some difficult questions on the show, but when one interviewer brought up the topic of him cheating on his ex, Dan Neal, who he split with in 2021 after six years of marriage – he was floored.

Caught completely off-guard, Rylan was asked: “When you told your husband you cheated on him, he divorced you. Is honesty always the best policy?”

“Oh, wow”, Rylan replied, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I think it is. I’m okay admitting I’m in the wrong, because actually I don’t deal well with guilt and I don’t deal well with secrets.”

After his split with Dan, the TV star took a lengthy sabbatical from all his television work and admitted he’d grappled with suicidal thoughts. Telling the interviewer he had been “really ill”, he shared: “It made me so ill, like so ill. It sounds a terrible thing to say, but I’m glad it happened.”

In another curveball, the former X Factor icon then admitted he didn’t “regret anything” as he shed more light on their break-up. Lifting the lid on life post-divorce, he said: “Do you know, I never think of him.

“So, this is like, my whole body just went [tense]. I miss feeling like I’ve got it all. I thought I had life done – I’ve got the job, I’ve got the family, I’ve got the marriage, I’ve got the car, I’ve got the house.

“I thought I had it sussed. I didn’t have anything sussed. I didn’t know what was a real relationship, and I can look back now and know that I don’t regret anything.

“I don’t regret anything, so I’ll leave that up to your imagination.”

Speaking to a make-up artist during a break from filming for the programme, Rylan, who went public with new partner Kennedy Bates in January, said he was pleased he took part in The Assembly, even though it was uncomfortable.

He said: “I’m so glad I did this. But yeah, [the] Dan questions, I was like [surprised] – I don’t even say his name. When my marriage ended, you know that term when someone says, ‘To pull the rug from under you?’

“That’s the only way I can describe it. It’s like someone went like that and I fell over, and I couldn’t get back up. [It was] like I broke both my arms and legs.”

Admitting he didn’t think he was going to “get out of it”, he concluded: “I went back to live with my mum because I didn’t want to be in my house, because there were too many memories of things in there.”

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Rylan Clark made a candid admission about his divorce from Dan Neal on ITV’s The Assembly

Rylan Clark has candidly opened up about his split from ex-husband Dan Neal.

The 37-year-old TV personality is the latest famous face to take on ITV’s The Assembly, as the candid interview series wraps up its second run.

This extended series has also welcomed beloved figures including Sir Stephen Fry, former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, comedy icon Sir Lenny Henry, actor Anna Maxwell Martin, and rapper Aitch.

The famous faces have to answer an unflinching series of questions that go beyond anything typically asked on traditional chat shows, press tours or even political interrogations. Rylan’s episode airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 10pm on Sunday (May 24), where he confronts difficult questions about his divorce.

The presenter parted ways with his husband Dan in 2021 following six years of marriage. Rylan has been open about what led to the separation, acknowledging his infidelity during the early stages of their relationship, reports the Express.

In the upcoming episode of The Assembly, a man named Cameron asks Rylan: “When you told your husband you cheated on him, he divorced you. Is honesty always the best policy?”

The question clearly catches Rylan off guard, prompting him to respond: “Oh wow,” before continuing: “Yeah, I think it is. I’m okay admitting I’m in the wrong, because actually I don’t deal well with guilt and I don’t deal well with secrets. It made me so ill, like so ill. It sounds a terrible thing to say, but I’m glad it happened.”

Cameron follows up with: “What do you miss about Dan, if anything?”

Rylan pauses to collect his thoughts before responding: “Do you know, I never think about him. So, this is like, my whole body just went [tense]. I miss feeling like I’ve got it all. I thought I had life done – I’ve got the job, I’ve got the family, I’ve got the marriage, I’ve got the car, I’ve got the house.

“I thought I had it sussed. I didn’t have anything sussed. I didn’t know what was a real relationship, and I can look back now and know that I don’t regret anything. I don’t regret anything, so I’ll leave that up to your imagination.”

During a break from filming, Rylan is seen getting his make-up done. He says to the make-up artist: “I’m so glad I did this. But yeah, [the] Dan questions, I was like [surprised] – I don’t even say his name.”

The television personality goes on to openly reflect on the collapse of his marriage and the subsequent breakdown he went through.

“When my marriage ended, you know that term when someone says, ‘To pull the rug from under you?’ That’s the only way I can describe it. It’s like someone went like that and I fell over, and I couldn’t get back up. [It was] like I broke both my arms and legs,” he reveals.

“I thought I wasn’t going to get out of it. I went back to live with my mum because I didn’t want to be in my house, because there were too many memories of things in there.”

Rylan is currently in a relationship with Kennedy Bates, who works in the fairground industry. The couple went public with their relationship after Rylan posted snaps of their sun-soaked Maldives holiday back in January.

Speaking on The Assembly, he reveals: “When I first started dating Kennedy, and I told [my mum] about him, she was like, ‘He’s handsome,’ and he is handsome. And then she was like, ‘So, has anything happened?’ And I’m like, ‘Shut up! Shut up!'”

Rylan’s episode of The Assembly will air at 10pm on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday, May 24

Look Mum No Computer will perform in the semi-final on Thursday night, but has already got a place in Saturday’s live grand final

She was parachuted in to take on the role vacated by Scott Mills – now new Eurovision Song Contest presenter Angela Scanlon is backing the UK to do well on Saturday.

The bookies have so far placed our act Look Mum No Computer way down in 18th place, with odds of 250-1 to triumph.

But everything could change after viewers get to see the full staging in Thursday’s semi-final, including some “risky moves” by performer Sam Battle, whose song is a fusion of synths and electronic-bass.

At one point he is rumoured to be standing on a table being carried by a team of four dancers. “There’s something really exciting about an act that feels completely original – and that’s what he brings in spades,” Angela told the Mirror. “Eins, Zwei, Drei has personality, energy, and that slightly unpredictable edge that Eurovision audiences love. If the performance lands the way it promises to, I think it could really connect. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about – creating a moment people remember.”

The Your Home Made Perfect presenter, 42, is thrilled to be hosting the two semi-finals on BBC1 alongside Rylan Clark this year, describing the event as “the world’s biggest music festival, talent show, and theatrical spectacular all rolled into one.” But she admitted that the complicated voting system, which incorporates votes from national juries as well as viewers at home all over the world, would again “test your emotional resilience”.

One source who has seen the UK’s rehearsal said: “Sam could surprise everyone with his staging. He’s very cool and there are some risky elements with him dancing on top of things. It’s precarious and a bit dangerous.”

On Thursday Look Mum No Computer will take part in the second semi – even though the UK’s place in Saturday’s final is guaranteed. Others performing on the night include former Neighbours star and judge of The Voice Delta Goodrem, for Australia, and ex-Love Islander Antigoni Buxton, who is singing for Cyprus.

Other countries vying to get through the second semi-final include Ukraine, Bulgaria and Denmark.

Rylan, who has been part of the BBC’s Eurovision coverage since 2018, when he took over from Mel Giedroyc, said he loved getting into the commentary box and meeting up with international friends old and new. “There are commentary teams from all over Europe and in that week, you all get to know each other pretty well,” he explained. “After doing it for so long, the commentary box level is one big party, and I love seeing my fellow commentators from other countries.”

Rylan was said to have been “devastated” when Mills lost his job at the BBC in March, because they had become close friends outside of work. Mills was sacked from the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show over personal misconduct relating to “serious sexual offences against a teenage boy”. A police probe which ended in 2019 found insufficient evidence to bring charges.

But he was also informed that he will not work for the BBC again.

Despite this Rylan, 37, has vowed to enjoy himself while in Austria for the ESC. “This year we’re heading to Vienna to have some fun.,” he insisted. “Is there anything that’s not been done? We’ve had butter churning, singing in the rain, and even Bonnie Tyler singing on a mechanical lift. It’s unique. And that’s what Eurovision is all about – the unexpected.”

The current favourite to triumph on Saturday is Finland, with Greece, Denmark, France and Australia also looking strong.

The UK has not won for 29 years, but came close in 2022 when Sam Ryder finished in second place with Space Man, drawing 466 points. Last year’s UK entry Remember Monday came 19 ^th with 88 points and the previous year Olly Alexander finished 18th with 46 points.

– Eurovision Song Contest, BBC1, Thursday 8pm and Saturday 8pm

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