The BBC has appeared to pull episodes of Top of the Pops featuring Scott Mills from iPlayer following his sudden firing in March.
The former BBC Radio 2 DJ was abruptly taken off air last month following allegations over his personal conduct, with the Metropolitan Police later confirming that Mills was questioned in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences against a boy who was aged under 16. The case was closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence.
The BBC confirmed it knew about the police investigation into the host in 2017, but said it had “acted decisively” to terminate his contract on 27 March after receiving “fresh information” in recent weeks.
Mills confirmed he was “the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018”, and thanked those who had reached out to him after the news of his sacking broke.
Now, viewers have noted that three episodes of Top of the Pops from August 1999, in which Scott served as host, have now been wiped from BBC iPlayer.
While the weekly episodes that aired in May, June and July of that year are currently available to watch on the streaming service, the three episodes hosted by Mills – which first aired on 6, 13 and 20 August – are not.
The three episodes hosted by Mills were also skipped in BBC Four’s repeat schedule earlier this month.
Radio Times understands that the BBC will consider content on the platform for use and re-use on a case-by-case basis.
In a statement shared with Radio Times on 1 April, 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.”
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept and continue’ to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.
Top of the Pops isn’t the only show featuring Mills to be removed from iPlayer in the weeks since his exit, with a number of his previous appearances having been wiped.
The host has also been replaced on Race Across the World: The Detour, with season 4 winner Tyler West stepping into the role.
Mills’s short podcast series with Mercedes-Benz, titled Under the Bonnet: On the Road, has been removed from Spotify too.
Channel 4 also announced that it has decided not to air the final episode of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer, which features Mills. In a statement, the broadcaster confirmed it did not believe it was appropriate to air the episode given the circumstances, and announced that an alternative episode will air in its place.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
