Scott Mills was the highest-paid presenter at the BBC in the financial year before his sacking, according to the corporation's annual report, earning more than £750,000 for his work on Radio 2 and various television programmes before being dismissed for conduct that the BBC has described as a serious breach of its standards.
The disclosure, contained in the BBC's annual report and accounts, has intensified scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding Mills's departure and raised questions about whether the BBC's system for managing high-profile talent adequately protects the corporation's interests and reputation.
Mills, who had been with the BBC since 1998 and was one of its most popular and commercially valuable presenters, was sacked in April following an investigation into his conduct. The BBC has not disclosed the specific nature of the allegations, but multiple reports have indicated that the investigation concerned inappropriate behaviour towards colleagues.
The annual report reveals that Mills earned £755,000 in the 2025-26 financial year, placing him above the next highest-paid presenter by a significant margin. The figure includes his Radio 2 salary, fees for television work and income from BBC Studios productions. Mills's agent did not respond to requests for comment.
The BBC has said it is reviewing its talent management procedures to ensure that conduct issues are identified and addressed more quickly. The Mills case has been cited by critics of the corporation as evidence that a culture of protecting star talent at the expense of accountability has been allowed to develop, a charge the BBC denies.
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