RADIO 2 anchor Dermot O’Leary has spoken out on fellow DJ Scott Mills’ “shocking” sacking from the station.
It was revealed yesterday that the fan-favourite host Scott had been fired from his Radio 2 Breakfast Show over allegations surrounding his “personal conduct“.
The Sun understands that his contract was terminated within five days of the complaint being made.
It then came to light how Scott’s sacking was linked to a complaint about a 2016 police probe into historic “serious sexual offences” against a teenage boy.
This Morning anchor Dermot, 52, who hosts an early-morning weekend show on Radio 2, old how those at the station were a “family”.
He said on the ITV daytime show: “As part of the Radio 2 family – and it is a family, everyone gets together, it’s a lovely place to work, it’s very collegiate.
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“This came as a complete shock to everybody, it came from nowhere”.
Dermot has been with the station since 2004.
We have now exclusively reported how BBC bosses are scrambling to replace him on the plum breakfast show spot.
A source has told The Sun that the broadcaster wants a “safe pair of hands” as they scramble to replace him.
“Above all they want a safe pair of hands, nobody with any past scandals or issues that could arise six months down the line,” the source revealed.
“It was a huge deal when Scott took over from Zoe Ball and bosses thought he’d be on their biggest show for years.”
In sensational showbiz news…
- Scott Mills was yesterday sensationally sacked by the BBC in a “tense” meeting with bosses
- The sudden axing is understood to be linked to a 2016 police probe into historical sex offences involving a teen boy
- Mills was questioned by police under caution in 2018 but the case was dropped in full due to a lack of evidence it is understood
- The race is now on to find a replacement for Mills, with fellow BBC DJ Gary Davies standing in
- And uncertainty now surrounds his future projects, with the Radio 2 star also set to host Eurovision this year
Bookmaker Coral makes Vernon Kay the odds-on favourite at 4-5 to become the next host of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
Gary Davies is second in the betting at 3-1, while Rylan Clark is priced at 7-2 to land the role.
It comes after it transpired the broadcaster was questioned by police under caution in 2018 – when he was in his 40s, the Mirror reports.
The interview was related to alleged offences which took place between 1997 and 2000.
The case was dropped in full due to a lack of evidence.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Mirror: “In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force.
“The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.”
The spokesperson said a man, who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
“A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges,” the Met said.
“Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.”
The allegations, which did not result in any charges, were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
Scott began at Radio 1 in 1998 presenting the early morning slot before earning his own breakfast show The Scott Mills Show.
Scott Mills’ representatives have been approached for comment.
His pals have claimed they “can’t reach him” amid the “teen boy sex probe”.
A BBC spokesperson told The Sun: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.”