Following his sacking last month, Scott Mills’ replacement on Radio 2 has been confirmed as Sara Cox.
The 51-year-old hosted shows on BBC Radio 1 from 1999 to 2014, including its breakfast slot which she at one point earned it its largest audience ever.
Cox has been hosting programmes and providing cover on Radio 2 since 2011, presenting the station's weekday Teatime show since 2019. And she's promised to bring her 'usual nonsense' with her as she moves over to the weekday Breakfast Show.
She will launch her first show this summer, with Gary Davies having been filling in for Mills since he was taken off air and sacked over 'personal conduct' last month.
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Confirming the news of her new role today, Cox says: "There are not enough adjectives to really sum up how I’m feeling about being trusted with such an iconic show but let’s start with ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed."
She continues: "It’s been a dream to host the Breakfast Show since I joined Radio 2 and it feels like a bit of a full circle for me. I’ve had the most glorious seven years of my career on Teatime so thank you to my brilliant Teatime listeners who hopefully will join me at Breakfast for excellent music and all my usual nonsense plus some superstar guests. I honestly can’t wait to wake the nation up with the biggest most fun breakfast show ever."
Cox admitted that it 'takes quite a lot to make me speechless, but when I got asked to host the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, I was momentarily lost for words'.
“Maybe that’s why they asked me, was it just to shut me up! But I mean, it’s always been my dream to do Breakfast, my energy has very much been waiting in the wings. Hi I am waiting in the wings gal! Can I have Breakfast please?!” she added.
“But I am so glad it’s happening now. I tell you what, I would not swap the last 7 years of Teatime for anything. I’m going to get emotional so I got to stop that by doing this (*plays song). I can’t get emotional over this music so it’s fine. I wouldn’t swap the last 7 years of Teatime because I’ve had an absolute blast. It has been the most golden 7 years of my entire 30 year’ career, and I’ve learnt so much from you because you’re the most hilarious, brilliant listeners and I beg you – please come to Breakfast with me.
“Please I will send you all £5 and a clipper card. So I am absolutely buzzing, thank you for all the texts that are coming through. I will say that on Breakfast it will be the usual manking around, excellent music, and hopefully you lot as well, just at the other end of your day. And believe me…we got a few texts saying this, I did think for a moment I wonder if I could do both.
“But no I’m not allowed so I am going to be moved to Brekkie at some point, and someone excellent, someone annoyingly brilliant will be taking over this slot and I’ll be fuming! But until then it’s me and you for Teatime. So until then, we’ll just keep having it ever so large and on with the show!”
The BBC said it would announce who will take over the Teatime slot at a later date.
Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2 said: “I'm delighted that Sara Cox will be the new host of the prestigious Radio 2 Breakfast Show. Sara is adored by her millions of listeners at Teatime, and having regularly deputised in the slot, I already know she'll build a brilliant rapport with the Breakfast audience and get the nation going each morning with her trademark warmth and humour. She captured the hearts of the country last November, raising a staggering £11.5m for Children in Need on her Great Northern Marathon Challenge and thoroughly deserves this gig. I can't wait to hear her first show.”
According to BBC data, it’s the UK’s most listened to Breakfast Show, with an average of 6.5 million listeners each week. Mills hosted it after officially taking over from Zoe Ball in January 2025.
The BBC dropped him over ‘personal conduct’ after it learned the police investigation into allegations of a historical sexual offence involved a person under 16.
Mills was investigated in 2017 while working at Radio 1 with it closed in 2019 after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.
The 53-year-old was questioned under caution by officers in July 2018 and said he ‘fully cooperated’.
The corporation confirmed it knew about the police investigation as it said it ‘acted decisively’ after receiving ‘new information’ in the weeks before terminating the presenter’s contract.
BBC News reported that current management only became aware in the recent weeks that the person involved was under 16.
Speaking out following the sacking, Mills said the allegation ‘dates back nearly 30 years’.
Having worked on BBC radio stations since 1998, he added: “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.”
A BBC spokesperson said previously: “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 March 27.”
The BBC added that it ‘made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards’, and added that it set out ‘behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC’ and was ‘clear action would be taken’ if they were not met, last year, after an independent culture review.
Jess Battison