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Scott Mills | |
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![]() Scott Mills performing a DJ set
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Born | Eastleigh, Hampshire, England |
28 March 1974
Residence | London |
Occupation | DJ, Radio presenter |
Employer | BBC |
Known for | The Scott Mills Show |
Salary | £130,000 (estimated)[1] |
Scott Mills (born 28 March 1974) is an English radio DJ best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1.[2][3]
Mills began his career at 16 as a DJ on his local Hampshire commercial radio station, Power FM, after barraging the station with demo tapes.[2] He was given a chance to present a week worth of shows, and based on the success of this was immediately offered the 'graveyard slot' of 1:00 am – 6:00 am six nights a week,[4] making him the youngest permanent presenter on mainstream commercial radio.[2] His popularity led to a quick move to the coveted late afternoon 'drive time'.[4]
Mills moved from Power FM on to GWR FM and stayed with the station for two years.[2] His next station was Piccadilly Key 103 in Manchester where he again moved quickly from the late night slot in to the mid-morning position.[2] In 1995, Mills moved to the new London station of Heart 106.2.[5]
Mills has provided various voiceovers, including the voice of specialist in-store radio station 'Homebase FM',[6] the voiceover for Blockbuster Inc.'s in-store infomercial channel 'Blockbuster TV', and recently the voiceover for 'The VH1 Album Chart' on UK television channel VH1. [7]
Mills joined BBC Radio 1 in 1998 to present The Early Breakfast Show between the hours of 4am and 7am. In January 2004, Mills was moved to a weekend afternoon slot, which lasted only just over 6 months, as in July 2004, he moved over to the weekday early-evening slot, initially covering Sara Cox, who was on maternity leave,[8] but when she did not return to the slot, taking it over as his own The Scott Mills Show.[5] Mills also provides holiday cover for other slots including The Chris Moyles Show.
The Scott Mills Show, as it currently features, runs from 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday. It is co-presented by sport reporter and occasional presenter Mark Chapman (Chappers).[9] The assistant producer was Laura Sayers until April 2008. The current assistant producer is Rebecca Huxtable, usually called 'Beccy' or 'Wacky Beccy' on air. The regular newsreader is Tulip Mazumdar. The producer of the show is Emlyn Dodd, although he is referred to on air as 'The one who doesn't speak'.[10]
In 2006, The Sun newspaper reported that Mills' salary was £130,000 a year for his work with Radio 1.[11]
Features on the show have included Laura's Diary, Flirt Divert, Innuendo Bingo, Rate my Listener and Your Call.[12] On a Friday, the show is modified with more music, in the form of the two features The Wonder Years, which features a different track from each sequential year to the present day, and Floor Fillers which is an hour of dance music.[13]
Mills has a number of catch phrases, including 'alright, treacle'.[citation needed] On Friday he opens the show by using another catchphrase 'it's only bley Friday' which is usually shouted very loudly in an incoherent manner to a backing of a random piece of classical music. The phrase was originally adopted from the previous afternoon show host, Sara Cox.[citation needed]
On 14 May 2009 it was announced that a musical based on Mills's life would be performed at the Edinburgh Festival 2009. The musical ran for three nights between 11 August and 13 August at the Pleasance One Theatre in Edinburgh.[14] The musical was born from an internet rumour that Mills would perform in Rick Rolling The Musical as Rick Astley and other 1980s musicians. He denied this rumour on his radio show, and listeners' suggestions to create a musical based on his life became a reality. Some songs for the musical were composed and sent in by listeners to his radio show. The musical is available for viewing on the BBC Radio 1 website. [15]
In addition to his radio work, he has also appeared on various television shows, playing both as a character and as himself. His main acting role was as reporter, 'Paul Lang' in the BBC medical drama Casualty, appearing in episodes in both 2006 and 2007.[16][17] He also had a cameo in the BBC Scotland soap opera River City after praising the show highly on his radio show.[18]
He has appeared as a contestant or guest on programmes including Mastermind, Supermarket Sweep, Children in Need, Hollyoaks, Most Haunted and Never Mind the Buzzcocks,[16] and has appeared in the show Identity, hosted by Donny Osmond.[19]
He narrated the music TV show Pop Years which, coincidentally, was also narrated by fellow BBC Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman. He has presented high-profile programmes including the Wednesday night National Lottery draw on BBC 1 and his own pilot (featured on the radio show) of Reverse-a-Word.[16] In February 2008, he presented Upstaged on the newly re-launched BBC Three.[20] He currently hosts a BBC Three television show called Radio 1 on Three, which is inspired by his radio show.
Scott told his listeners on 3 May 2008 that he was going to appear in Hollyoaks.[21] On 4 June Barry Chuckle chose Mills ahead of Chappers to have a starring role in ITV's The Bill; however, many of the listeners preferred Chappers to Scott and wanted Chappers to be given the role.[citation needed]
Scott recently appeared on British comedy television show The Sunday Night Project alongside comedian Alan Carr and actor David Hasselhoff.
Mills has a brother, Wes. His parents are separated,[8] although both feature in the show at sporadic intervals.[12]
Mills came out as gay to the press in 2001, in order to avoid tabloid style speculation.[22] He never discusses or acknowledges his sexuality on-air or gives further interviews on the subject. Occasionally on the show, deflective comments are made, and Mills often jokes that he "doesn't have much luck with the ladies". In his Guardian interview he explained, "I'd just like to be accepted as a normal bloke who is gay and is on the radio and the television."
Scott appeared at number 50[23] on the Independent on Sunday's Pink List for 2009. Mills was the 19th most influential gay person in Britain the previous year.[24] He has risen from 43rd place in 2006 and 41st in 2007.
Mills was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Arts from Southampton Solent University on 2nd November 2009.[25]
Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
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2007 | Sony Radio Academy Awards | The Interactive Programme Award | Bronze[26] |
2005 | Loaded Laftas | Funniest DJ | Won[27] |
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ignored (help)<ref>
tag; name "slots" defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).Preceded by Sara Cox |
BBC Radio 1 Drivetime Show Presenter 2004–present |
Incumbent |