BBC has just put final nail in coffin – this is proof license fee must be axed

It is just one scandal after another when it comes to the BBC, and yet we are all still here forking out £180 a year for a licence fee. The latest controversy centres on Scott Mills, a long-serving presenter who was axed from his BBC Radio 2 show after spending more than 25 years at the corporation. He was among the BBC’s highest-paid presenters earning between £355,000 and £359,999 in 2024-2025, funded by taxpayers.

After Mills, 53, was sacked, it transpired that he was investigated over “serious sexual offences against a teenage boy” back in 2018. The investigation, which began in 2016, was closed in 2019 after authorities determined there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. While those at the BBC were made aware of the investigation at the time, it has been claimed they decided to terminate his contract after becoming aware that the alleged victim was under the age of 16.

Now, attention has turned to the possibility that Mills could receive a pension reportedly worth up to £160,000 a year. That figure would ultimately be funded by the public.

Let me repeat. The taxpayer will be funding Mills’ potential £160,000 a year pension, after he was sacked from the BBC over accusations of “serious sexual offences against a teenage boy”.

This is where I feel uneasy. On one hand, it’s important to stress that no charges were ever brought against Mills. On the other, the idea that someone dismissed under such serious circumstances could still receive such a substantial, taxpayer-funded pension raises difficult questions.

It’s safe to say that the entire thing is a complete mess and all it’s done is highlight broader issues. Take a look at some of their most high-profile figures.

Jimmy Savile was a presenter for the BBC for decades. It is now estimated that the paedophile preyed on as many as 500 vulnerable victims, some as young as two-years-old.

Huw Edwards worked for the BBC for 40 years. He was arrested for making indecent images of children. Rolf Harris was a regular on the BBC. He was convicted of the sexual assault of four underage girls.

Then there’s figures such as Gregg Wallace and James Hazell, who were both dismissed over allegations of misconduct. It leaves licence fee payers questioning what exactly they are funding. Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, and here he is raking in £300,000 a year.

At the very least, there should be a clear morality clause to ensure that public money is not used to support individuals found guilty of serious wrongdoing.

The fact that this remains a grey area only reinforces the sense that the system is outdated and not fit for purpose.