Arts

Scott Mills given incredible parting gift in emotional Radio 1 farewell after 24-year reign

Scott Mills.

Scott Mills. (Getty)

Scott Mills has left Radio 1 after a mammoth 24 years entertaining the nation – and needless to say, it got emotional.

Mills and his co-host Chris Stark hosted their final ever Radio 1 show on Thursday (25 August), with Stark also leaving the station after a decade on air.

The final show, titled “Love You, Bye” began with moving tributes from Mills’ family including his partner Sam Vaughn.

Vaughn said: “Scott I just want to say how proud me and Teddy [their dog] are of you. I know what a massive part of your life Radio 1 has been and I know how much hard work goes into the shows, and we are so proud of everything you have achieved.

“Just seeing the messages of love over the past few weeks has made me realise how lucky I am to be with you. Well done and enjoy your last show.”

After the moving messages, Mills said: “I have had to do a lot of deep breaths today, even the sky is crying. This is going to be a roller-coaster, all the music I or we really celebrated at the time.”

The show included one last surprise for Mills as Radio 1 operations manager, Tony Wood, announced that their studio, previously called 82A would be renamed 82Mills in his honour.

Scott Mills made history during his time at Radio 1 as a radio innovator and becoming a rare out, gay broadcaster in the early ’00s.

In an emotional final speech, he said: “It’s been more than half my life sat here talking to you and in that time I have publicly come out, met some of my best friends, had break ups, found love and lost it again sometimes, said hello and goodbye to family.

“Every low this show has got me through and every high I have been lucky enough to celebrate has been here. Radio 1 has been the constant through all of this.”

Since Stark and Mills joined forces, they have created memorable segments from “Innuendo Bingo” to “the Whoo Game”, and become household names.

Celebrities and the general public have all taken to social media to pay tribute to Mills’ legacy including It’s A Sin‘s Olly Alexander, TV personality Rylan Clark and colleagues across the TV and radio industry.

Fans and fellow broadcasters joined in with tributes.

“From listening to Scott Mills prank calls on lunch at school, to realising he and Chris Stark are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet in broadcasting. Thank you boys. True legends. Have an amazing last show,” said former Newsbeat presenter Christian Hewgill.

Radio 1 DJ Kate Thistleton said: “Happy last day Scott Mills and Chris Stark – radio’s very best. Their show has genuinely meant so much to me. I’ve got in the car feeling down, heard 5 minutes of them and the world has seemed brighter. Their combined creative genius is gold dust. Love you lads.”

Scott Mills will be joining Radio 2 in their primetime afternoon slot while Chris Stark joins Capital and Global.

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