Entertainment
Scott Mills on the mystery of ‘naked Harry Styles with parrot’ and wanting to host the Royals on Radio 2-Paul Simper-Entertainment – Metro
He would ‘clear a whole show’ for the Windsors.
Scott Mills has signed up for BBC Radio 2’s 24-Hour Challenge for Children in Need (Picture: Rex/Metro.co.uk)
The DJ, 49, on taking over from Steve Wright, his offer to King Charles, and the naked Harry Styles mystery.
What was it like moving to Radio 2?
Before I started, I went in to have a little practice in the studio just to make sure I was OK.
I know you are thinking, ‘Why did you need to practise?’ Well believe me you do because I hadn’t actually been on the radio for two months. Also it was a new building and new buttons. But luckily I did remember how to do it.
Your final Radio 1 show was emotional. How did the rest of that day go after you had bid farewell?
When you leave after 24 years it’s hard to get your head around it – ‘this is the last time I’m going to walk in here’. We had a big party. We left the building straight afterwards and went to a bar that had been organised with lovely pictures from over the years. It was so good.
Highlights included Rylan [Clark], always. Stacey Dooley came for a bit. Pixie Lott did a rendition of All About Tonight, which I wasn’t expecting. And obviously Eurovision’s Sam Ryder turned up, because why not?
Scott struggling to hold back tears as he signed off his final BBC Radio 1 show (Picture: PA Wire)
There was a mention on your last Radio 1 show of something involving a naked Harry Styles and a parrot – what’s the story?
Oh my gosh, I actually don’t know the answer to that. A lot happened on that last show.
All I know is that in the early to mid-days of One Direction, Harry would come into Radio 1 a lot and often would just hang out because I don’t think he knew many people in London at that point.
He was really famous but obviously Harry Styles now is HARRY STYLES, so he probably wouldn’t come and hang out at a radio station any more. But I can’t remember the naked parrot story.
It will have to remain a tantalising mystery…
If I ever get to the bottom of it, I will let you know!
The story of a ‘naked Harry Styles’ (pictured) and a parrot remains a ‘mystery’ (Picture: Shutterstock)
You’ve said that Steve Wright, who you took over from, is like a god to you. What are the biggest lessons you have learned from him?
Steve Wright, continuously for 40 years on Radio 1 and 2, wants it to be the perfect show every day. If he is on air at 2pm he will be there at 9am getting the show right. I like to think that I have inherited some of that work ethic.
He gets through so much content and it’s funny and it’s engaging and really pacy. I’m the same as him in that I don’t want to do an average show.
Your radio bromance with Chris Stark is over for now. Do you miss having him as your wing man?
There was a moment where I was like, ‘Oh my God I’ve done radio with Chris for 12 years.’ Then I had to remind myself that I did actually do it on my own before that!
I wanted my new show to be fun, to be driven by the listeners and what they want to talk about. I wanted it to be an escape from the world for a couple of hours.
Are there any big-name guests you can tease for the new show?
Lewis Capaldi has already asked me if he can be on and I have said yes as long as you don’t swear. Robbie Williams is a friend. I would love him to be part of it at some point.
Also people who really like my show who I love, like Davina McCall. She is such a fan of the show, so I think it would be remiss of me not to get Davina involved in some way.
You had the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Radio 1. Would you like to have them back as Prince and Princess of Wales or is King Charles more Radio 2?
Well, actually I think William and Kate, as I call them, would love Radio 2 and so would King Charles.
Let me tell you now that if any of them are available, I will clear a whole show for them. They just need to let me know!
Scott says he would ‘clear a whole show’ for King Charles, William, and Kate (Picture: Getty Images)
Apart from being on the radio, where would you say is your happy place?
At home with my fiancé, Sam [Vaughan], and our dog, Teddy, is my happy place. I moved out of London about two years ago.
Sam is from near Porthcawl and Bridgend. We had a long-distance relationship for probably three years where I would go there when I could and he would come here but he is not a city boy in any way. He is used to the rolling fields of Wales.
Now London is half an hour away on the train and we’ve got our little dog.
Scott with fiancé Sam Vaughan at the September launch of Rylan Clark’s book (Picture: Getty Images)
What kind of dog is Teddy?
He is a cavapoo. He’s got his own Instagram account. You can check him out – @helloteddydog.
I’d never actually had a dog before Teddy and now I just can’t imagine life without him. I’ve become a full-on dog person. He totally rules our lives and he knows it.
Mills is on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, 2pm-4pm, Monday to Friday. He is undertaking Radio 2’s 24-Hour Challenge for BBC Children in Need on November 18.
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