Yesterday’s news that Scott Mills had been dismissed as the host of BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show – with immediate effect, his contract terminated – was a shock. The BBC never moves that fast; we are used to suspensions, investigations and deliberations before anything is actually done.

The BBC issued a terse announcement from its cold high peak overlooking the universe, which loftily stated, ‘While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted and has left the BBC’. It is striking that this dry and patrician tone, once the ‘voice’ of the Corporation, is heard nowadays only when it is in trouble. A bit of that Olympian disinterest and studied neutrality might be nice on other occasions, instead of the breathless and excitable drooling over drag acts and Glasto.

The hours following this address were inevitably filled with speculation. What exactly had Mills done to spark this unaccustomed alacrity........

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