Scott Mills on Radio 1 future: 'I'll be too old soon'
Published Sep 19 2012, 16:39 BST | By Daniel Sperling
Scott Mills has said that he may leave Radio 1 in the near future as he believes he will soon be "too old" for the station.The 39-year-old told Digital Spy that he is "realistic" about whether he will still be relevant to a young audience after his new three-year deal ends.
© BBC
© BBC
"As long as you're still in touch with the audience, you can still get inside their heads and you're saying stuff that they relate to, then I think you should be on there," he explained.
"The moment that stops happening to me, I don't want to be on there. I've just signed up for another three years, but after that time I will probably be too old for it and you've got to move on."
He continued: "I'm just realistic. By the time I finish Radio 1, if it is [after the deal], it will be something like 16 years [on air]. I still love it, but it is moving into a different generation... that's not a bad thing."
Mills also highlighted age as a factor in him being overlooked to replace Chris Moyles on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show after the DJ's departure last week.
© BBC
"I don't think I would wanna do it now, I honestly don't," he said. "Chris Moyles has been there for such a long time, why would you replace him with me now?
"Radio 1 is a young station, it's a generational station and age-wise and genre-wise, if you replace me for him you're replacing like for like."
On how new host Nick Grimshaw will fare, Mills predicted: "Someone like Grimmy is what they need. It makes a statement... obviously he'll get a hard time for a while because [he has] massive shoes to fill.
"I think people will get to like it. I think a new younger load of listeners will really like it and, yes, there will be a lot of older listeners who won't like it. But that's what Radio 1's supposed to do. You're not supposed to like it if you're 45."
Mills's first autobiography Love You Bye is on sale now.
He will be appearing at the following stores to sign copies of the book:
September 20, 6pm - WH Smith, Brent Cross
September 22, 11am - Waterstones, Bournemouth
September 22, 3pm - Waterstones, Southampton
September 27, 6pm - WH Smith, Lakeside
i like 1 extra better
September 24th 2012 at 11:21pm
Had John Peel still been with us, would he have received similar treatment from the idiots in charge? Age is utterly irrelevant.
Nick Grimshaw's appointment seems to be entirely based around his friendship with the truly awful One Direction. Yet it was pretty clear that Chris Moyles and team had plenty of support from the sort of crap acts Radio One wants to force down our throats. The only downside of the old breakfast show was the constant threat of an appearance by Olly Murs or N-Dubz.
September 24th 2012 at 4:21pm
i really dont think young people care so much - think radio 1 are worrying too much.
I think radio 1 needs to transform into something that everyone can listen to. I occasionally listen and im outside there age bracket! I do get fed up with some of the music though at times, generally when its repeated so much during a day. I much prefer the talky bits!
Also, I cant believe scott is that age! I honestly thought he was late 20s.
September 20th 2012 at 4:54pm
do not like Radio 1, they don't play enough music they just have chats! Kiss all the way but I do listen to Radio 1 for the charts!
September 20th 2012 at 4:44pm
Wouldn't it be an idea for Radio 1 to start canvassing the opinions of these YOUNG PEOPLE that they are supposedly convetting, and actually ask them - a) Do they want a clear out of the older Radio 1 presenters; b) What is actually stopping you from listening to Radio 1 right now; and c) Does the age of the Radio 1 presenter even matter? My friend is a media studies tutor, and regularly talks about such issues with her class. The general consensus of about 30+ students aged 16/17 was that many don't listen to Radio 1 because if they want music, they just download it and listen to their iPod nanos. It doesn't matter who's presenting. Of those that do listen, the majority were gutted to see Moyles go and couldn't understand it, and Mills is their second favourite presenter. Until Radio 1 actually starts listening to their audience, and stops believing it already knows what it's audience wants, their demographics will never improve.
September 20th 2012 at 3:24pm(+4 likes)
This, completely! I really wish the BBC would read these comments!
September 20th 2012 at 3:40pm(+1 like)
Took the very words out my mouth my man! I'd say of the 'newer' brigade of presenters that Greg James is more in keeping with the spirit of Chris and Scott's shows and he should have really been given the breakfast gig, I find Nick Grimshaw irritating beyond belief. I hope Scott doesn't leave next though because I always enjoy listening to him and actually his show was one of the first I listened to when I started listening to Radio 1 in 1999, when he hosted the TOTP radio show with Jayne Middlemiss before the chart on Sundays.
September 20th 2012 at 4:45pm