EASTENDERS’ New Year’s Day episode has been plunged into crisis after cameo star Scott Mills was sacked by the BBC.
The Radio 2 DJ features in the episode that first aired on New Year’s Day 2026 but is set a whole year in the future.
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Scott can be heard delivering a message on his BBC breakfast radio show to Max Branning wishing him a happy wedding day from his son Oscar in the episode.
However now that he has been sacked, a full nine months before it is due to happen, the soap’s brave decision to have a flash forward has been plunged into crisis.
While it’s only a small part of the episode, it means soap bosses will have to come up with a plan to replace his appearance and explain why he has disappeared.
A source said: “It won’t have a huge impact on the episode – even if he was set to reprise his role again.
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“Bosses were clear that on New Year’s Day 2027 you’ll see everything that happened in the episode from a different perspective so it wouldn’t be a big loss for him not to feature again.”
EastEnders boss Ben Wadey previously told The Sun about his plans for the flash forward in case anything goes wrong – like a star being sacked.
He said last year: “We’ve got an amazing cast working on this, and knowing the plans as I do, and knowing how we’ve set stuff up in a way that gives us, you know, the latitude to tell the story the way we want to. I’m feeling good about it.
“You have to speak to the actors early doors and say, ‘We’re gonna have to lock in your look for a year. Are you comfortable with that?’, but the big challenges come from a storytelling perspective.
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“The team and I will sit and have those massive tent poles over the year, to know where we’re going.”
The Sun has contacted EastEnders for comment.
Mills was sacked today over his “personal conduct” and will no longer host his popular Radio 2 show.
The broadcaster said: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.”
According to The Mirror, Lorna Clarke, Director of Music at the BBC, confirmed the sacking in a statement to staff.
It read: “I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the Breakfast show, and the BBC.
“I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock.
“Not least as so many of us have worked with Scott over a great many years, across a broad range of our programmes on R1, 5Live, R2 and TV.
“I felt it was important to share this news with you at the earliest opportunity.”
His shock sacking comes just weeks after he was unveiled as one of the hosts for Race Across The World’s spin-off show, The Detour.
