Viewers of 'EastEnders' were concerned about the potential ramifications of Scott Mills' sacking from his BBC Radio 2 show, especially in relation to the 2027 New Year's episode. Mills had featured in the 2026 New Year's edition, which flashed forward a whole year in the storyline. In that episode, during Max Branning's (Jake Wood) wedding preparations, a text from Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) alerted him to turn on the radio. There, Scott Mills read a message for Max.

Following his appearance, Mills took to Instagram to show a clip of his name appearing in the credits, along with a video of him recording the message for the show. In the post, Mills wrote: 'I've been keeping more secrets than Santa this Christmas LOL'. Despite the fans' concerns, it has been confirmed that the scene with Scott will not be reused in this year's New Year's episode and will have no impact on the future plot.

Sources close to the production have confirmed that the scene featuring Scott Mills will not be included in the special New Year's episode, thus ensuring that the presenter's dismissal does not alter the plot's development. Ben Wadey, head of 'EastEnders', had previously commented on the special episode: 'We've got an amazing cast working on this, and knowing the plans, 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'.

Wadey added: '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'. The team and I will sit and have those massive tent poles over the year, to know where we're going'.

Scott Mills' sacking occurred due to his 'personal conduct', according to an official BBC statement. The network stated: 'While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm that Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC'. The news surprised many, given Mills' long history with the broadcaster and his popularity with the public.

Lorna Clarke, Director of Music, shared an internal statement that 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'.

Mills' departure from the BBC caused surprise in the industry and among his colleagues. The initial reaction of the BBC employees reflected the impact of the news, highlighting Mills' long career at the broadcaster and his contribution to various programs. Lorna Clarke's statement, shared internally, underscores the importance of communicating the news quickly and directly to employees, acknowledging the surprise and impact the news would have on staff.

The reaction from fans and the general public is expected to be mixed, with some regretting the loss of a popular figure and others speculating on the reasons behind his dismissal.