https://unofficialmills.co.uk/forums/index.php?/rss/1-latest-posts.xml/Latests posts on Unofficial MillsenSee PollSat, 21 Feb 2026 18:03:09 +0000Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:10:00 +0000Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:47:55 +0000Aberdeen’s sun miracle Scott opened Friday with evidence. The day before, he’d sent positive thoughts to Aberdeen — which hadn’t seen sun in 70 years, or at least it felt that way — and yesterday afternoon, after the show mentioned it, the city had received 33 minutes of sun. BBC News confirmed it. “Aberdeen finally sees sun after 21 days of gloom,” the headline read. Scott was claiming credit. “Where should we try next? Dundee? Stirling? Your brighter days are coming. I’m like a slightly younger Michael Fish.” The celebrity hairdresser photo hall of fame Following Thursday’s revelation that Vernon Kay may have taken a photo of Professor Brian Cox to his hairdresser, the mailbag was overflowing. Claire in London had taken Princess Diana aged seven (“that style did not suit a seven-year-old”). Tess from Sheffield took Natalie Imbruglia circa 1998 and left looking like Richard Madeley. Brett from Essex took Duncan from Blue for the frosted tips. Someone wanted a tight curly perm and the hairdresser said absolutely not. Ellie was going to the hairdresser later that day and asked for suggestions. Listeners obliged. Joe from Malden called in. She’s going for Emma Thompson — “the multitasking cut,” whatever it looks like at the end can be anything. Over the years she’s done Victoria Beckham’s pixie (didn’t quite turn out), Meg Ryan’s shaggy look, and the Farrah Fawcett with the rollers back in the day. “Some carried it off better than I did.” Mike from Kent rang in as well. He’s a Michael Bublé tribute act, which means he has to constantly take in up-to-date photos of Bublé to make sure he’s as close as possible. “If I get a haircut and then he gets a haircut, it devastates me two days later.” Scott had never considered the pressure. If Robbie goes blonde, the tribute has to go blonde. If Kylie gets red hair, the Kylie tribute gets red hair. “Luckily I don’t have to wear a wig,” Mike said. “He’s been pretty constant with his hair for the last few years so I’ve been quite lucky.” Jilly, the queen of the makeup department at Coronation Street, confirmed she takes a photo of Miss Piggy. “Big blonde curly blow. Past 10 years I’ve always taken a picture of Miss Piggy.” The team waves to Jilly every morning when she’s doing the Corrie cast’s makeup. The sloppy Good Morning Minute Gary Davies had insisted — and Scott hated saying the word — that Friday’s Good Morning Minute would be the Valentine’s Day sloppy edition. Listeners were invited to send in their undying love declarations. Carl in Warrington sent his wife Hannah a sloppy smack on the lips. Jackie and Paul were in Stratford with Shakespeare, 25 years married and still in love. Jamie in Loughborough said his fiancée was his soulmate and he couldn’t wait to marry her. Karen from Brackley sent love to her husband of nearly 30 years, Trucker Daryl. Sophie had met Dan a year ago on Valentine’s Day and now they were going to Six Nations Rugby together. “Not complaining. I’ll be watching men in short shorts running around.” Scott wrapped it up and never said the word sloppy again. The oat milk debate (or: oat juice, as it’s now known) Tina arrived with her usual oat milk flat white. Scott announced he’d been hooked to Jeremy Vine’s show the day before during the oat milk debate. It had gone right off. People were really angry. The question: is oat milk milk? Answer: no. Not from a mammal. “So what, Tina’s got to now order an oat juice flat white?” Ellie asked. Scott confirmed. “Yes, that’s exactly what we’ve got to do.” Someone had said, well what about coconut milk? Apparently coconut milk has been called coconut milk for so long that it gets left out as an exception. Oat milk, however, does not. If you look at the carton, most now say “oat drink” rather than oat milk. “Oat juice porridge,” Connor from Portsmouth wrote in. “Enjoy your oat juice porridge.” Pause for Thought: World Radio Day Ray Duke arrived with a reminder that it wasn’t just Valentine’s Eve — it was also World Radio Day. “Some days arrive with a megaphone. You can’t nip to the shops without being ambushed by hearts and last-minute roses. Today is World Radio Day, slipping in without a chocolate box in sight.” He’d been at his daughter’s school talent show the night before. She’d performed, his son had been her hype man with flash mob hands. “The stage became a revolving door of bravery — children darting in and out, singing and dancing to tracks they adore. Lyrics about heartbreak delivered by eight-year-olds who still need help with their laces.” He’d heard Mel C’s I’ll Become One and it reminded him how a song can evolve alongside you. “It’s the same melody but carrying more of life in it than it used to. And that’s radio at its best — comfort and surprise in the same breath.” World Radio Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011, is a thank you to the presenters we grow up with and the journalists who carry difficult truths with care. This year’s theme: radio and artificial intelligence. “AI can assist as a tool but not as an embodied voice. It can process data but it cannot live a human life. And that’s why we love radio — not because it’s flawless, but because it’s human.” Real trust, he said, could never be automated. It’s built gradually in the everyday moments. The quiz: Flora and the triumph Flora from Clevedon was 62 (or was she? The transcript isn’t clear, but she was practicing Grade 6 piano which she’d been working on since last April). She’d done Grade 5 aged 14 but had always been annoyed with herself for not carrying on. Her piano teacher Jo puts on a little concert and Flora had been the only adult — everyone else was a child. “It’s just quite intimidating.” She listens to the show with her family (two boys, Finley and Alex, eight and ten) over breakfast. The quiz is packed lunch time, after that it’s coats on, bags packed, out the door. The situation this week: Monday’s Trish got 21. Thursday’s Jason got 21. If Flora also got 21, that’s three egg cups to distribute. Flora did not get 21. Flora got 36. A storming performance. The rain question was controversial — she said mist was another word for rain. The quiz buzzed. “If I go out in mist I get wet, so therefore it must be rain,” Scott argued on her behalf. The quiz was firm. “Mist is a weather phenomenon consisting of tiny water droplets suspended in the air, creating a thin hazy layer. A bit like fog. Not rain.” Flora’s score stood at 36 regardless. One of the all-time greats. Big Guest Friday: Tinie Tempah Tinie Tempah arrived first. The man who, years ago at a Radio 1 Big Weekend, introduced Scott to the world of luxury perfume. “This wonderful aroma suddenly fills the room. My nostrils went into overdrive.” Scott had asked what it was. Tinie told him. Scott didn’t tell anyone else. “At the time. But everyone has started to wear it since.” They both agreed not to say what it was on air. Scott now carries a little spritz ready in the studio, just for Tinie. On the name: it came from secondary school. He was 13 or 14, wanted to start rapping, needed a cool name. Before Tinie Tempah he was called Facer. “Which is, yeah, not great. Sounds like you’re in Blazing Squad.” Tinie Tempah is a juxtaposition — very calm personality, but when he gets on stage the Tempah comes out. “It’s a bit like when people set up their first email accounts and they didn’t realise they’d be stuck with them for decades.” He tried being just Tinie for a while when doing TV work but had to go back. On Dragon’s Den: he’s a guest dragon appearing on the show from next Thursday, 8pm, BBC One. He sat alongside Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett, and Touker Suleyman. The den was nerve-wracking. “They do this day in day out. Their questions are super sharp. They know how to break down a business in ways I’ve never seen before. I was kind of playing catch up for the first couple of hours but after a while got into my rhythm.” The secret he gave away: at lunch, all the Dragons have to wear bathrobes. Scott was stunned. “Why?” “I assume it’s so stuff doesn’t go on the outfit.” Because they have to wear the same clothes for every episode so they can cut between them. Which means they must be very messy eaters. Scott and Sara Pascoe (who’d joined by this point) determined it was definitely Touker. “Just get Touker a bib,” Sara suggested. “Deborah Meaden’s having her carrot sticks. Steven Bartlett’s having Huel. This is definitely Touker.” He’d met Steven Bartlett at a wedding — “one of the best weddings of all time.” The groom was Umaz. Mariah Carey performed. Andrea Bocelli performed. “What? At this wedding?” Scott was in disbelief. “10 times better than my wedding. I wanted to redo my whole thing.” Mariah had a diamanté drink cup holder. He’d never seen anything like it. Is the cash on the table real? Tinie wouldn’t say. “I’m not going to give away the secrets of the den. All I want to say is I was tempted to take all of it.” Big Guest Friday: Sara Pascoe Sara Pascoe joined next. Mock the Week is back on a Freeview channel with Dara and the gang. It’s longer now, there are fewer rules, it might be a little bit more risqué at times. “They let you have wine in a mug.” The news is heavy at the moment, she said, so you have to find the bits that are funny. “I thought the fact that Peter Mandelson’s husband spent that money on an osteopath course was quite funny in a whole thing that actually involves lots of corruption and bad people and negativity. So is he a trained osteopath? Is he doing that from home now?” She’s also done Race Across the World (which she won) and a new show for TLC called Zero Stars about staying in really poorly reviewed hotels. When they pitched it to her and Roisin it sounded hilarious. They’d shown a video of a hotel in Georgia where the receptionist can see into your room through a spyhole. They thought it would be so funny. Then they realized: oh, you will actually have to go to those places. In Brazil, Race Across the World, budget £4 for accommodation, they got to the room and there was an open fridge in the middle. Sara saw two cockroaches in the corner. “I didn’t tell Sam because luckily he didn’t see them but they were all over our face all night.” In Albania there was a lift that could stop at any floor and just opened into your bedroom. “It had gunmen outside. I kept asking reception why is there people with guns and they were like ‘safety.'” One hotel had a mattress made of hair. “I don’t know if it was human.” They slept on the carpet. Tinie travels with his own stuff: pillowcases, duvet covers. Sometimes. “It depends on where you’re going but yeah sometimes.” Sara asked if he has two separate duvets on one bed, Scandinavian style. He does. “Very Scandinavian but actually a better night’s sleep as a couple. You both wake up really rested. You can look each other in the eye at breakfast time.” Big Guest Friday: Faye Tozer Faye from Steps joined last. She’d done The Chase with Sara years ago. They’d struggled. Sara had been asked what Simba’s father was called in The Lion King and said “Daddy.” “And I get people writing me — it’s for charity, please do it seriously. I honestly just didn’t know the answer.” Faye is currently in the first ever UK tour of Mean Girls the musical. She’s playing three characters: Ms. Norbury (the Tina Fey teacher role), Regina George’s mum (“I’m not a regular mum”), and Katie Heron’s mum (the biologist one). “I have the most crazy track.” There’s one bit where she goes behind a flat and has a nine-second costume change. “From the whole biologist safari outfit into this bright pink thing with massive boobs and things.” The costume is underneath, underdressed, they rip off the safari outfit, do a quick wig change, she’s got a sage stick in her hand for the safari side, then walks on with Regina in a wheelchair with a neck brace. Scott had interviewed Rachel McAdams and Margot Robbie earlier in the week. Rachel had talked about how much she wanted to be in Mean Girls when she got the script. Margot had said she used to watch Rachel’s audition for The Notebook before her own auditions to get inspiration. And Margot had recently said on Graham Norton that on the Barbie set they wore pink on Wednesdays because of Mean Girls. “How crazy is that?” Scott also learned that Tinie had been on Lisa Scott-Lee’s hen do. Well, not the hen do — his stag do. Lisa was there. She ended up in the boot of the people carrier because she’s the smallest and they hadn’t booked a big enough vehicle. “In the video she’s at the back going [Steps choreography] but you can hardly see her.” Good memories. Lisa likes to party. “Can’t keep up with her.” The business pitches With Tinie in Dragon’s Den mode, Scott suggested they pitch him some business ideas. Sara went first: “I’m looking for £100 for 50% of my business.” The idea: humane pickpocket traps. On the tube in London, pickpocketing is still an issue. Her solution: mousetraps that you put in your pockets. Someone puts their hand in, snap, you’ve got them, their fingers are caught, you walk them to the police. Tinie liked the concept but had concerns about accidentally catching yourself. Sara’s secondary invention: big mittens that you wear so you don’t catch yourself in your own traps. Pre-seed stage. Tinie was out. Faye pitched next (Sara had whispered the idea to her): Tiny Toast. A cereal that’s tiny pieces of toast. You can eat it dry as a breakfast bar or put milk in it and it’s still lovely. Slightly sweetened. “When toast is too much you just need something little.” Asking for £500. Tinie was immediately in. “I’m going to give you all of the money.” He wanted to be the face of it but needed more equity. They settled on £500 for 80%. Deal done. The team had already come up with branding: Tinie Tozer’s Tiny Toast. Scott pitched last: Excuse Me, the smart doorbell for avoiding people. The problem: you’re home, lights are on, you’ve made eye contact through the window, it’s too late, they know you’re in. The solution: a smart doorbell add-on that plays pre-recorded life chaos sounds when someone rings. Options include crying baby on loop, aggressive barking dog, loud couple arguing about IKEA furniture, “sorry we’ve got COVID” (still effective), vacuum cleaner running. Tinie flagged an issue: if the delivery man goes to multiple houses using the same device with the same audio recordings, he’ll suss it’s not real. Scott’s doorbell would have multiple sound options. Tinie was out. New music Peppa Pig has released a cover of Rihanna’s Diamonds. Scott, Tinie, and Sara all listened together. Tinie’s review: “It’s got that Dua Lipa and Elton John Cold Heart sort of production. High praise. She’s great. I’m going to go and see her live.” The tour could be Tinie and Tinier. They could do a whole thing at Peppa Pig World. Winter Olympics: Matt Weston Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt were competing in the men’s skeleton final in the evening. Weston was in prime position for gold after recording the two fastest runs in the heats. He’d set a new track record, becoming the only slider under 56 seconds in Cortina. “I’ve been in this situation at major champs where I’ve been an overnight leader. I know how to act. I know how to be. So I’m going to trust in what I know.” Team GB was still waiting for its first medal of the Games. The handover Vernon arrived at 9:30. Eight artists remain in Piano Room Month — halfway there. He’d seen Mika too. “He’s good. He’s on good form.” They thought they’d lost him in the crowd at one point when he jumped off stage to sing Big Girl You Are Beautiful while running through the entire audience. “He is taller than you think though.” Vernon’s taking a well-deserved break over the weekend. Monday: Baz Luhrmann at 8am. The post 13 February 2026: Tinie Tempah’s bathrobes, oat juice, and Peppa Pig’s Diamonds cover first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleFri, 13 Feb 2026 13:50:17 +0000Aberdeen and the sun situation Scott opened Thursday with a message for Aberdeen. The city had apparently not seen the sun for 70 years — or at least it felt that way. In fact, Aberdeen, which is normally one of the sunniest places in the UK, had now gone the longest of anywhere in the country without sun. Kathleen rang in from Aberdeen with the morning update. It had stopped raining, skies might be clear. “It’s coming,” Scott said. “I know it is.” The ice dancing heartbreak The night before, Lila Fear and Lewis Gibson had competed in the figure skating ice dance free programme, with a Spice Girls and Scottish-themed routine. Scott and Ellie had both stayed up to watch — Ellie had cried. A stumble early in the routine had knocked the pair from fourth to seventh. “A costly technical mistake,” Lila had called it. “It knocked them from fourth to seventh. Absolutely gutted. Devastated.” Scott had some technical questions about the event itself. Why was the big light on? “They’re dancing in what looks like the lighting of a hospital ward or a school classroom.” And the sound: “Did you hear the quality? They’ve just hooked up a Bluetooth speaker like you take on holiday.” He strongly suspected someone in Italy had put their phone in a glass to amplify it. Classic Italy. No stress. Relax. He found it charming. Torval and Dean were there watching in person, he noted, which was lovely but also meant their record stayed intact. “We go again at the Winter Olympics 2030. Back on Bolero watch.” He also had questions about the luge doubles. Two athletes in Lycra, laid on top of each other, going at 90 miles an hour around ice. Who came up with this? “It feels like something that someone suggested as a dare. One time. Or a joke. Or two people were doing something else on the ice and they had to quickly invent a new sport to cover their backs.” School pets: the hamster, the gerbil, the stick insects, the tortoise A message came in asking whether anyone remembered taking the school hamster home for the weekend. This unlocked a significant portion of the UK’s collective memory. Someone’s hamster had chewed through the phone directory and the phone wire. Someone else had taken two gerbils home and woke up in the morning to eight. Emily confirmed she had taken stick insects home and lost them. Someone had a school tortoise; Richard in Paignton was still looking for one he borrowed in 1982. A salamander was mentioned. The general consensus was that none of this should have been allowed. The Good Morning Minute and the sloppy Valentine’s announcement It had rained every day this year, 43 days in a row. The Good Morning Minute included Christina in Stevenage planning a sun dance, a PE teacher in Portsmouth growing webbed feet after four hours on a pitch in a tournament, Robin in Aberdeen sitting at the window waiting for the yellow thing to appear in the sky, and Julian from Brickhouse not looking forward to her shingles jab but having already cut the salted caramel brownie for the Valentine’s bake sale without eating any. “You’ve got more willpower than I do.” Then the team handed Scott a scroll — wax seal and everything — to read aloud. It announced that tomorrow’s Good Morning Minute would be the special Valentine’s Day edition. The sloppy one. The lovey-dovey, cutesy, huggy, soft one. “If you want to tell your darling that you’re head over heels in love with them, totally smitten and doting on them, they’re your sunshine, the light of your life, you’re crazy about them and utterly lovesick — or that you just have a big fat crush on someone.” The word sloppy was deployed multiple times. Scott found it physically unpleasant. “Stop saying it.” Gary Davis’s ski trips Following Rick Astley’s revelation on a previous show that he spent a lot of time skiing with Gary Davis in the 80s, Go West had left a comment online confirming they were on those slopes too. Scott asked listeners to guess which other 80s acts were there. Suggestions came in thick and fast: Carol Decker from T’Pau, Baltimore from Tarzan Boy, all of Tight Fit, Nick Heyward. Then an actual text: Ron from T’Pau, “on the slopes about five years ago.” And a former worker from Val d’Isère who confirmed Gary Davis was there all the time with Nick Berry. “What an afternoon at the après that would have been.” Pause for Thought: three wedding rings Graham Daniels told the story of bumping into a friend who said she’d been looking at her husband’s wedding ring and thought of Graham. He’d lost his original years ago and now wears a cheap replacement. Her husband had done the same thing — found his original, but now wears the cheapo because it’s safer. And then a third man in the group just silently stuck out his fist: rubber ring. Black rubber. Didn’t say a word. “Three rings, all very different, all doing the same job,” Graham said. “What’s supposed to count is the relationship. Gold or rubber, expensive or cheap, original or replacement. What’s the point of a wedding ring? Something lasting, circular, love, faithfulness, commitment, endless. But it is a symbol.” The spiritual point: it’s not the symbols you hold on to, it’s whether the love they point to is being lived out. Even when no one’s looking. Especially when no one’s looking. Even if the ring itself is cheap as chips. Photos to the hairdresser A listener wrote to the mailbag suggesting Vernon Kay had taken a photo of Professor Brian Cox to his hairdresser and asked for that one. The resemblance had been noticed by quite a lot of people. Scott and Tina opened it up: who has taken a celebrity photo to the hairdresser? Scott admitted he once took a heat magazine photo of The Rachel — “That 90s cross between a choppy shag and a bob, very flicky and layered” — and had it done. Tina, aged 10, took a photo of the Posh Spice pixie cut and left the salon upset that she didn’t look like Victoria Beckham. Ellie had taken in a picture of Nathan from Brother Beyond to Quiffy’s in Eastleigh, but they’d said they couldn’t do it because of the shape of her head. “He had an Elvis quiff. My head was too round.” Vernon rang in at handover to address the Brian Cox hair situation directly. He’d seen it on the One Show replay that morning via a lady on his train. “Great actor, but not sure I would go into the hairdressers with a picture of Brian Cox.” He was asked if he was going to go full white and let it do its own thing. He is. Also: tanning drops, not grey blending. Very happy with the white top and the volume. “Someone’s been on the Timotei.” The quiz: Jason the bin man Jason from Eowyn was the bin wagon driver who played Thursday’s quiz. He gave a firm lecture on bin contamination before starting — no dirty yoghurt pots in the garden waste, do not sort your brown bin, different councils have different colour bins, it’s all very confusing. He did well across the board but ran into difficulty on what DVD stands for: he said “digital video disc,” the answer was “digital versatile disc.” Scott disputed this on Jason’s behalf. “They play videos. I used to watch videos. They should be called that.” The quiz gave the point in the end. Jason finished with 21, equalling Trish from East Yorkshire’s score from Tuesday, meaning Friday’s contestant could go into a potential three-way situation. Jason was dignified about the whole thing. Sheila Diamond, Little Miss Dynamite A listener named Donna had written to the mailbag to alert the show to Sheila Diamond. Search her name and you will find her: 4 foot 9 and a half, known as Little Miss Dynamite, working the clubs and hotels of the North West for 34 years and still doing five to eight gigs a week. Scott introduced her with appropriate ceremony. She still loves it. She gets fans who come from Scotland on the train to see her in Blackpool. She does three outfit changes per show — sometimes more — all heavily sequinned, most of which cannot be washed. (“You can’t wash them.”) Her favourite song to perform live and the one that gets the room going every single time: Red Light Spells Danger by Billy Ocean. By the time Scott signed off with her, her phone was, in her words, going nuts. She texted immediately afterwards to mention she’s at the Ruskin Hotel Blackpool every Thursday and Mark Kelly’s North every Monday. “Can’t thank you enough. Love you, bye.” Margot Robbie and Alison Oliver on Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights — the new Emily Brontë adaptation from director Emerald Fennell — opens in cinemas on Friday. Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff. Margot Robbie plays Cathy. Alison Oliver plays Isabella Linton. Martin Clunes plays Cathy’s father. (“A moment for Martin Clunes, please. I was not expecting that. Unbelievable.”) Mark Ruffalo is also in it. Scott wore prop lamb chop sideburns for the interview. (He had called them pork chops. A listener named Jenny had texted in before the interview to correct him. “Someone had to tell you.”) The sideburns were to honour Heathcliff. Their effect was, at best, Noddy Holder in the Slade Christmas video. At worst, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Both guests were kind about them. “You’re really used to them now,” Margot said. “It would be strange to see you without them.” On the film: it rains constantly. Not because they planned it — when they actually went to Yorkshire to shoot on the moors, the weather was unseasonably sunny and warm. The locals kept coming up to tell them how lucky they were. They weren’t. They had to recreate all the weather in post. Meanwhile, Alison Oliver and Shehzad Latif, who play the Linton siblings, came to Yorkshire even on days they weren’t needed and spent most of it in the pub. “We’d wrap, text on the group chat — ‘we’re wrapped’ — and they’d reply: ‘We’ve already had three pints.'” Margot on rain acting: they don’t warm up the water. Not even for Margot Robbie. “Seven weeks of rain scenes on the first Suicide Squad film and it was colder than iced water. I was wearing like nothing as Harley Quinn. You can’t comprehend how cold that rain is.” She’d thought about The Notebook rain scene frequently during filming. She and Alison both admitted to watching Rachel McAdams’ audition tape for The Notebook before their own early auditions. “Just to try and be as good as her.” On the snails and leeches: Emerald Fennell had very specific feelings about them. The snails needed a rest every 20 minutes. If the temperature shifted by even one degree, filming had to stop. They were taken to a perfectly climate-controlled room to recover. “Humans aren’t treated this well,” Alison said. Margot was in agreement. “The rules around those animals in particular are, yeah, crazy.” Emerald had also named her favourite slug Felicity. Alison remembered a snail being named as well but couldn’t recall what. On Wuthering Heights Day: Scott revealed that each year in late July there is a gathering where people dress in billowing dresses and dance to Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights. Both guests had never heard of this. Both immediately wanted to go. “I love doing the Kate Bush dance,” Margot said. “All I need is a red dress.” Alison, on being cast: Emerald texted to ask if she could send a script. Then: “If you like Isabella, you can play her.” That was it. “The coolest way I’ve ever been offered a part.” Scott wrapped up by passing on another celebrity message. Kylie, last time Margot was in, had said she’d be honoured to have Margot play her. Margot said she’d do it if she could sing. Kylie had responded that even The Rock would want Margot to play him. The relay continues. James Van Der Beek News came through during the show of the death of James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson Leary in Dawson’s Creek, at 48. “I was really quite shocked when I heard the news because I didn’t know that he’d been ill for a bit.” Hundreds of messages arrived from listeners. Ruthie in Wendover was planning a full day of the soundtrack and episodes. Andrea called it “pivotal in my emotional journey as a teenager.” Preet in Stanmore had sat in the car having a little cry. Scott played Paula Cole’s I Don’t Want to Wait. The birthday game: Tracy from Cheshire, playing Julie Johnson Tracy was 62, which she was celebrating on the same day as her 32nd wedding anniversary — she’d married on her 30th birthday to make it easier for her husband to remember. They’d just returned from Portugal. She lives with a motorhome, in which the family spent ten months while between houses, waiting for a purchase to go through. She is treasurer of her local musical theatre society and has just been cast as Julie Johnson in Bad Girls the Musical, coming to the Harlequin Theatre in Northwich on 24-27 June. Three spins: Bart Simpson’s Do the Bartman (1991, no), Owl City’s Fireflies (2010, reluctantly no), and then Mud’s Tiger Feet (1974, an emphatic yes). “I absolutely love it because I do the tiger feet dance at parties. There’s a dance to it.” She celebrated fully. She also used the closing moments to name everyone she shares a birthday with: her friend Audrey, Sally from the musical theatre, her sister-in-law Sheena, and Ruby Millage, who is four today. The handover Vernon arrived for Mika in the Piano Room. He’d been told about the Brian Cox hair thing by a woman on his train. He had not gone to the hairdresser with a Brian Cox photo. He did acknowledge a resemblance. The hair was going white naturally, tanning drops applied, no grey blending in years, very happy with it. “I’ll just leave it and let it do its thing.” He and Scott agreed this was the right call. Tomorrow: Tiny Tempah, Sara Pascoe, and Faye from Steps. The post 12 February 2026: Margot Robbie, Sheila Diamond, and lamb chop sideburns first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleThu, 12 Feb 2026 16:39:16 +0000Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:51:41 +0000Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:43:08 +0000The Sound of Music scandal Scott opened Monday with the news that he’d spent the weekend in Salzburg filming something related to Eurovision — and had only discovered while having his photo taken there that the city featured prominently in one of the most famous films of all time. “I was doing some filming. I can’t really say much more than that. But Eurovision is in Austria this year. So that’s why I was there.” He’d been stood in what turned out to be a famous set piece from The Sound of Music — “apparently, this thing features in the film and it looks like a conservatory and apparently they all dance around it” — without any idea of its significance. “I didn’t know any of this. It looked like, you know, those adverts that you see sometimes on daytime TV where two elders are planning their funerals.” The ensuing confession — that he had never properly sat down and watched The Sound of Music — sent the inbox into meltdown. Thousands of messages arrived. Tina and Ellie were equally implicated: none of the three had seen it from start to finish. “I wish we hadn’t said this on air,” Scott said. “Imagine Elaine Page hearing this. Oh, fuming.” Listeners sent voice notes of the songs. Scott recognised Edelweiss (“never knew it was from this film, never”), High on a Hill Was a Lonely Goat and The Hills Are Alive (“Of course, yes, yes”). On being told he likely knew most of the songs already, he said: “Could you voice note me maybe singing one of the songs from it and I’ll probably know it then, won’t I? Surely.” The show ended the segment with a resolution. “We are going to arrange a team watch-along to The Sound of Music,” Scott announced. “We’ve just decided because we need to.” On the plus side, Scott reported that the food in Salzburg had been exceptional. Specifically, Tafelspitz. “Now, when it says boiled beef on the menu, you think to yourself, well, that’s something my nan would have rustled up in the war. But, I mean, dry it first, but you learn to love it by the third slice of boiled beef.” The apple strudel, by contrast, had not materialised. “A lot of Tafelspitz.” Tina’s weekend: Paloma reads the news Tina had a different kind of weekend — the class teddy bear came home with her daughter Athena. Rather than a standard outing, she brought it into work. “Paloma read the news bulletins on Radio 2. In the news studio.” Scott was impressed. Tina reflected that one school parent had posted taking their child horse riding, then said: “You can take your horse to one of the parents… I’ll up you the 10 o’clock news.” The school teddy also got to meet Bob Harris. Super Bowl 60: Seahawks win, Bad Bunny divides opinion The Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29–13, which meant Vernon Kay, confirmed last active on WhatsApp at 3:45am, arrived for his 9:30 handover in cheerful if hoarse condition. “I’ve never felt this good on three hours sleep, Scott.” The halftime show was the main topic before Vernon arrived. Bad Bunny headlined, with Lady Gaga making a surprise appearance. Scott was broadly positive on the performance but had one reservation — the jazzed-up version of Die With A Smile. “We’ve all been to a concert before, haven’t we, where they do a jazzed-up version of one of their most famous songs. I just want to hear the one that’s on the record.” President Trump’s criticism of the show — which was performed almost entirely in Spanish — also got a mention. Scott did not dwell on it. Winter Olympics: curling, ski jumpers and a student deadline Scott had been watching the Winter Olympics at every available opportunity. “Did you see the figure skating? The guy that went full Benson Boone — backflip.” He’d gone down rabbit holes: the behind-the-scenes of how rink lines are drawn, the ski jumpers warming up by practising the lift from Dirty Dancing. “They crash down, like they’re skiing down a hill, and then they throw themselves into their trainer’s arms, Patrick Swayze style.” Curling, as always, had the whole country hooked. Team GB’s Bruce Mowat and Jen Dodds were through to the mixed doubles semifinals that evening, having won eight of nine round-robin matches. Performance director Dave Leith called in from the training base in Stirling (“curling and Stirling — just rolls off the tongue”) and confirmed the team was feeling good. He invited Scott down to try curling. Scott accepted on air: “Next time I’m there, you’re on.” The hero of the segment was Canadian figure skater Madeleine Scheissers, a university student who had accidentally missed an assignment deadline because she was at the Winter Olympics. She’d emailed her professor asking for an extension and attached the Canadian Olympic press release as proof. “She’s coming with receipts,” Scott said. Update: she got the extension. Pause for Thought: snogging on the train Trey Hall’s Pause for Thought began with a mortified reaction to the Sound of Music situation — “I want to apologise to Dame Julie Andrews on behalf of the whole BBC” — before settling into the week’s reflection. Trey described being on a packed rush-hour train, face two inches from a young couple who had squeezed on, when they began kissing “intensely, as if they were going on honeymoon rather than to work.” He said he started laughing but it did not stop them. On escaping at his station: “I did say, with my acquired British sarcasm, ‘Thank you so much for sharing your morning with me.’ The woman replied totally sincere: ‘Oh, you’re welcome.'” Scott described this as the first Pause for Thought to feature the phrase “I could smell their eyebrows.” The mailbag Scott had opened the virtual mailbag over the weekend and it was full. Letter one, from Laura in Market Harborough, politely observed that the BBC Radio 2 presenter profile pictures were overdue an update. She noted that her office streams the current presenter’s photo on a large TV all day — and that Vernon in particular “deserves to break free from his black turtleneck.” Scott agreed: “It is like his neck’s straining to get out of it.” He reflected that Vernon’s picture had been up so long, and he had such good new hair, that it needed redoing. “He looks so much like the man from Milk Tray.” Tina’s photo, it emerged, is ten years old. She declared herself in no hurry to change it. Letter two, from Hannah, raised the question of celebrity hot pockets — areas where famous people quietly congregate. Hannah’s village contained, at various points, Jason Manford, Calvin Fletcher, a Thomas Brother and Les Dennis. Scott revealed his own area is populated by Pat Sharp and Martin and Shirley Kemp. On a separate note, he mentioned that Ronan Keating’s dry cleaning had been sitting uncollected at the local cleaners for six months. He was considering picking it up as a neighbourly gesture. Tina’s contribution: she had once seen Phil Mitchell in the pub. Letter three, from Donna, introduced the show to Sheila Diamond. Scott was already a devoted follower. “She is keeping live entertainment alive,” he said. “I counted six sparkly dresses in one show alone.” Sheila, known as Little Miss Dynamite, is four foot nine and plays the clubs in Blackpool, St. Helens and Hull. Her Instagram came highly recommended. By the end of the letter segment, her follower count was visibly climbing in real time. The quiz: bubbles, giveaway signs and a fresh streak Trish from East Yorkshire — who had, some years ago, anonymously left 120 fabric hens around her village for people to find (“until I’d left 120 and someone guessed it was me doing it… rumbled by a seven-year-old”) — opened the week’s quiz. She did well until two stumbles. On naming something cold, she said “ice” and passed. On the sign that says Stop, she went with “stop” rather than Give Way. And on where you find bubbles, she said “in a bubble machine.” The quiz buzzed her. Scott disagreed with the ruling. “I’m saying bubbles too much. You do so find bubbles in a bubble machine.” The argument continued for some time before the quiz relented and gave her the point. On Give Way: both Scott and Trish had passed their driving tests before the theory test existed. “My one said to me, this is no word of a lie, ‘I’m gonna pass you because I don’t want to see you again.'” They agreed to sit the theory test together. Trish finished on 21 points. “I thought I was going to get five, so 21 grand.” Birthday game: Kate from Horncastle becomes Lita Kate from Horncastle, 59, had been busy — 80s by Candlelight at Lincoln Cathedral on Saturday (“dancing in the aisles in the cathedral, selling alcohol in the cathedral — what’s not to love”), then a minibus to Skegness on Sunday for slot machines, air hockey, bowling and afternoon tea. She was also, very soon, going to become a grandmother — though not, she was clear, a grandma or a nanny. “We are calling me Lita. Which is the Spanish shortened version of abuela… but I am not a grandma, nanny, none of that. Thank you very much.” Three spins of the birthday wheel. She agonised, consulted her cousin’s pre-show advice (“if the first record is great, go with it”), went with spin one and got Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax — number one on this day in 1984. “This is my era. Love you, bye.” The other options were T-Rex’s Telegram Sam (1972) and Miley Cyrus’s Flowers (2023). Scott observed, as the outro played, that the team had found the karaoke version again. He talked over it anyway. The handover Vernon arrived at 9:30 sharp, hoarse, happy and running on three hours sleep. The Seahawks had won. He had Darius Rucker in the Piano Room. Scott told him he’d never felt better and that the voice was fine. Vernon did not entirely agree. They parted on good terms. The post 9 February 2026: Accidental opera, The Sound of Music scandal, and the mailbag opens first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleMon, 09 Feb 2026 15:22:22 +0000Scott’s accidental night at the opera Scott opened Friday with a confession: he’d had “an accidental night out” — at the opera. He’d forgotten that his friend Mel Giedroyc had invited him to a show months earlier, after a chat when she was promoting it on The One Show. “She said to me, ‘Scotty, I’ve got a silly part in this new show. There’s loads of like carry on humour. Gang, Scotty, you’ll love it. It’s set on a boat, gang. Scotty, you’re going to love it. It’s great. You must come. Come along. It’s a bit like Panto.'” Scott said yes immediately — and at no point during the conversation, he noted, did Mel mention it was opera. He arrived at the London Coliseum to find people “in velvet” and admitted: “I’ve never felt more self-conscious.” He was, he said, completely out of his depth. “Not a clue what was happening.” He praised the production — and Mel, who at one point “got winched onto a pulley and then flew through the air” — but was clear this was not his natural habitat. Tina pointed out she had been to the opera “with a couple of news presenters,” which Scott cheerfully compared to attending “with the president of Norway.” Ellie claimed her own opera credentials, though admitted she’d once strained her back craning to see from seats so high up she “wasn’t paying for the glasses on the stick.” Listeners quickly wrote in to point out that what Scott had actually attended — in English, with words on a screen — was likely a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta rather than a full opera. Scott was briefly indignant. “I’m sorry, that was not English,” he said, before looking it up and conceding: “I’ve just looked it up, it was in English. It’s like karaoke with the words.” A tour guide from the Royal Opera House named Freya sent a voice note inviting Scott on a proper tour: “I’ll introduce you to the magical world of opera. And before long, you’ll be sitting in a box wearing an opera coat with a lanyard.” Big Guest Friday: Rick Astley turns 60 Scott marked the occasion by dressing as 1987 Rick — black roll neck, light blue jeans, an almost-oversized blazer — and the show opened with a custom birthday jingle. Rick, visibly touched, admitted: “I’m embarrassed now. That’s kind of like, that’s got me sweating.” Rick explained the outfit he wore for Never Gonna Give You Up was never really styled at all. The turtleneck was already in his bag. The double denim, the white raincoat — just what he’d grabbed. The sunglasses belonged to a cameraman called Ricardo who’d said “Here, son, put those on” on a sunny morning. “So it’s just honestly, it was just ridiculous, but it looks like you put it together.” The first birthday surprise was a voice note from Gary Davis. Rick lit up. He and Gary had, he revealed, been skiing together in Val d’Isere on multiple occasions: “This is a dude who obviously you know I had massive respect for and loved and everything, but this is like we’re just hanging out in the slopes. I’m thinking I’ve made it, I’ve finally made it, I’m skiing with Gary Davis in Val d’Isere.” Rick also revealed that before Never Gonna Give You Up, he had been the tea boy at the Stock Aitken Waterman studio — present in the building when Dead or Alive recorded You Spin Me Round, fetching sandwiches and learning the ropes. “None of them can play table tennis for toffee,” he added. “They’re all rubbish.” Gifts followed: a beautiful old-fashioned tea maker (“so I can make proper tea now”), and from Mackenzie Crook, a tape measure, on the basis that Rick had once mentioned a fondness for DIY. “My life is complete,” Rick said. He also played his brand new single, Waiting On You, which listeners immediately compared to a Bond theme. He discussed the documentary airing that night — Real Stories with Dermot O’Leary, followed by Rick Astley at the BBC — and admitted watching his younger self had been unexpectedly emotional. “It’s very, it’s tough when you sit there and watch yourself from being a 19, 21 year old kid and going through a lot of your life, you know. Seeing it up on a big screen as well.” A Jägermeister before filming, he said, had not been quite enough. A second birthday message arrived via Scott’s boss, from Paddy McGuinness. Rick’s verdict on the impression: “A terrible impression by the way, but thank you man, love you, love you, Paddy.” Never Gonna Give You Up played, as it always does on his birthday. Riz Ahmed: Hamlet in modern London Riz joined the birthday party in studio and, hearing Rick’s new single from the corridor, called it “very epic” with “that kind of orchestral swell to it. Kind of timeless.” He and Rick quickly bonded over Sound of Metal, in which Riz plays a drummer losing his hearing. Rick said he was “fully fully believing” watching the drumming. Riz said he’d genuinely learned for real but couldn’t pick up a drumstick now. The main topic was his new film: a modern-day Hamlet, set in gritty contemporary London, in cinemas that day. Riz described director Anil Kari’s approach: “He’s got a background in directing rap music videos. So he brings that kind of rawness and edge to it.” The pitch was to strip back what people find “stuffy and traditional” and reveal what’s underneath: “an action thriller. You know, this is a revenge thriller. It’s got murder. It’s got heartbreak. It’s about a man on a mission.” He drew a comparison to the Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet and said what had been most gratifying was hearing from people who don’t normally engage with Shakespeare: “Young people, people who’ve historically not been into it, watching this and going: that was a ride.” The cast includes Art Malik, Sheba Chadha, Morfydd Clarke, Joe Alwyn and Timothy Spall — who he was particularly keen to flag: “Polonius can, in the past, be a bit of comic relief, bit of a bumbling idiot. Tim Spall’s not a bumbling idiot — he’s got some danger in his eyes, the way he plays it.” He also teased his upcoming TV show, Bait, out in March: “I play an out-of-work actor who somehow gets through to the last round of auditions to be the next James Bond. And when word gets out that I might be playing the next James Bond, people have a lot of very strong opinions about it.” Mackenzie Crook: Small Profits and stop-motion spirits Mackenzie joined the party ahead of his new BBC Two series Small Profits, launching Monday. He described the premise with characteristic understatement: “It’s about a lonely man in a suburban cul-de-sac who comes across a recipe to grow supernatural prophesying spirits in jars of water which can predict the future and answer any question truthfully. It’s that old cliche, I’m afraid.” He plays the lead character’s boss at a DIY superstore — a pedantic, directionless jobsworth: “All he can think to do is ask people if they’ve been on their breaks yet.” He confirmed the character was based on a real former boss of his. On the stop-motion animation used for the spirits, he explained his reasoning: “We see so much CGI these days that I don’t think people even notice it anymore, no matter how spectacular it is.” He designed the creatures himself, and friend Ainsley Henderson animated them at a rate of eight seconds a day. A listener, Cliff from Solihull, texted to say he’d first seen Mackenzie twenty-five years ago as a warm-up act called Charlie Cheese at a comedy club in Windsor. Mackenzie’s response: “Just hearing the words ‘Charlie Cheese’ saw me just curl up and cringe a little bit.” On Detectorists — asked by Stu in Norwich whether there’d be more — he was gently definitive. “I don’t think there will be. I think I’ve got to leave that there for fear of spoiling it. I mean, they ended up finding the Holy Grail. Where do you go from there?” Lila Fear, the Olympics and Macy Gray Sports desk reporter Matty Nixon flagged that Scott’s friend Lila Fear would be one of Team GB’s flag bearers at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony that evening in Milan. Her quote from the clip: “For our rhythm dance, we’re going to be skating to a Spice Girls medley, which is insane and so 90s, so pop, so very us. And also, Mel B commented on social media that she’s going to be watching, so. She better.” Scott also made good on a promise from the previous day, playing Macy Gray’s Piano Room cover of I’m Too Sexy with the BBC Concert Orchestra. His verdict: “It’s a 10 out of 10 for me. I loved that.” He also flagged that Jarvis Cocker, fresh from Pulp’s Piano Room appearance on Monday, had recorded a CBeebies bedtime story — Wally, the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat — airing that evening. The quiz, the Wonder Years, and the handover Beth from Rugby — part-time year one teacher, part-time shop window painter — took on the Easiest Quiz. She acquitted herself well until hesitating on “name a sandwich filling,” having convinced herself the show had moved on to general conversation. Twelve points. “The game’s gone,” Scott said, warmly. She signed off: “Love you, bye.” “Love you, bye,” Scott replied. The Wonder Years ran from 1987 through the 90s. Vernon Kay arrived for the handover with his hair feathered back to approximately 1998 — “honestly the best you’ve looked in ages,” Scott said. Vernon was heading to Austria for something Eurovision-adjacent, details to follow. Scott was heading for a Super Bowl watch party with former London Warriors teammates, and already mentally elsewhere by the time Darius Rucker’s Monday Piano Room came up in conversation. The post 6 February 2026: Rick Astley at 60, Hamlet, Small Profits and the accidental opera visit first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleFri, 06 Feb 2026 14:58:05 +0000Scott opened Thursday by immediately clocking the pace of the inbox, saying it was “one of those mornings where you can tell people have woken up ready to talk.” Ellie Brennan and Tina Daheley were both in studio, with Scott checking in on them and joking that “we haven’t even warmed up yet and you’re all already in full voice.” The early links were light, with Scott narrating what was coming up and reminding listeners they were heading into “a proper Thursday show.” There were quick resets, music breathing space and familiar back-announcing, with Scott repeatedly acknowledging how fast messages were landing and half-laughing that “this is already a lot before seven.” Ellie noted that voice notes were stacking up unusually early, while Tina commented that people seemed keen to respond to each other as much as the programme. Motherhood chat, but not a phone-in The main theme emerged around motherhood and social media expectations, introduced by Scott reading a listener message about feeling like she was “constantly failing compared to what I see online.” Scott paused on it, saying “this comes up a lot, doesn’t it,” but was careful to keep the show moving rather than letting it settle into a single-issue phone-in. Ellie talked about how curated feeds distort reality, while Tina pointed out that “nobody posts the day where everything went wrong.” Scott reframed the discussion several times, reminding listeners that “you’re hearing highlights, not real life,” before deliberately breaking the run with music and a reset, saying they’d “come back to this — but not all at once.” Voice notes, relief and shared laughs As voice notes came in, the tone varied. Some were reflective, others lighter, with Scott reacting in the moment rather than letting each one sit heavily. When one mum admitted she didn’t enjoy every moment, Scott replied simply, “you’re allowed to feel like that,” before immediately moving on to the next message to stop it lingering. Ellie noted quietly that a lot of messages ended with apologies — “sorry if this sounds awful” — which Scott picked up on, saying, “you all keep apologising — you don’t need to.” He then undercut the intensity by joking that “this has turned into group therapy before 7am,” before laughing and playing a record. Listeners responded to each other as much as the show, which Scott acknowledged on air, saying it felt like “people talking to people rather than just talking to us,” while still steering the programme forward. Pause for Thought and breathing space Pause for Thought slotted neatly into the running order, continuing the theme without deepening it. The speaker focused on compassion, comparison and letting go of unrealistic expectations. Scott thanked them afterwards, saying it “fits with what people have been saying this morning,” and deliberately left a short pause before moving on. Ellie observed that the slot felt like “a natural breather” in the show, which Scott agreed with, before resetting the mood with music and lighter links. The handover Scott handed over to Vernon Kay by briefly outlining what the morning had been about. Vernon picked up on the listener response, saying it sounded like “one of those shows where people really got involved.” Scott agreed, replying that “they really did today,” and mentioned the volume of messages still waiting. The post 5 February 2026: Mums, social pressure and modern reality first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleThu, 05 Feb 2026 21:54:33 +0000Winter Olympics takeover Scott opened Thursday admitting he was already deep into Winter Olympics mode, telling listeners he becomes “completely obsessed” every four years. He joked that for a short window he suddenly has “very strong opinions about skeleton,” despite not watching it outside Olympic season. Ellie Brennan said she loves how everyone becomes an “overnight expert,” while Tina Daheley pointed out that the commentary makes it feel like “we all know exactly what’s going on.” Scott said once it starts, “you’re in,” and described getting emotionally invested in athletes he’d “never heard of before.” That set up the morning’s guest perfectly. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson Scott welcomed Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson to the show, introducing them as Britain’s ice dance duo and linking them directly to the Olympic excitement he’d been talking about all morning. He told them the country was “fully in it now,” admitting he’d already started pretending to understand technical elements of routines. Lilah reacted warmly to the sudden surge of national interest, laughing at how quickly people pick up terminology during Olympic season. She explained how ice dance differs from other skating disciplines and talked through what audiences are actually watching for, describing the detail and precision involved in every lift and step sequence. Lewis picked up on the intensity of competition, explaining how fine the margins are at elite level. He spoke about preparation and how routines are refined repeatedly before competition, describing how “every tiny detail counts.” Scott responded by admitting that from his sofa it all looks effortless, prompting both skaters to laugh. The pair discussed the pressure of performing on such a large stage, with Lilah acknowledging the unique atmosphere that comes with global attention. Lewis added that once the music starts, the focus narrows completely to the routine itself. Scott asked whether they’re aware of the crowd in the moment, and they explained how adrenaline and muscle memory take over. Before they ended the call, Scott told them the breakfast audience would now be “watching properly,” having had ice dance explained by the experts themselves. Lilah thanked him for the support, and Lewis said it’s always great to have people behind the team back home. Fake confidence returns After the Olympic chat, Scott circled back to the earlier theme of fake confidence, linking it jokingly to how he now plans to talk about ice dance “like I’ve trained for years.” Ellie said the show had become “a support group for people who commit too early,” while Tina pointed out that Olympic season gives everyone temporary authority. Listener stories continued to arrive — tales of walking into the wrong rooms, answering questions too confidently and realising too late. Scott repeated one key line, laughing at the moment someone admitted, “I just carried on talking.” The pace stayed brisk, with music resets stopping it becoming too heavy. Good Morning Minute and mid-show rhythm Good Morning Minute slotted in with birthday shout-outs and workplace messages, offering tonal contrast to both the Olympic build-up and the embarrassment confessions. Ellie flagged one message they “cannot ignore,” and Scott read it before laughing that the inbox was “out of control.” Tina gently corrected a timing cue mid-link, which Scott folded back into the morning’s theme, saying that even he was “overconfident with the clock.” The post 5 February 2026: Lilah and Lewis join the Winter Olympics fever first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleThu, 05 Feb 2026 14:45:10 +0000Scott opened Wednesday by acknowledging the week’s midpoint, saying it felt “very Wednesday-y today,” before immediately admitting he’d already been distracted by something ridiculous. Ellie Brennan and Tina Daheley were both in, with Scott checking in on them and joking that “we’ve all hit that midweek wobble slightly.” Within minutes the conversation had drifted into imaginary careers and made-up job titles after a listener texted about describing their role in a way that sounded far more impressive than reality. Scott laughed that “we’ve all done this — you give it a title and hope nobody asks follow-up questions,” which prompted Ellie to confess she sometimes “adds a bit of gloss” when explaining DJing gigs. Tina joined in, saying some jobs “sound like they belong in a sci-fi film,” and Scott asked listeners to send in the most inflated descriptions of ordinary roles. Fake jobs that escalated quickly The inbox filled fast with people rebranding themselves. Scott read out one describing a warehouse worker as a “logistics redistribution specialist,” which he repeated slowly before laughing. Another listener had described being a dinner lady as “nutritional operations supervisor,” prompting Ellie to say “that is genuinely brilliant.” Scott played along, inventing his own exaggerated version of radio presenter, calling himself something along the lines of “audio distribution liaison for national morale,” before admitting “this is getting out of hand already.” What kept it moving was the speed — Scott would read one, react, then immediately move to the next before it could linger. Tina noted the creativity was “actually quite impressive,” while Scott warned that “HR departments are going to start using these.” Midweek moods and honesty As often happens, the tone shifted naturally when a listener message introduced something more reflective about midweek tiredness and motivation. Scott read it and said “this feels very Wednesday,” acknowledging how common that slump can be. Ellie talked about the difference between Monday optimism and Wednesday reality, while Tina admitted she often reassesses her entire life plan by midweek before recovering by Friday. Scott responded that “Wednesday is when you realise how far Friday actually is,” which landed with a wave of agreeing texts. The mood never tipped heavy; it stayed observational. Scott repeatedly reset with music and lighter links, promising to return to fake job titles after the news. Good Morning Minute Good Morning Minute shout-outs returned, with Scott clearly enjoying the contrast between heartfelt birthday messages and the absurd job titles still coming in. Ellie flagged one that had been sitting in the inbox for ten minutes, prompting Scott to say “we cannot ignore that one,” before reading it out. Tina corrected Scott gently on a timing cue mid-link, which he acknowledged with “thank you — I absolutely would have missed that.” Scott admitted at one point that “this is one of those mornings where the inbox is doing the work for us,” before immediately adding another message to the pile. The post 4 February 2026: Fake jobs, midweek moods and inbox chaos first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleWed, 04 Feb 2026 14:37:00 +0000Tuesday beginnings and the name thing Scott opened Tuesday by immediately clocking how many people share the same name, admitting it’s something that “always throws me a bit” when it happens in real life. Ellie Brennan and Tina Daheley were both in, with Scott noting it felt like “one of those proper Tuesday shows where people are very chatty already.” The opening run leaned heavily on listener messages, with Scott laughing that “we’ve not even done anything yet and you’re all already telling us your life stories,” before steering into the first big topic. The name conversation widened quickly, with Scott explaining how awkward it can feel calling out someone’s name when there are “four Davids, three Sarahs and a Mike all turning round.” Ellie chipped in that she avoids names altogether in those situations, while Tina admitted she sometimes doubles down and “says it louder and hopes the right one answers.” School awkwardness and things that still sting From names, the show slid neatly into school memories, sparked by listeners texting about moments that still make them cringe years later. Scott shared that certain things “just sit with you forever,” even when you know they shouldn’t matter anymore. Ellie recalled school situations where teachers would single people out, saying “you could feel the heat in your face,” while Tina admitted she still remembers being called out incorrectly and not correcting it because it felt worse to speak up. Listeners piled in with voice notes about assembly mishaps, being picked last, or answering questions confidently and being completely wrong. Scott read one that made him stop and say “why does this still hurt?” before admitting that radio is essentially “a safe space for all of us to relive it together.” Saying it out loud: letters and confessions The letters segment returned with Scott reading messages that people had clearly been sitting on for years. One listener wrote about finally admitting something they’d kept quiet since school, which Scott described as “quite brave, actually.” Ellie reacted quietly in the background, while Tina pointed out how often people only realise later “that they weren’t the only one feeling like that.” Scott stressed that writing it down or saying it out loud “does actually change something,” even if nothing else shifts. Several listeners followed up immediately, prompting Scott to joke that “we should probably put a warning on this show — you might accidentally process something.” Pause for Thought Pause for Thought brought the pace down, focusing on reflection and perspective. The speaker talked about noticing patterns in everyday behaviour and how people often carry things far longer than they need to. Scott thanked them afterwards, saying it was “one of those ones that sneaks up on you,” before allowing a short beat of silence before moving on. Ellie commented that it tied neatly into what listeners had already been sharing that morning, and Scott agreed, noting “sometimes the show sort of makes its own running order.” The handover At the end of the show, Scott handed over to Vernon Kay, greeting him directly and referencing the morning’s themes. Vernon responded by picking up on the listener stories, saying it sounded like “one of those mornings where people have been properly honest.” Scott agreed, replying that “they really have today,” before outlining what had been covered. The post 3 February 2026: Name twins, school awkwardness and saying it out loud first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleTue, 03 Feb 2026 19:13:25 +0000Scott opened the show with immediate Monday energy, joking about Jason Mohamed accidentally building a whole feature around “Brown Dog Day” instead of Groundhog Day: “Oh no, it’s Jason Mohamed got it completely wrong and it’s actually Groundhog Day and not Brown Dog Day… I know you made that whole feature.” Ellie Brennan was welcomed back after DJing at the weekend, proudly declaring, “The best thing was I had control of a smoke machine,” while Tina Daheley returned feeling “about 85% there” after illness, blaming January and February for wiping her out “like clockwork every year.” Knitwear was admired across the studio, and Scott shared his own busy weekend seeing Jo Whiley DJ — “She did play Britney for me” — and Harry Hill live, including a “massive inflatable sausage” thrown into the crowd. Manners, machines and the AI uprising The morning’s first big talking point came from the mailbag, sparked by a letter from Zoe in Nottingham asking whether she should say please and thank you to her smart speaker. Scott read her question aloud — “Do you have to say please? Because I always do… and then when it comes on, I do say thank you to her” — which quickly spiralled into a full debate. Tina worried aloud, “If we start not saying please and thank you to machines, eventually are we going to lose our manners?” Ellie raised the fear that machines might remember, while Scott joked, “When the time finally does come, AI will remember me that I was one of the polite ones.” Listeners piled in with voice notes confessing to thanking dishwashers, cash machines and “Chachubity,” cementing the theme that politeness now extends well beyond humans. Pause for Thought: Rabbi Miriam Laurie Rabbi Miriam Laurie joined for Pause for Thought, marking the Jewish festival Tu B’Shvat — the birthday of the trees. She spoke about her father-in-law Hilton, describing how he mourns trees being removed, asking, “Who are we to take away this life that has been here for longer than us?” Miriam reflected on how artists like David Hockney changed the way she looks at trees, noting that even in winter, “you’ll see buds hiding there, getting ready for the promise of spring.” She described trees as “free therapists” that lower stress and help people think clearly, adding that they “talk to each other, sharing warnings of disease and danger through their root network.” Scott thanked her warmly, telling listeners to “give a tree a nod later,” closing the slot with its usual calm before the morning picked back up. Supermarket tourism goes global Another big thread returned from Friday: grocery store tourism. Scott admitted, “One of the best bits of going away is going to the supermarket abroad,” picturing “Serrano ham-flavoured crisps, rosé on the terrace and that lemon sparkly drink.” Nadia in Frimley recalled visiting America in the 70s and being overwhelmed by fizzy drinks: “There was this aisle with every flavour under the sun… I picked up a can of each flavour.” Jill then took things further, championing French stationery aisles as “a treasure trove of paper,” revealing family holidays were planned around repeated supermarket visits. Scott happily accepted tips for Le Clerc, Turkish olive aisles and Swiss Coop, declaring himself “never happier than when I’m in a foreign supermarket.” Take That, Robbie Williams and Gemma The biggest moment of the morning came from the Take That documentary. Scott replayed the clip of a teenage fan shouting her phone number at Robbie Williams — “6-7-8-9-7-0-8. Call me any time!” — before revealing Robbie had tried calling it on Instagram. Scott then revealed he’d tracked her down properly and introduced Gemma live on air. She explained it was filmed in 1992 at an HMV signing in Chester: “My dad wouldn’t take me, so I had to catch the bus… we waited round the back till they came out.” Gemma confirmed it was her home phone number and laughed that her dad “would have gone mad if everyone had started ringing.” Now a teacher, she said the attention had been overwhelming, adding, “One of my mates said, you just epitomise the 90s with your Benetton jumper and your inset hairspray hair.” Scott played Robbie’s “She’s the One” for her, with listeners texting in disbelief that the moment had come full circle. Letters, jumpsuits and the midlife poll The mailbag returned later with questions about Ellie’s Christmas tin whistle (“Have I played it since? Not really”) and Tina’s new ambition to learn calligraphy. Another letter revisited Scott’s jumpsuit, prompting him to admit, “I got the orange T-shirt wrong… it was giving my first time in prison vibe.” He revealed the jumpsuit had already been donated to Oxfam and spotted in the shop window, joking they should “take a zero off” the £30 price tag. Results of the Instagram poll were finally revealed: “With over 53% of the vote, the midlifes have it,” narrowly beating “you look great.” The handover to Vernon Kay The show closed by setting up Piano Room Month. Scott handed over cleanly to Vernon Kay, who joined live from Maida Vale and joked about the technical delay: “Through the joys of modern technology, we are coming to you live from Maida Vale via Birmingham, then back to London.” Vernon described seeing Jarvis Cocker rehearsing, saying, “I can see Jarvis holding his microphone like only Jarvis does,” with the BBC Concert Orchestra ready. Scott wrapped it by reminding listeners, “Nobody knows what the cover’s going to be until they start playing it,” before wishing Vernon luck and stepping aside as Piano Room Month officially began. The post 2 February 2026: The Take That number, supermarket tourism and AI manners first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleMon, 02 Feb 2026 11:31:58 +0000Tights on heads and internet behaviour Wednesday kicked off with Scott very much aware that the internet had been busy the day before — especially after a video of him with tights on his head surfaced overnight. Ellie was clear it was “terrifying” as a first-thing-in-the-morning watch, while Scott insisted it was simply “a new trend” involving putting tights over your head and trying to blow out a candle. Tina immediately wanted answers about why there were tights in Scott’s house at all, only for Scott to calmly explain, “I’ve just done panto. I’ve got a lot of tights.” Listener Kate summed up the collective reaction perfectly, saying Scott and Sam had her “absolutely howling,” though Scott conceded it’s “a lot to watch” before you’ve fully woken up. The Traitors, showers, and playing a blinder With The Traitors entering its final week, Scott found himself unable to let something go — not the secret traitors, not the untouched breakfast buffets, but the relentless overuse of one phrase. “She’s playing a blinder,” “absolute blinder,” “playing a blinding game” — Scott counted it happening “roughly five or six times an episode.” Ellie immediately clocked that now it’s been mentioned, it’s impossible to unhear, much like last series’ obsession with “I voted for myself.” Texts flooded in agreeing, with listeners also flagging “I’ve got heat on me” and “100% faithful” as phrases pushing people over the edge. Scott even threatened to write to Points of View, not about the language alone but also the constant shower shots, declaring them “gratuitous” and insisting, “It’s a classy show. Let’s keep it that way.” Naturally, the team couldn’t resist remixing the phrase into a full-blown Traitors-style montage. “Honestly, blinder,” became the catchphrase of the morning — again. Tina’s radio highlight and the hole in the wall Scott revealed his radio highlight of the previous day was Tina on Jeremy Vine’s show, specifically a live cross to a literal hole in a wall in Ilkeston that’s become a tourist attraction. Tina described children diving through it on their way to school, before reporter Matt was instructed to do exactly that — promptly disappearing mid-cross. “Matt’s just dived through the famous Nat West hole… and we have yet to hear from him again,” became an instant classic, with Scott admitting he’d rewound it several times on BBC Sounds just to relive the chaos. Sound baths and the Good Morning Minute Inspired by listener Leslie, 51, heading to her first sound bath of the year, Scott floated the idea of a breakfast show team bonding session that involved not talking. Ellie immediately questioned whether that defeated the point of a team activity, but Scott was keen, especially after Charlotte Church’s previous enthusiasm for sound baths. Listeners confirmed it can work as a group activity, which only encouraged him further. The Good Morning Minute delivered the usual mix of school runs, scrapyards, holidays, slow cookers and sunbathing in Goa — with Scott threatening to fetch a “tiny violin” for anyone texting in from a beach. Pause for Thought and a very practical gift Steve Chalk arrived for Pause for Thought with an unexpected present: a portable Blu-ray/DVD player, solving Scott’s long-running problem of owning many DVDs but nothing to play them on. Steve explained it was partly inspired by Scott mentioning he’d never seen Love Actually, prompting Scott to declare him “one of my favourite Pause for Thoughts.” Steve’s reflection focused on the loss of his friend Pete Meadows, exploring grief, hope and the idea that “though death might end a life, it doesn’t need to end a relationship.” Scott thanked him for something both “lovely” and “positive,” before happily noting he could now finally watch his DVDs. The Easiest Quiz: porridge-gate Ellen from Scarborough took on the Easiest Quiz with confidence, casually mentioning she once shared a hot tub with James Morrison in Melbourne — strictly no photos. She powered through the questions, complete with enthusiastic animal noises, but controversy erupted when she answered that you put milk on porridge. The quiz room descended into chaos, with Scott arguing that if it says “porridge” on the packet, then adding milk absolutely counts. Despite falling just short, Ellen racked up an impressive 41 points, prompting Scott to admit his heart rate had been higher than hers by the end. The porridge debate rumbled on via texts for the rest of the hour. Tony Blackburn: pure radio joy Just after 8, Scott finally got his dream moment as Tony Blackburn joined him in the studio, record box in hand. Tony took over with half an hour of soul classics, including Four Tops, James Ingram and Michael McDonald, while casually announcing he invented the radio time check back in 1964. Scott, understandably, was beside himself with joy. Listeners texted in groan-worthy jokes, Tony reminisced, and Scott admitted he was “DJ-ing for his life.” It was one of those mornings where you could hear the grin through the speakers The handover “We’ve had to move studios twice today — it’s like the hokey-cokey in here,” laughed Scott, before handing over with a cheerful goodbye that felt very much earned after a show that had, in Scott’s own words, been “playing a blinder.” The post 21 January 2026: Playing a blinder, tights on heads and Tony Blackburn joy first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleSat, 31 Jan 2026 15:02:54 +0000Scott kicked off Friday in full end-of-January mood, thanking Harvey Cook for the news and immediately rewinding the week to “four-year-old Asa, the maths genius,” before flagging another “little legend” in two-year-old Jude from Manchester, who has already completed “two world-breaking trick shots on a snooker table.” Scott marvelled at how “most kids can’t even tie their shoes” while Jude is lining up shots professionals struggle with. Phil Collins opened proceedings, with Scott calling it “an absolute pleasure” after a listener texted, “God bless you, Scott Mills. Absolute pleasure. What a show opener.” Natasha Bedingfield followed, and Scott immediately clocked the tone shift, blurting out, “Hip, hip, hooray, it’s Friday,” before immediately deciding, “I didn’t enjoy it,” calling it “a bit Friday-y.” Ellie and Harvey slid in seamlessly. Weekend plans came thick and fast: Ellie had “a little BNO on the cards,” Scott was doing “a sweat and a plunge” and helping his son move flat, and a full debate broke out over whether a spice rack is the ultimate housewarming gift. Scott also revealed he was off to see Jo Whiley in Brighton and was actively plotting to request “the least Jo Whiley song ever” just to wind her up. That thread ran all morning. Scott openly admitted to having “long-running friendly beef” with Jo Whiley and began collecting requests to sabotage the indie flow. Suggestions flew in — Britney, B*Witched, Steps — with Scott promising he’d be “at the front holding up my phone” in “really big, bold text.” Victoria Beckham goes rogue The Jo Whiley plotting escalated when Victoria Beckham entered the chat. Scott admitted he’d been trying all week to get the song cleared, explaining, “we’ve got to ask Jeff,” before revealing, “Jeff’s gone quiet on the matter.” He justified going rogue by noting Radio 2 Piano Room Month was starting and Jeff was “super busy.” Scott then calmly announced, “I’m putting my foot down. I’m signing that executive order. And here it is,” before playing Victoria Beckham’s “Not Such An Innocent Girl.” Ellie immediately clocked it: “I am slightly concerned that you’ve gone rogue,” while Scott defended himself by saying, “No one cares after a couple of blue WKDs, do they?” Scott revealed he’d watched “an entire ITV documentary” hoping to uncover the Beckham feud and learned nothing, and floated the idea that Victoria could “be number one on the charts tonight,” calling it “actually newsworthy.” The whole thing ended with Scott promising to “redress the balance with Toto,” which he promptly did. The Good Morning Minute Scott powered through the Good Morning Minute after being “accused of dilly-dallying yesterday,” reading names, ages and places at speed. Highlights included a PTA quiz win that broke Dry January, couch-to-5K with “Dame Jo Whiley urging me on,” a dishwasher repairman with “no specified time,” birthday salmon for breakfast, snowy dog walks in the Swiss Alps and payday massages. Scott wrapped it with, “I hope you got on today. If not, try Monday,” before dropping Mika and heading straight into Pause for Thought. Pause for Thought Graham Daniels joined Scott, immediately complimented for a “chunky knit and a half.” Asked if he’d had a cup of tea, Graham launched into a story about the best tea he’d ever had — “because I got it when I’d been arrested. Like properly, at a police station, handcuffs, the nine yards.” Graham told the story of accompanying a friend to confess to a robbery, only to be mistakenly arrested himself. He described the fear, the confusion, and the moment the officers realised the mistake, leading to the handcuffs coming off and a “very strong cup of tea.” He reflected on guilt, honesty, and faith, saying that when he’s honest, he’s “not met with accusation… I’m met with mercy,” comparing it to being “led into a quiet room” and realising “my handcuffs have gone.” Scott responded, “You’ve never been more grateful for a cup of tea in your life, have you?” Sir Terry Wogan Scott then paused the show to mark ten years since Sir Terry Wogan’s passing. He spoke about following in Terry’s footsteps, referencing “wake up to Wogan,” Janet and John, “deadly,” and “togs.” Scott pointed listeners to “Wogan in his own words” on BBC Sounds and previewed a BBC Four night of classic shows. Eva Cassidy’s “Over the Rainbow” played in full. A listener texted saying they “got a bit teary,” which Scott acknowledged, calling Terry “warm, mischievous and funny.” It was handled gently, without rushing. The Easiest Quiz on the Radio Katie from Colchester played the final quiz of the week, explaining she and her kids play “in the bath,” “on the walk to school,” and “at breakfast.” The quiz itself spoke to her, offered bath sounds for comfort, and confirmed it “lifts weights,” carrying “the weight of the easiest quiz on the radio on their shoulders every single day.” Katie answered confidently, including “space people” for astronauts and “hockey” for ice hockey, both of which sparked negotiations. Scott argued her case fiercely, saying, “effectively they are people that are in space,” and insisting ice hockey is “still hockey.” She finished on 17 points, with Scott declaring it “a respectable score,” telling the quiz to “get better soon,” and Katie saying she’d be reusing questions “on the walk to school and in the bath.” Big Guest Friday Scott introduced Big Guest Friday by calling Alan Carr “the busiest man in this business,” alongside John Richardson “from Waterloo Road” and “peak 1990s” Denise Van Outen. Denise arrived late after being told “eight o’clock,” explaining she’d gone for coffee and was “putting my makeup on,” proudly declaring, “I went for the peach blush.” Scott asked Denise for a Big Breakfast story she could tell on breakfast radio. She delivered one involving Lionel Blair turning up at the wrong show after telling a taxi driver to take him to Live TV, arriving “doing a pirouette in the splits.” “He wasn’t in the show,” she said. “We had him on for the whole show.” Alan Carr then escalated things dramatically by claiming he and Lionel Blair once saved a man’s life on Blackpool Pier after “downing our rosé.” He described Lionel announcing himself mid-rescue and insisted, “It’s a true story. Check it out. We were on the news.” Denise later addressed headlines about talking to her dogs, saying, “I do,” explaining she puts the news on for them and changes channel if needed. She also plugged her tour, calling it “an evening with,” featuring songs, stories, Strictly, Chicago, and a full slideshow of Big Breakfast photos. John Richardson stayed woven throughout, reacting, agreeing and gently grounding the room while Scott delighted in the chaos, calling it “not disappointing” and letting the stories breathe. The post 30 January 2026: Big Guest Friday chaos, Victoria Beckham and a bath-time quiz first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleFri, 30 Jan 2026 21:25:39 +0000“Is that Jill from the quiz?” Scott opened by spotting a familiar voice straight away, clocking “Jill from the quiz” and calling her “another fave of mine,” before letting the music play out fully and re-establishing the rhythm of the morning. It was one of those starts that immediately grounded the show in shared memory, with Scott checking sound levels, joking “she got any echo on her there at all?” and reminding everyone exactly where they were: “This is the Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2.” Victoria Beckham, 2001, and peak British behaviour After Pink, Scott pivoted straight into the story that threaded through the morning, noting that “this song by Victoria Beckham is in the charts at the moment, even though it was released in 2001,” before offering his own diagnosis: “I think it’s because of all the drama of late with the Beckhams.” He immediately widened it out, laughing that “isn’t this peak British behaviour? Really, we’re very unserious sometimes,” and reminded listeners he’d flagged the track the day before, saying he’d “quite like to play this track by Victoria” now it was charting again. That quickly turned into a live decision-making moment, with Scott underlining that “ultimately, it’s the decision of the man who is in charge of all the music here on Radio 2,” before naming him: “and I think you’ll agree he does a flipping good job of it, Jeff.” Messages had already come in, with Scott confirming “we did get a flurry of texts yesterday saying yes play it,” and that the team had passed them on — but the call still rested with Jeff. Jeff-watch, Melanie C, and people power Scott explained the practical snag in real time: “I’ve also got the new one from Melanie C in a minute and I can’t play two Spice Girls solo tracks in one show.” Rather than shutting it down, he turned it into a mission, inviting listeners to influence what happened next: “If you would like to hear Victoria Beckham on tomorrow’s show, Friday, text me now 882921.” He promised, very clearly, “I promise your message will be sent to Jeff,” before reiterating the structure of Radio 2 life: “he has the ultimate decision.” By the end of the sequence, Scott was already reacting to incoming messages, reading out “Yes to full VB, please. We need it on Friday,” and confirming “I’ll send all these on, okay?” before moving cleanly into Melanie C with What Could Possibly Go Wrong, a title that did not go unnoticed. Elder vs Millennial: Bob Holness, forgotten telly and polite confusion Scott introduced the feature by leaning hard into the nostalgia, flagging it as “serious nostalgia next” and reminding listeners that Elder vs Millennial exists because “young people learn about the cultural milestones of the past,” usually followed by bafflement. Emilio joined Scott in the studio, with Scott immediately referencing recent events, joking that “today he will not be insulting my jumpsuit,” before reassuring him that “you were actually the nicest one when I wore my Stephen-from-Traitors-inspired jumpsuit the other day.” The example at the heart of the game was something Scott admitted had completely slipped his own mind until recently: a TV show from the 1980s hosted by Bob Holness. Scott framed it as one of those formats that “everyone of a certain age just knows,” before realising that to Emilio it meant absolutely nothing. The show’s name, premise and catchphrases were all laid out slowly, with Scott clearly enjoying the dawning realisation that this was another cultural reference that has simply vanished for anyone who didn’t grow up with three channels and a Radio Times. Emilio’s reactions did most of the work. Scott explained the mechanics of the programme and paused repeatedly to check if any of it sounded normal, while Emilio responded politely but clearly unconvinced. Scott acknowledged the gap directly, saying this was exactly the point of the feature — things that were once massive now sounding completely unhinged when explained out loud. The segment ended without resolution, the reference still not landing, which Scott seemed perfectly happy with, moving straight on knowing the confusion was the payoff. The post 29 January 2026: Victoria Beckham charts, Jeff decides, Bob Holness first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleThu, 29 Jan 2026 11:42:46 +0000No jumpsuit, no sun, but big positive energy Scott opened Wednesday determined to shut down any lingering January misery, making a point of clarifying that “before you ask, no — I’m not wearing a jumpsuit,” and declaring those days officially over. With Tina off ill and Matthew Carter drafted in, the tone quickly settled into gentle chaos, weather-based disbelief and a firm demand for “big positive energy only.” Josh Whittaker’s forecast did little to lift spirits, prompting Scott to wonder how a ten-day forecast could look exactly the same every single day, before throwing it straight back to listeners for VPE via voice notes. Those voice notes immediately became the engine of the morning, with gym sessions, early runs, deliveries and dog walks all providing the soundtrack. Scott leaned into it hard, clearly enjoying how the show now lives in people’s earbuds during very specific moments of their day. The sense of routine — halfway through the week, still dark, still damp — was acknowledged without ever being wallowed in. A year in, and the memories came flooding back A highlight of the morning was Scott and Matthew revisiting a montage of the show’s first year, shared on Instagram, which Scott admitted had made him “quite emotional.” What followed was a rapid-fire recollection of moments that felt both huge and completely ridiculous: Gloria Estefan confiscating a sausage from a nun, Gerard Butler with a lizard on his head, Brian Cox accidentally joining a conga, and Scott himself wandering the streets in a dressing gown. It was one of those stretches of radio that didn’t need tightening. The joy was in how casually the memories were dropped, with Scott repeatedly realising he’d forgotten entire episodes of his own life. It underlined how much ground the show has covered in a year, without ever tipping into self-congratulation. Take That’s helpline aftermath Although Gary, Mark and Howard weren’t in the studio this day, the ripple effects of their anniversary appearance were still very much alive. Scott explained that the reopened Take That helpline had stayed with him long after the microphones were off, particularly the decision not to tell callers the band would actually be on the line. Speaking to Lisa, one of the superfans surprised on air, Scott let the moment breathe as she admitted she’d taken the morning off work and was still recovering. Lisa talked through her history with the band, from early 90s fandom to the embarrassment endured by siblings and the long-suffering patience of her partner, Craig. Scott reflected on how surreal it was that a helpline first called in distress thirty years ago could now end with Mark Owen on the line, joking that he’d like to tell twelve-year-old Lisa that “it’s all going to be all right in 2026.” Vinnie Jones (five-paragraph guest section) Vinnie Jones arrived with Scott admitting he was “50% starstruck and 50% terrified,” immediately playing up the contrast between Vinnie’s reputation and his calm, friendly presence. Vinnie leaned into it, joking that Scott looked like “one of the youth team players,” before swapping stories about working alongside Hollywood’s most intimidating names. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and John Travolta all came up, with Vinnie recalling being genuinely starstruck for the first time when Travolta stopped a set to personally thank the entire cast. As the chat unfolded, Vinnie’s warmth became the dominant note. He spoke fondly about Stallone organising golf club memberships for the cast during a Louisiana shoot, and about forming close friendships through work, including Paul Whitehouse. Scott listened like a fan, barely interrupting, clearly happy to let Vinnie’s stories roll. The conversation shifted naturally to Vinnie Jones In The Country, with Vinnie explaining that his life away from acting is focused almost entirely on conservation, wildlife and mental health. He described the show as deliberately not being a farming programme, stressing that “80–90% of the feedback” is about how openly it tackles men’s mental health, grief and anxiety. He spoke plainly about needing people like himself to address it head-on, with the same force he once used on the football pitch. Animals became the emotional heart of the interview. Vinnie talked in detail about rescuing barn owls, explaining how young owls fall from poorly designed nesting boxes and how careful the reintroduction process needs to be. His description of building a temporary aviary inside the barn, slowly allowing the owls to learn their surroundings before release, was delivered with obvious pride and patience. The interview ended in complete contrast to its thoughtful tone, as Scott asked Vinnie to judge viral “celebrity owl” impressions. After politely tolerating a few, Vinnie was asked to perform one himself, producing a surprisingly convincing hoot live on air. Scott lost it completely, declaring it the best of the lot and crowning Vinnie the outright winner before sending him off to Bananarama. Left-handers, letters and the joy of nonsense Running alongside everything else was Scott’s renewed mission to “make letters great again,” inviting emails about absolutely anything. A letter from Craig in Bath about Scott being left-handed sparked a sprawling discussion about left-handed scissors, smudged fountain pens, awkward school desks and the long-lost left-handed shops of the early 2000s. Scott insisted left-handed scissors were “a con,” while callers and Matthew shared stories of elbow battles and ink-covered hands. It was classic Breakfast Show territory: niche, oddly universal, and allowed to run for as long as it wanted. By the time Scott noted that every conversation about being left-handed inevitably ends with someone saying “my uncle’s daughter is left-handed,” the point had already landed perfectly. Scott hands over to Vernon As the show drifted past 9:30, Scott linked up with Vernon Kay, immediately suggesting they should invent a feud to generate tabloid headlines. Within seconds they were joking about savage digs, misquoted remarks and imaginary Mirror headlines, with Vernon happily playing along. Scott promised to think of “a better feud for tomorrow” before finally handing over, still laughing. The post 28 January 2026: Vinnie Jones, left-handers and owls first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleWed, 28 Jan 2026 11:37:44 +0000“We Haven’t Been Taken Off Yet” Scott opened Tuesday by calmly pointing out the obvious milestone, welcoming everyone to the show’s first birthday and noting, with relief, that “we haven’t been taken off, which is good — it’s a start.” Listener messages poured in immediately, with Scott admitting he’d happily take “98% positive” and leave the rest behind. There was something quietly affectionate about the way he talked about the year, acknowledging how fast it had gone and how strange it felt that the very first caller, Claire from Chester, rang back in exactly a year later to mark both of them still being there. Scott clearly loved that symmetry, thanking her for “checking back in” and gently insisting they should “stop mentioning it’s our birthday,” before immediately mentioning it again. The Jumpsuit (A Bold Choice) Early on, Scott flagged that he was “a bit nervous” about what he was wearing, admitting it was a “bold choice” for someone “quite conservative with clothing.” What followed was a full studio reveal: a light blue corduroy jumpsuit, inspired directly by Stephen from The Traitors and purchased with “one click, next day delivery.” Ellie and Tina did not let him off lightly. Ellie described it as “giving children’s TV presenter,” while Tina confirmed, diplomatically, that it was “a little CBeebies.” Scott took it surprisingly well, saying it was “a happy outfit,” confessing it was “that level of comfort where you put your pyjamas on on Christmas Day,” and announcing he no longer cared if people thought he was “on the wrong side of 40” to be wearing it. Listener reaction split instantly. Some loved it. Others suggested “Mr Tumble.” One asked if he’d consider completing the look by putting his shoes on the wrong feet again. Scott accepted all of it, promising a photo “as soon as possible,” while repeatedly getting distracted and not posting it. Off-Air Truths (Caught on Mic) The jumpsuit saga escalated when Scott revealed he’d secretly recorded what the team were saying about it off air. What followed was brutal. Comparisons to Benson Boone, “midlife crisis” accusations, and multiple people admitting they’d rehearsed what to say to him on air so as not to upset him. Scott took the reveal with good humour, mock-spiralling into talk of Harley Davidsons and secretaries, before announcing he did, in fact, have “a change of clothes” ready if things got too much. The jumpsuit had already done its job. Pause for Thought That Stopped the Show Miriam Lorie delivered a Pause for Thought borrowed from Joseph, a man she met while working as a hospital chaplain. His words about gratitude, faith, and holding “no hate in your heart for anyone” landed heavily, especially as Miriam explained this wasn’t about cancer changing priorities, but about “the resources and life philosophy people bring into treatment.” Scott responded simply, calling Joseph “a very wise man” and joking gently that Miriam had found herself a mentor. It was one of those moments that didn’t need anything added. The Easiest Quiz: Pedantry Returns Mark, a PE coach from Eastbourne, took on the quiz and did well — very well — until the quiz did what it always does. A pause too long here, “milk” instead of “brown” there, and suddenly the mood shifted. Scott fought for him, appealed to his work with children, issued a metaphorical yellow card, and blamed “too much spider content” in the questions. Mark finished on 25, the current streak of the week, while Scott admitted “the quiz is on to me again,” and briefly lost control of his own format. Nigella, But Make It Sensible Scott addressed the Bake Off news head-on, confirming Nigella Lawson as the new Prue and explicitly refusing to do “what all the other breakfast shows will be doing,” namely impressions and innuendo. He immediately undermined himself by inviting listeners to send Nigella impressions instead, before regretting it almost instantly when they arrived. One soggy bottom reference was enough. Scott shut it down. “Do You Remember 30 Years Ago…” By the time the clock hit eight, the emotional spine of the show was fully in place. Scott replayed Gary Barlow’s original Take That announcement, calling it “a day that shook pop music,” reminding everyone there’d been a helpline, and confirming, with no hesitation, that “yes, we’re reopening it.” When Gary, Mark and Howard walked in, the atmosphere shifted completely. Scott greeted them like old friends, wished Mark a happy birthday, and watched them sing to him live on air, complete with a suspiciously BBC-safe caterpillar cake. Take That for an Hour (And Not a Minute Less) When Gary, Mark and Howard arrived just after eight, the mood in the studio shifted instantly. Scott introduced them with obvious excitement, calling it “one of the most successful and loved boy bands in pop history,” before immediately clocking that it was also Mark’s birthday. The band forgot. Scott didn’t. What followed was a slightly chaotic, very affectionate live rendition of Happy Birthday, described as “one of the few songs Gary Barlow didn’t write,” complete with harmonies and laughter, setting the tone for the hour. Before any deep chat, Scott presented Mark with a BBC-safe caterpillar cake, carefully avoiding naming which one it was “because it’s the BBC.” Mark revealed his mum used to work in the bakery that made them, casually dropping that she’d been involved in producing the originals, including a Batman cake that once had to be recalled for turning mouths blue. It was one of those wonderfully unnecessary detours that felt completely on brand for both the band and the show. Tour prep came next, and it quickly became clear this is still a competitive environment. Gary talked about cardio and stage fitness, Mark admitted he was “slowly getting into it,” and Howard revealed he’d been doing Pilates twice a week. Scott delighted in the fact that nobody officially announces when prep starts, explaining that “nobody actually really tells anybody — it’s still a competition.” Mark then escalated things by admitting he’d bought a unicycle to practise a specific tour moment, calmly noting he’d already been on it, even though he’d eventually be doing it in front of 70,000 people a night. The conversation naturally moved to the new documentary, which Scott said he’d already watched and thought was “fantastic.” Gary explained it grew out of conversations around the This Is Us tour, after Netflix approached them and then disappeared for over a year. Scott was particularly taken by the early footage of the band travelling up and down the country in a van, playing schools with a ghetto blaster, laughing at how “Spinal Tap” it all felt — including clips of them standing awkwardly while someone tried to press play on the wrong button. Throughout the hour, the chat never felt rushed. Scott reminded them he’d once introduced them himself at a roadshow in Bristol, they swapped memories of chaotic early gigs, and the whole thing unfolded like a reunion rather than an interview. With the helpline reopened, the anniversary still hovering in the background, and the documentary landing that day, it felt less like a booking and more like a moment — three old friends on the sofa, letting it all breathe. The post 27 January 2026: The Birthday Show, the Jumpsuit, and Take That for an Hour first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleTue, 27 Jan 2026 18:19:32 +0000As it's been a year since the major daytime schedule changes on 2, I thought I'd start a new review topic for everyone's thoughts on Scott, Trevor and Spoony now that their shows are well bedded in. For me: Scott - you could tell from his afternoon show that he was missing someone to bounce off and in specifically Ellie but definitely also Tina he's got that. He sounds tonnes better on breakfast and has really come into his own on 2. Plus he's developed a strong format with the quiz and elder vs millennial standing out. Trevor - It's a more music heavy and less personality based show (though he injects it brilliantly where he needs to) but it really suits him and his features are very strong. He's got good banter with Richie and Bobbie and I think people are enjoying the variety of music on that show as well. Spoony - Fits in to late nights absolutely seamlessly, his format is full of very good quality entertaining features and Spoony's really getting his personality across loads.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:45:55 +0000“January Drags On, But We’ve Got a Whole Week” Scott opened Monday with a promise and a plea, admitting that January was still “dragging on,” but insisting the week ahead would fly by thanks to “amazing music and loads of fun and great guests.” He immediately asked for gossip, calling out to the “faithful” and setting up what was coming after eight: “a long overdue catch-up with my mate and your long-time morning companion Zoe Ball.” He also flagged the danger zone early, warning listeners that at 8.30 “your melons will be twisted” by Shaun Ryder and Bez, adding, with caution, that he did have the emergency beep button ready “at any time.” Shoes on the Wrong Feet (It Will Not Go Away) Before 7am, Scott accepted reality: the Radio 2 family photo had officially become a thing. He admitted that “all of my messages on social media at the weekend from you guys are about my shoes,” confirming that, yes, they were on the wrong feet and, worse, “clearly visible right at the front of the picture.” The situation escalated when he sent listeners to Josh Widdicombe’s Instagram, pointing out that Josh had travelled from Devon to be in the photo only to be “ball-blocked,” with “just the head of Michael Ball and Josh’s glasses” visible. Scott called it “Where’s Wally level” cruel. Admin Night: Wine, Panic and Passwords A casual chat about procrastination quickly turned into a fully-formed lifestyle proposal. Scott admitted he’d been doing “the daily double — done nothing” for three weeks, while Ellie described herself as “a deadline woman” who waits for “that panic feeling” before becoming efficient. Tina, unsurprisingly, revealed she has “lists upon lists upon lists.” Scott’s solution was immediate: a communal admin night. Everyone brings wine, wears comfies, and finally does all the life admin they’ve been avoiding. Subscriptions, passwords, inboxes, camera rolls, passport renewals — everything. He pitched it as “something you don’t want to do but becomes almost enjoyable,” before Ellie pointed out that it mainly sounded like “coming to your house to do your admin.” Scott did not deny this. Wrong Shoes Support Group Nadine from Bideford rang in with a story designed to make Scott feel better, describing her husband discovering mid-meal in a posh restaurant that he was wearing two completely different shoes. Scott listened carefully before admitting the fatal detail: “At least he didn’t have them on the wrong feet.” The segment turned into a confessional, with Scott revealing he’d once gone to the gym wearing “two completely different trainers, one black, one white,” prompting Nadine to suggest pairing shoes before putting them away, like a toddler. The Easiest Quiz: Monday Cruelty The first Easiest Quiz of the week reset the streak, which Scott described as “great news for everyone” after the previous run of 41. Aaron from Burton-on-Trent played for an egg cup for his new flat and got off to a shaky start with a very slow “rocket.” Things fell apart on “how do you get rid of knots in your hair,” where Aaron said “untie them.” Scott fought for him, Ellie tried to reason it out, but the quiz — still haunted by Olive Oil Gate — refused mercy. Aaron went out on five, becoming “technically streak of the week,” which Scott described as “something.” Robbie Breaks the Record Amid the chaos, Scott dropped genuinely huge chart news: Robbie Williams’ Britpop had gone straight in at number one, giving him 16 UK number-one albums — more than The Beatles. Scott called it “massive” and “huge,” noting how long Robbie had wanted this and how “absolutely over the moon” he was on socials. Take That Tomorrow (Finally Allowed to Say It) Scott then revealed what he’d been sitting on: the new Take That documentary landing, which he’d already watched in full and described as “everything,” packed with footage he’d never seen before. He explained that the boys mostly narrate rather than appear on screen, which he said made it “even better.” Then the real reveal: “Tomorrow on this show, Gary, Mark and Howard will be here. A full hour. Eight till nine.” He admitted he’d been “keeping this a secret for a while” and immediately played Never Forget, calling it “perfect for my Monday morning.” Zoe Ball Back Where She Belongs Just after eight, Zoe Ball walked into the studio and immediately acknowledged the weirdness, saying it felt like they were “sat in the wrong seats.” Scott welcomed her with visible relief, and Zoe reassured everyone she was not there to reclaim the breakfast show, despite everyone’s panic. They talked shoes (obviously), winter wake-ups, the luxury of not doing breakfast radio anymore, and Zoe’s joy at doing the school run, which she described as her favourite part of the day. She spoke warmly about gardening, batch cooking, and having time she never had before, while Scott admitted he loves her podcast with Jo Whiley and learning things he “absolutely did not expect.” It was relaxed, affectionate, and exactly what it needed to be. The post 26 January 2026: Admin Wine Night and Zoe Ball Returns first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleMon, 26 Jan 2026 17:19:12 +0000Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:08:14 +0000“If I’m the First Voice You’re Hearing Today, Hi” Scott opened Tuesday gently, welcoming anyone drifting in after Owain, setting up a packed morning and casually dropping in that “depending on what generation you are, you will know today’s guest,” before listing almost every possible Michaela Strachan reference point in one breath. He also noted, slightly surprised, that radio DJs “don’t get letters anymore,” before immediately contradicting himself by announcing “hundreds — not in the post, but virtually by email,” ready for the mailbag later. The Owl Thing (No One Knows Why) The show quickly latched onto what became the uncontested theme of the morning: owl impressions. Scott admitted he didn’t understand where it had come from, saying it was “either the Beckhams or owls” on social media, but that didn’t stop him going all in. Voice notes poured in from everywhere, with Scott inviting “owls all over the land — Manchester, Cardiff, Belfast, Norwich, Edinburgh, Aberdeen,” and opening the door to celebrity owls too. Tina and Ellie were swiftly dragged in. Tina delivered a composed “twit-two,” while Ellie went rogue with “ee-bye-hoo.” Scott was delighted and faintly alarmed, noting he’d “never seen so many voice notes come in this early in the morning,” before declaring the UK “a nation of owls” and accepting that “we just need a bit of a laugh, don’t we?” Wedgie-Gate and Newsreader Trauma Somehow, the word “wedgie” became a talking point, after Scott revealed he hadn’t expected to hear it said repeatedly in a news bulletin. He admitted, incredulous, that he’d never said it “on the radio. Full stop,” before imagining the internal struggle of having to read it aloud on air. Tina confirmed she’d never said it either, and Scott gleefully replayed the moment, admitting he could hear the panic in the delivery. It was one of those moments that existed purely to make Scott laugh — and therefore stayed alive far longer than necessary. Pause for Thought That Properly Landed The mood shifted with Pause for Thought from Krish Kandiah, who spoke about mornings shared with his son reading How to Train Your Dragon, and how a Shared Lives placement had quietly changed their family dynamic. Scott listened closely, later reflecting that it wasn’t too late — “here we are on the 20th of January, nearly February” — to finally start reading properly himself. The chat rolled naturally into Tina’s goal of reading 52 books in a year, which Scott described as “an impressive amount of books,” before admitting he hoped they were “all short ones.” Michaela Strachan: Five Paragraphs, No Notes Michaela Strachan joined just after eight, with Scott admitting he felt like he already knew her because he’d been watching her for years. Michaela returned the love, saying she listens to Radio 2 “all the time when I’m in my car,” instantly establishing mutual fandom. They talked Winterwatch returning that night, Michaela explaining the aim was to help people “feel relaxed, feel comfortable, really embrace the outdoors,” while learning about British wildlife. Broadcasting from Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland, she revealed they’d adjusted their start time to avoid clashing with The Traitors, joking that “you don’t want to mess with that.” Michaela ran through the wildlife lineup — badgers, pine martens, red squirrels, otters — calling it “an absolute mammal fest,” while Scott helpfully clarified she meant mammals, not “middle-aged men in Lycra.” The pair also teased a Traitors-inspired feature called “nature’s traitors,” with Michaela proudly explaining her assigned angler fish, complete with prop, because “regulars of the Watches love our props.” She gamely reacted to the owl impressions too, praising a Cilla Black owl as “inspired,” before Scott promised to play her the new Bruno Mars track and ominously hinted they’d be revisiting “something from the past” after. Take That Trauma, Reopened Later, Scott unveiled the trailer for the new Take That documentary, admitting he’d already watched it and found it “incredible,” packed with unseen footage and drama. He described watching it with his son, who wasn’t around for the original era but was now fully obsessed, wanting to “watch another one” immediately. Scott reminded listeners of the emotional impact of the original split, vividly recalling the press conference and the now-legendary Take That helpline, which he confirmed “was real and is featured in the show.” He asked, gently but pointedly, whether anyone listening had actually called it at the time, fully aware of what he was about to unleash. The post 20 January 2026: A Nation of Owls, Wedgie News and Michaela Strachan first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleTue, 20 Jan 2026 15:03:46 +0000Blue Monday? Absolutely not. Scott opened the week in full rejection mode, immediately binning the idea of Blue Monday and asking for voice notes instead of texts. “I’d much rather hear your voice than just a text,” he said, inviting weekend gossip straight into WhatsApp. He also flagged what the whole morning would orbit around: Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday, promising that his half-hour chat with Dolly would be replayed later because “it just feels right”. By the time Republica and Beyoncé had done their thing, the tone was set. A listener celebrating their first ever 5K was congratulated, another proudly announced there was “no Blue Monday here”, and Scott made it official: “Yeah, we’re not having that.” Ellie’s back, AI nearly takes over, and the medical vape returns Ellie Brennan returned to the studio after being floored by illness, sounding better but admitting she was still tired. Scott revealed that during her absence they’d used “AI Ellie more than we normally would”, before reassuring her that while it can laugh and say “I’m from the north”, she still has “at least a couple of years” before it takes her job. This spiralled into talk of tonsils, how everyone had them out “in the 80s”, and Ellie revealing hers were “great balls of fire” last week. Tina then brought up Ellie’s steam voice machine, described lovingly as her “medical vape”, prompting Scott to say he once walked in and thought “we had a new pope”. Tina added it was like “Stars in Their Eyes DIY”, with Ellie insisting “a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do”. The slippers, the jeans, and fashion regret The conversation drifted — as it always does — into footwear. Ellie admitted she wore her fur-lined shoes into work, which Scott insisted were slippers, regardless of protests. They were described as something you could “put the bins out in”, possibly with socks, definitely with granddad energy. After admitting everyone in the office had been staring at her feet because they’d heard the show, Ellie announced the slippers had now been “banished from public life”. They are now strictly house-only. Fashion chat escalated further with the return of skinny jeans, carrot jeans, barrel jeans, and — worst of all — the ballet pump. Ellie recalled needing spare socks when visiting people because “your feet would smell so bad”, with Scott agreeing January was absolutely not ballet pump season. Singing names, listener messages and zero tolerance for misery After Sabrina Carpenter, listeners messaged in about slippers having USB-C chargers, ballet pumps making toes curl, and accusations that Ellie suspiciously took time off when snooker was on. Scott shut that down immediately. Whitney Houston led into a moment where Ellie suggested singing your name to “I’m Every Woman”, which worked perfectly for “I’m Ellie Brennan” and “Aunt Tina Dehealy” but absolutely did not work for Scott, who declared, “It’s my song, guys.” Scott then formally declared the show the happiest place on the radio and asked for clips that always make people laugh. Blue Monday was “a load of rubbish” and they were “banishing the blues” regardless. Old clips, Tony, and AI Ellie meltdown Listener requests poured in, including the infamous Tony from the quiz — “What was your name again?” — which Scott replayed with delight. Another favourite emerged quickly: the mocked-up AI Ellie clip, particularly Tina’s reaction. Scott reintroduced it by reminding everyone they joke AI will take their jobs, before replaying Tina completely losing it and Scott pleading, “Tina, it’s not that funny, my job’s at stake here.” Scott noted he could still see Tina on the newsroom camera laughing afterwards. Good Morning Minute only, thank you very much Scott then demanded a “really good” Good Morning Minute. No complaints allowed. What followed was exactly that: tax returns completed, new schools started, braces coming off, brownies baked, swimming lessons, retirement plans, coffee, dogs, grandchildren, and wedding dress shopping. Scott noted the sky was already getting lighter and said, “brighter days are coming”. Pause for Thought: Mum, eyes, and quiet tears Rabbi Miriam Laurie joined for Pause for Thought, sharing a story about her optometrist mum, childhood mischief during eye tests, and how her mother had just retired after nearly 40 years. Miriam spoke about eyesight, listening, and care, saying her mum helped patients far beyond the appointment time. Scott quietly reacted throughout, ending with, “I love that you didn’t tell your mum about this,” before admitting his own recent eye test had blurred into endless “one or two… similar… three or four”. The post 19 January 2025: AI Ellie panic, slippers banned and Blue Monday rejected first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full articleMon, 19 Jan 2026 14:58:51 +0000Sat, 17 Jan 2026 16:27:51 +0000