Show Diary - 12 January 2026: Scott Mills returns with Robbie Williams

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“I have to speak my truth… I’ve never watched Love Actually.”
“Mary Berry says you should get up and get dressed.”
“If you don’t feel festive after this, you have a cold heart.”

Tuesday Energy, Festive Voices and the Walking in the Air Takeover

Scott Mills leaned fully into Tuesday morning with warmth, mischief and maximum Christmas spirit. Still dealing with the fallout from his Love Actually confession, Scott opened by sharing listener reactions as the mailbag continued to “bulge”, with emails ranging from polite disappointment to outright disbelief. Ellie Brennan and Stefan Powell were firmly in the mix, keeping the show grounded with travel, news and gentle teasing, while Scott embraced his role as festive chaos conductor. The tone was set early when Scott encouraged listeners to send in their attempts at Walking in the Air, insisting he “wasn’t asking” but absolutely loving that everyone did anyway.

What followed was a surprisingly emotional and hilarious parade of voice notes. From warm-ups involving “minimal animal” to unexpectedly operatic performances, Scott treated each effort like a West End audition. One listener’s vibrato stopped him in his tracks, while another was invited to “warm up properly and try again later”. It was a classic Scott Mills segment — inclusive, silly, and joyful — with the added bonus that it paved the way for one of the day’s biggest guests later on.

Pause for Thought: Solitude, Christmas and Being Fully Yourself

Tuesday’s Pause for Thought came from Governor B and landed with real emotional weight. Reflecting on Christmas, identity and the idea of “two halves of life”, he spoke honestly about shedding old masks and learning to live more authentically. He shared that this Christmas morning he’ll go for a solo run before picking up his children, explaining that being alone doesn’t always mean being lonely — sometimes it means peace. Scott listened intently, clearly moved, and thanked him warmly afterwards, while listeners texted in to say the words had made them cry and rethink their own festive routines.

Strictly Finalists: George and Alexis

George Clarke and Alexis Charleston joined Scott live in the studio ahead of the Strictly Come Dancing final, and the excitement was unmistakable. Scott began by locking eyes with George and saying the words out loud: “You’re in the Strictly final.” George laughed in disbelief, admitting it still didn’t feel real and joking they must have “got the wrong George.” With no prior dance or performance experience, George reflected on how surreal the journey has been, especially learning not just the steps but how to command a stage — something Scott was keen to praise repeatedly.

Alexis spoke with pride about George’s transformation, describing the early hesitancy and overthinking that gradually gave way to confidence and trust. She pinpointed a turning point when George stopped analysing every move and started fully committing emotionally. Scott related deeply, sharing his own memories of learning to dance and how vulnerable it feels when performance isn’t your natural comfort zone. The partnership between the two felt genuine, affectionate and supportive — exactly the sort of dynamic Strictly fans love to root for.

Family came up often, with George sharing how meaningful it’s been for his grandparents and parents to watch him on a show they truly understand. Scott joked that radio success never quite impresses grandparents, but Strictly absolutely does. Listener messages poured in calling George “what Strictly is all about”, leaving him visibly touched and slightly embarrassed. Alexis added that what audiences see is exactly who George is off-camera — kind, genuine and thoughtful — a comment Scott wholeheartedly agreed with.

The conversation moved on to the final itself, with three dances looming and hopes of a perfect 40 still alive. Alexis admitted she’s “manifesting it” and jokingly suggested twerking again if that’s what it takes to win Craig over. Scott loved the optimism, teasing that anything is possible on final week. Talk of the Strictly tour followed, with Scott reminiscing about his own experience and warning George that tears at the end are mandatory, no matter how tough the rehearsals get.

Before they left, Scott read out one final listener message praising George’s confidence growth and kindness. Alexis looked like a proud sister, and George quietly absorbed the love, saying how strange — and lovely — it feels to be supported by people who didn’t know him a few months ago. Scott sent them off with genuine warmth, reminding listeners they could watch the final on Saturday night, and promising more Strictly finalists all week.

Aled Jones and Carrie Hope Fletcher: Elf, Legends and Walking in the Air

The festive atmosphere ramped up even further when Aled Jones and Carrie Hope Fletcher arrived to talk about Elf the Musical. Scott immediately addressed the elephant in the room — Walking in the Air — and Aled took it all in good humour, admitting he used to mind the constant references when he was younger but now just thinks about “the money”. Carrie laughed along, clearly loving the energy of the studio and the affection everyone still has for Aled’s iconic voice.

Carrie spoke passionately about playing Jovie, describing her as jaded, anti-Christmas and very New York — until Buddy the Elf softens her. Scott was delighted to learn that Buddy is played by Carrie’s real-life husband, Joel Montague, and that he barely leaves the stage for the entire show. Carrie joked that she spends half the night drinking tea in her dressing room while Joel tap dances relentlessly, before helping him with his tap routine each evening.

Aled shared stories from his childhood, including listening to Les Misérables on repeat during long train journeys to London to avoid people staring at “the kid from The Snowman”. Carrie, a huge Les Mis fan herself, was visibly impressed, and Scott immediately suggested a duet. This led — inevitably — to Scott producing his tin whistle and attempting Walking in the Air live on air. Carrie diplomatically praised the effort, while Aled kindly suggested “everyone has to start somewhere”.

When Aled finally sang Walking in the Air properly, the studio fell into reverent silence, with Scott calling it “one of the all-time greats”. He reeled off Aled’s career highlights — singing for royalty, the Pope, selling millions of albums — before declaring that being a traffic cone on The Masked Singer might still be the pinnacle. Aled agreed, admitting it was also the hottest he’s ever been on television.

Carrie reflected on how joyful it is to perform a Christmas show in December, especially when audiences are craving escapism. She teased the snowy finale that leaves some audience members soaked and laughing, while Ellie Brennan confirmed she’d experienced it firsthand. The pair spoke warmly about working together and their shared theatre history, with Scott finishing by urging listeners to catch Elf the Musical before it closes in early January.

The Easiest Quiz: Redemption and the Feast of Stephen

The Zero Percent Club redemption continued with Rachel from Cornwall returning to the Easiest Quiz after previously not knowing the colour of the TARDIS. This time, she stormed ahead with confidence, only to be momentarily derailed by a lyric-based curveball involving Good King Wenceslas. Scott gleefully explained “the Feast of Stephen”, while Rachel laughed it off and celebrated a very respectable 16 points. “The redemption tour,” she declared — a phrase Scott immediately adopted.

Birthday Game

The Birthday Game took Scott to the Tyne Valley to celebrate Rachel’s 50th, complete with romantic Lake District memories, future Amalfi Coast dreams and a teams call her boss didn’t know she was missing. When Green, Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones landed on the spinner, Scott celebrated a Welsh cultural moment with full sincerity — briefly interrupted by his own instinct to move things along, before apologising and letting the emotion land.

The post 16 December 2025: Strictly Finalists, Elf Stars and Aled Jones Light Up Radio 2 first appeared on Unofficial Mills.

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