Scott Mills has defended his BBC pay check after ‘working my whole life’ for the dream role. 

The broadcaster, 51, will take over the prestigious Radio 2 Breakfast Show from his friend Zoe Ball after she stepped down last year. 

Scott is reportedly taking a small pay rise and will earn £450,000 a year which is far below Zoe’s £950,000.

The dramatic pay difference comes as BBC bosses are under ‘enormous pressure’ to cut back on costs. 

He has said after ‘playing the long game’ and starting out earning just £20 show, people cannot say that he hasn’t worked hard. 

Scott told The Sun’s Bizarre: ‘I’ve been doing this since I was 16 and I’ll tell you how much I got paid then – £20 a show. And it was a five-hour show in the middle of the night, 1 until 6am.’

Scott Mills has defended his BBC pay check after ‘working my whole life’ for the dream role

The broadcaster, 51, will take over the prestigious Radio 2 Breakfast Show from his friend Zoe Ball after she stepped down last year

He continued: ‘It’s not like some H๏τsH๏τ’s turned up and is earning all this cash. No one likes discussing.

‘But I don’t think you can say that I haven’t played the long game. I hope people won’t think, ‘Well, he hasn’t worked very hard for that,’ because I’ve worked for this my whole life.’ 

Elsewhere, Scott revealed his emotional reaction when he was told he had landed his dream job as host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

The radio veteran, whose previous weekday slot of 2pm to 4pm will be filled by Trevor Nelson, has recalled the moment he got the call about his new role, admitting: ‘I cried in my dressing gown. I fully sobbed.’

He added in the interview with The Mirror that the news was tinged with sadness as he reflected on his 35 years in radio.  

‘Once I’d kind of calmed down from the sobbing, I was kind of having a real reflective moment of like, “Well, I remember being a bit sad that I never got The Radio 1 Breakfast Show,” but then if I had at the time, would I be where I am now?

‘I’m getting a lot of messages from people going, “I am 55 and it’s just encouraging for me to see that someone like you is absolutely flying and doing the best they have ever done at your time of life”. 

‘And I mean, it is true. And I never thought this would happen. I’m enjoying my career peak at my age.’ 

Scott is reportedly taking a small pay rise and will earn £450,000 a year which is far below Zoe’s £950,000 

He has said after ‘playing the long game’ and starting out earning just £20 show, people cannot say that he hasn’t worked hard

Zoe Ball hosted her final Breakfast Show last month after stepping down from the programme to ‘focus on family’ after six years at the helm. 

Choking back tears, Ball said: ‘Oh my goodness, this is for everyone who’s listened and everyone in the room and my kids of course. Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) It’s Frank Wilson.’

As her three-hour show came to an end, Ball signed off to her listeners with a message of female empowerment.

The first ever female host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, shared: ‘Remember, girls, you can do anything.’ 

She began her final message by remarking it had been a ‘real privilege’ to host the show, as she praised the ‘special, intimate relationship’ she had with the listeners, saying it felt like ‘having a chat with a mate’. 

Ball shared: ‘It’s been such a gift to do this show, to follow wonderful Terry and, of course, Chris, tough acts to follow. Pretty cool to be the first lᴀss to host and I won’t be the last. Remember, girls, you can do anything. 

Zoe Ball hosted her final Breakfast Show last month after stepping down from the programme to ‘focus on family’ after six years at the helm 

‘So to the biggest stars of our Breakfast Show, that’s you all of our listeners, young and old, and those in the middle, thank you for tuning in, whether as a lone listener, as a family, as a work gang on your morning jogs, dog walks, truck drives, training, commutes or hiding in bed, it’s been a real privilege to keep you company through your morning manoeuvres. 

‘You’re just there, and I’m just here having a chat with a mate. It’s such a special, intimate relationship. It’s never lost on me that we’ve been through life’s little highs and little lows together. 

Chuckling, she reflected on years of ‘much laughter, silliness, few tears, lots of singing and dancing’, and said ‘dear Scott [Mills will look after you in the new year’. 

Quoting Paul Williams’ hit, she went on: ‘You give a little love and it all comes back to you. I’ve felt that love from you listeners. I send buckets of love to you. Take care of yourselves lovely peeps, my top cats.’