Angela Scanlon replaces Scott Mills in BBC Eurovision coverage
Scott Mills is absent from Eurovision coverage in 2026, and Angela Scanlon has stepped into the presenting line-up in his place. The shift affects one of the broadcaster’s most visible live entertainment assignments, with commentary spread across the semi-finals and the grand final in Vienna.
Vienna’s live line-up
Rylan Clark will provide commentary for the semi-finals on Tuesday May 12 and Thursday May 14, while Sara Cox will broadcast her teatime programme live from Vienna for Radio 2 on Wednesday May 13. Graham Norton takes the grand final on Saturday May 16, when the Eurovision Song Contest finale goes out at 8pm BST on One and iPlayer.
Angela Scanlon said, “It feels like joining the greatest party on earth - equal parts thrilling and terrifying!” She added that growing up watching the contest with her three sisters made the new role “genuinely surreal,” especially in its 70th year.
Scott Mills and March
Mills will not feature this year after his contract ended in March. The broadcaster said, “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the.”
That leaves the presenting team reworked around familiar Eurovision voices, with Scanlon taking the open slot and the schedule built to carry viewers through three live broadcast nights before the final. Mills was a semi-final co-host last year, so his absence is the clearest sign that the is treating this year’s lineup as a reset rather than a direct carryover.
2016 allegation, 2019 closure
Through his solicitors, Mills said he had been the subject of “rumour and speculation” since his dismissal. He also said, “An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.”
Mills added, “As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.” He later said the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and that the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, before thanking former colleagues and listeners who reached out with kindness.
For viewers, the practical change is simple: Scanlon is now part of the Eurovision team, and Mills is not. The next live test for the reshaped line-up arrives with the semi-finals in mid-May, before Norton fronts the final on Saturday May 16.
