Scott Mills to present Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 5 live

One of the country’s most popular presenters, he will be joined by Chris Stark every Saturday morning from 9-11am to start the weekend with lots of laughs and audience interaction.

The popular pair are best known for the afternoon show on BBC Radio 1 which they have presented together for seven years.

Scott will continue to host his Radio 1 weekday show (1-4pm) and the Official Chart. Chris is staying at Radio 1 too, and will still co-present BBC Radio 5 live’s award-winning smash hit That Peter Crouch Podcast.

Scott Mills says: “I’m so delighted to be joining BBC Radio 5 live! I love my Radio 1 show and covering for Claudia on Radio 2 which I’ll still be doing. But I’m now ready to bring a whole different show to 5 live. Expect lots of laughs and of course Chris Stark. Just what you want on a Saturday morning!”

There will also be changes to Sundays on BBC Radio 5 live. The BBC's Deputy Political Editor John Pienaar's weekly programme (Pienaar’s Politics) moves to the earlier time of 9am featuring big political interviews and insights into the week at Westminster.

This is followed at 10am by Laura Whitmore. After two successful summer series on 5 live, Laura returns every Sunday morning with big name guests from the worlds of politics, music and showbiz.

At 11.30am 5 live’s Sunday sports coverage kicks off with discussion show The Squad With Nick Bright, followed by 5 live Premier League Sunday, as the station covers more Premier League matches than any other broadcaster this season, with around 140 games in total.

Heidi Dawson, Controller at BBC Radio 5 live says: “Scott Mills is one of the best broadcasters in the business and I’m excited about the new show he and Chris Stark will be bringing to Saturday mornings.

“Laura Whitmore has done a fantastic job across a number of shows on 5 live and it’s brilliant that we can now offer her a show every Sunday morning. Laura is a fantastic new radio star who has already made a great impact with listeners.”

Chris Stark says: “Saturday mornings for me were always the excitement of a day of sport ahead and the routines that came with it. Wenzels steak slice, listening to Fighting Talk, meeting up with mates at the Pinner war memorial before kicking on to Vicarage Road. To take on Saturday mornings at 5 live is a huge honour. I’m excited for us to make a show that reflects the lives and stories of everyone listening on a Saturday morning. The best time of the week. We cannot wait to get started.

Laura Whitmore says:“I am thrilled to have my own full time show and be part of the 5 live family. The station has been hugely supportive of the topics I’ve covered so far and the people I’ve interviewed. With a longer show, I’m excited to build on this as well as bringing some new exciting discussions to the station.”

Scott Mills and Chris Stark will start their new show on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Sounds on Saturday 9 November at 9am. The new Sunday morning schedule will begin on Sunday 10 November.

SM

The new BBC Radio 5 live weekend morning schedule is as follows:

Saturdays (from 9 Nov)

• 9-11am - Scott Mills and Chris Stark
• 11am-midday - Fighting Talk
• midday - 5 live Sport
  (continues as before)

Sundays (from 10 Nov)

• 9-10am - Pienaar’s Politics
• 10-11.30am - Laura Whitmore
• 11.30am-12.30pm - The Squad With Nick Bright
• 12.30pm - 5 live Premier League Sunday
  (continues as before)

Scott Mills

Scott has been on BBC Radio 1 for 15 years. His BBC Radio 1 show has created one of the most famous radio features in the country, Innuendo Bingo, and in 2010 he was awarded Music Radio Personality of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.

With a TV career spanning over a decade, Scott hosts the Eurovision Semi Finals for BBC TV and has also hosted The National Lottery Draws on BBC One and presented The World’s Worst Place To Be Gay? Documentary on BBC Three, which was awarded Broadcast of the Year at the Stonewall Awards in 2011. His other TV appearances include All Star Family Fortunes, Xtra Factor and Britain’s Got More Talent for ITV.

Scott is a patron for the MS Society, a charity close to his heart following his mum’s diagnosis. He has also taken part in Let’s Dance for Sport Relief and The Big Red Nose Desert Trek. In 2014 he appeared in Strictly Come Dancing, in which he became an audience favourite for his incredible crab dancing. In 2015 Scott was announced as an official ambassador for Team GB, supporting the official Bring on the Great campaign.

Chris Stark

In addition to his roles on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 5 live Chris has appeared on BBC iPlayer’s My World Cup Sticker Mission, as well as the five part hit BBC series The World’s Most Extreme Festivals and BBC Sport’s It’s On The Line.

Chris has interviewed a range of global stars - as well as spitting water over them as part of Innuendo Bingo. He famously asked Mila Kunis for a date to the football - she said yes! It was this interview with Mila that led to Chris being an overnight YouTube star and then appearing on CNN and Good Morning America talking about “that” interview.

Laura Whitmore

Laura Whitmore started her career as the face of MTV Europe and interviewing some of the world’s biggest stars before moving on to work on entertainment shows for ITV and BBC. With a background in journalism and drama, she is also a successful writer and actor.