Scott Mills and Chris Stark open up about their Radio 1 journey and friendship

This week The Scott Mills Show has been broadcasting live from Newquay for a week of special programming and ahead of Scott and Chris’ final show together, where they sat down overlooking Fistral Beach to have a no-holds-barred conversation unlike anything heard before.

In their open, honest and raw chat, which can be heard on BBC Sounds, they talk about the beginning of their friendship, their respective radio journeys and what the future holds for their friendship, as they close the chapter on their Radio 1 journey.

Scott realises he can’t be on Radio 1 forever, he jokes: “Here’s the thing, I’m 84 and I’ve been on Radio 1 for 24 years, that’s insane.”

He says that although he’d like to remain forever young, and feels it, he isn’t too sad because he doesn’t don’t think it’s the end.

Chris says: “We’re obviously having to go on and do new things and that’s exciting but even when the radio show stops we will still be together and I do think that all going right, one way or another, I think life has a funny way of working things out and I’m so proud of what you’re going to do next, I know you’re so proud of what I’m going to do next but I do think it doesn’t stop just cause it’s not on the radio every day.”

Talking about getting a job at Radio 1, Scott recalls: “I was fully scared, I never expected to get a job on Radio 1. I literally always knew I wanted to be on the radio from when I was like five or something mad but I was quite happy doing local radio so I did local radio in Southampton and Bristol, in Manchester and I never in a million, million years thought that I would get on Radio 1.”

Scott believed it was just one of those jobs you just don’t get, one that doen’t happen to people like him, so he hadn’t even put Radio 1 into the equation of his life.

Chris acknowledges that when he was trying to get into radio, he received a lot of support from Scott: “It’s amazing because I’ve made a lot of people proud and you managed to get some proper respect on my name,” Chris says. “And the thing is, it wasn’t an easy thing from the start and it wasn’t that it was an easy win for you.

“It wasn’t like I was some massive Youtuber or someone that had that place but what you did for me, when you look at then and now is like you kind of supported me when there was only this little spark that you wanted to support.”

Friendships on and off air at the same time can be difficult, but it has worked for Scott and Chris. They both agree that going into the radio studio has been an escape for each of them, particularly when dealing with any personal situations.

“Yeah, because if you’ve been on the radio for that long, like for me, if I’m lucky that’s a quarter of my life right on Radio 1,” Scott says. “Stuff is going to happen in that time, people are going to die, people are going to be born, you’re going to break up with people, you’re going to get with new people like whatever.

“That all happens but the radio with you has been my sanctuary, you know. Because you go in there and you can actually, can forget about it for three hours.”

Scott and Chris’s last show on Radio 1 will be on Thursday 25 August. Scott moves to Radio 2 in the autumn to host a new weekday afternoon show, 2-4pm.

Chris is taking up a new role as Creative Executive Producer and presenter on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp. He’ll also take a role in Global’s podcast division, with the remit of developing sport content for Global Player.

You can listen to Radio 1’s ‘Scott and Chris’ Sunset Chat’ on BBC Sounds.