Radio 2 host Scott Mills is suing the BBC after it axed him following sexual abuse claims, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Mills, 53, believes he was unfairly dismissed in March when new information came to light about historic allegations of serious sexual offences on a teenager.
His legal team at the London-based firm Level Law has been corresponding with the corporation, his employers for 28 years, for weeks.
Friends of Mills believe he was used as a 'scapegoat' by the BBC's then outgoing director-general Tim Davie, who took a zero-tolerance approach after a string of recent scandals relating to Huw Edwards, Gregg Wallace and Jermaine Jenas.
One said: 'Scott is devastated, but he is also furious. He has lost not just his job but also something he loved over a police investigation which was dropped many years ago. He has lawyers. They are aggressive, and they are determined to get justice for him.
'Scott feels wronged, and there is a view that the BBC used him as a scapegoat to show that by sacking him the BBC has been cleaned up from past scandals such as Huw Edwards and Jimmy Savile.
'Essentially, Scott wants to clear his name. He wants to come out and tell his story but he can't do that until the legal fight comes to a close.
'Being fired has broken him. His mental health is in a very fragile place and, to him and his legal team, it feels totally unjustified, so they are fighting the BBC. There is an obvious claim for unfair dismissal here. Decisions like this ruin lives, and this one has ruined Scott's.'
Presenter Scott Mills (pictured) left the BBC in March after hosting his final Radio 2 breakfast show
He reportedly plans to take action against the BBC after friends told Katie Hind his life had been 'ruined' by the broadcaster's decision to fire him
The BBC fired Mills – who would have been hosting last night's Eurovision coverage – when it says new information came to light about a police probe into alleged historic sex offences.
In 2018, Mills was questioned on allegations relating to between 1997 and 2000, and the case was dropped the next year due to a lack of evidence.
It later emerged that the BBC was aware at the time – but the current management is said not to have been aware of the age of the alleged victim.
In the days running up to his sacking, a man is believed to have approached BBC bosses – reportedly after he watched Channel 5's drama Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards – to inform them the youngster at the centre of the allegations was under 16.
Mr Davie told staff that new information had 'quite recently' come to light, which made the decision the broadcaster needed to make 'very clear'.
The BBC said in a statement: 'In recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts.'
Friends say Mills and his team are particularly furious he was sacked when the police investigation, and the subsequent new information, related to an allegation which dates back nearly 30 years and the police closed the investigation seven years ago. Mills also said in a statement that he fully cooperated with the investigation at the time.
Mills, who previously presented the Radio 1 breakfast show, is being supported by his husband Sam Vaughan at their home in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.
He has been keeping a low profile since the last day of his radio show in March, but has been spotted walking his dog.