Former Match of the Day host Jermaine Jenas speaks out on return after BBC dismissal

Jermaine Jenas has expressed gratitude towards his supporters after he was dismissed by the BBC, whilst hinting at a comeback to football broadcasting. The former top-flight midfielder, aged 41, was dropped from the presenting teams of Match Of The Day and The One Show by the BBC last month following accusations of inappropriate workplace conduct.

He had earlier apologised to past female colleagues for sending "inappropriate messages", maintaining however that they were "between two consenting adults" and stressed that his actions were not unlawful.

The specifics behind the BBC's decision to terminate Jenas's contract remain undisclosed.

Via an Instagram Story video, Jenas conveyed: "I just thought it was important for me to jump on here actually and just talk to you lot and say thank you for the level of support that you've shown me.

"It's clearly been a difficult period for me but one I will definitely grow from.

"We're human beings, it is what it is, you'll learn from it. Become a better person. I think those are the things that are important in life.

"None of us are perfect and we've just got to find a way to just keep moving forward, look after our babies and our families in the best way we possibly can and that's something I will be trying to do."

He remarked that the support he has received has been "nice" and it has facilitated a reconnection with some followers he had lost touch with.

Jenas, who has made appearances on TNT Sports and co-hosted a drive-time show on talkSPORT, revealed his plans to return to work.

"There's some exciting stuff that I've been working on so hopefully you'll all have that to look forward to very soon," he commented.

"And also hopefully I'll just be back talking about what I love really which is football."

After standing in as a co-host on The One Show in 2020 following Matt Baker's exit, Jenas was accepted as a permanent feature the subsequent year.

Having become a familiar face on sport shows like Match Of The Day and Match Of The Day 2 and hosting BBC Radio 5 Live, Jenas was seen by many as the natural pick to take over Gary Lineker's role on Match Of The Day. However, his absence from the first episode of the new season did not go unnoticed.

When confirming his exit, a BBC spokesperson stated: "We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting line-up."

Following his departure, Jenas has openly criticised the way his dismissal was managed by the BBC and mentioned that he would be consulting his legal team regarding the matter.