Yahoo News Jermaine Jenas apologises and says he is 'ashamed' after BBC sacking
Jermaine Jenas has expressed remorse and acknowledged his shame after being dismissed by the BBC, yet he maintained that his actions were not against the law.
The former footballer and presenter for Match Of The Day and The One Show was dropped from the BBC's presenting roster on Thursday following allegations that he sent unsuitable messages to two female colleagues.
While the BBC has refrained from providing specifics regarding the termination of Jenas' contract, the 41 year old has publicly apologised.
Read more: One Show's Jermaine Jenas sacked by BBC for 'inappropriate behaviour' after Match of the Day link
"I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry," Jenas conveyed in a statement to The Sun newspaper. He continued, "I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry."
Jenas added, "I am sorry for what I have put them through. I think it would be fair to say I have a problem." Acknowledging his personal issues, he said, "I know I self-sabotage and have a self-destructive streak when it comes to my relationship especially, and I know I need help. And I am getting help."
Reflecting on his actions, Jenas admitted, "I have made a lot of mistakes, and I am asking myself a lot of questions at the moment. I know there's a lot of work that needs to be done, and it will be hard."
He recognised his failure to meet the standards expected of a BBC member but reiterated the legality of his actions, stating, "I did nothing illegal these were inappropriate messages between two consenting adults."
This statement follows a comment from a BBC spokesperson who confirmed, "We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting line-up." Jenas confessed to The Sun, "I'm not proud of what I wrote and what I said. And I do consider it cheating, yes, although nothing physical ever happened."
He acknowledged that high standards are expected from BBC members and admitted, "This is all on me and I fully accept there is a level of responsibility that needs to be upheld when you're a member of the BBC. And I fell below those standards. I must take the responsibility."
In light of the swirling allegations post his Thursday sacking, Jenas feels like "the number one target right now in the country". In further clarification to the newspaper, he stated, "These were two consenting adults I was speaking to. With one she made it clear she was interested."
He added, "I don't want to start going down the 'who pursued who' road, but when people are saying things that are wrong and false information is being spread, I do have to kind of defend my space."
Regarding the incident, he elaborated, "In that particular instance, there was an adult conversation that took place in a bar in London where that person made it very clear that they had an attraction to me. Yes there was alcohol involved but I take full responsibility."
Also concerned about public perception, Jenas noted, "I feel people don't know the truth and are forming opinions about me that aren't accurate. I wasn't going through some kind of BBC vault trying to get women's numbers."
He emphasised, "I'm obviously going to say I'm not a sex pest. These were consenting adults I was texting."
Jenas has been married to model Ellie Penfold for over a decade.
The former footballer revealed he was dismissed from the BBC on Monday, saying he started "speaking to his lawyers" after being let go just five days into an HR consultation process where he reportedly saw a series of messages that he is alleged to have sent to two colleagues on The One Show.
In a swift turn of events, shortly after the announcement of his BBC exit, Jenas was on air co-presenting a talkSPORT drive-time programme alongside ex-footballer Jermaine Pennant. However, talkSPORT clarified, stating: "There are no plans for Jermaine to broadcast as a presenter on talkSPORT in the immediate future."
Despite occasional appearances on TNT Sports' football broadcasts, it is understood Jenas isn't expected to feature there for some weeks, and the network was reportedly unacquainted with the circumstances of Jenas' relationship with the BBC at the time.
Jenas initially joined The One Show in 2020 as an interim co-host when Matt Baker left, before securing a permanent spot the subsequent year. He has frequently appeared as a pundit on Match Of The Day and its sister show Match Of The Day 2, in addition to hosting on BBC Radio 5 Live.
He's often tipped as the front-runner to take over Gary Lineker's role on Match Of The Day; however, he was conspicuously missing from Saturdays season opener. In recognition of his support, he received the ally of the year award at the Women's Football Awards in May.
Jenas also had a notable football career, playing for England and clubs including Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Queens Park Rangers.
Beyond football, Jenas is involved in broadcasting Formula E races for TNT Sports. A representative from Formula E stated: "Jermaine Jenas was part of Formula E's presentation team for season 10, which ended in July this year." They added, "As per the process followed in previous seasons, we will announce our presenter line-up for season 11 in due course."
Emphasis was placed on maintaining high standards with the remark, "This decision will be carefully considered, taking into account the high standards we expect to be upheld at Formula E." Finally, Jenas' representation appears to have changed as MC Saatchi no longer represents him, and a search for his profile returns a "page not found" error.
