Sacked BBC presenter Jermaine Jenas admits to ‘inappropriate messages’ and ‘letting family down’
Jermaine Jenas has admitted to sending “inappropriate messages” to women after he was sacked by the BBC.
The former footballer worked as a pundit on Match Of The Day and was a co-host of The One Show before his BBC contract was terminated over allegations about his behaviour.
In an interview with The Sun on Friday, Jenas insisted “nothing physical ever happened” but confessed to “cheating” on his wife.
He said: “I’m not proud of what I wrote and what I said. 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.”
File Pic: PA
Jenas insisted “I did nothing illegal” and argued the messages were with “two consenting adults”. “With one she made it clear she was interested,” he added.
Apologising to his family, friends and colleagues, the 41-year-old married father-of-four said: “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.”
He added: “I think it would be fair to say I have a problem. 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.
“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.”
Read more:
Who is Jermaine Jenas? His career so far
Jenas (left), with Alex Jones and Roman Kemp when he was a One Show presenter. Pic: PA/BBC
Jenas told The Sun he was sacked by the BBC on Monday, five days after the initial HR consultation process into his behaviour began. He also said he lied to his wife Ellie as he tried to “find a way out of this mess”.
He continued to stress he was unhappy with how the broadcaster handled his dismissal and claimed he was fired over a video call while on a family holiday with Ellie and their three children.
“You’re having to sit there and listen to what you’ve said,” he said. “I’m not proud of anything.
“It’s embarrassing, and obviously there’s four people there on a Zoom call, basically, just listening to all of this, and reading out my messages.”
He added however that “I have only myself to blame,” and said: “I’m the married one, I’m at fault, and I was sort of playing this blame game in my head.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Jenas ‘not happy’ after BBC sacking
The former Newcastle and Tottenham player also told The Sun he had seen his doctor before the claims against him emerged and he had started therapy “to try and address these issues, where they stem from, and why I have been doing this”.
He insisted however it “was not the case” that he sent any sexual images or videos, and said: “I feel people don’t know the truth and are forming opinions about me that aren’t accurate.”
The news of Jenas’s sacking broke as he started presenting a three-hour drive-time programme on talkSPORT radio with fellow former footballer Jermaine Pennant.
Speaking to a talkSPORT reporter on Thursday, he said: “I can’t really talk about it. As you can probably see, I’m not happy about it. But currently, as it stands I’m going to have to let the lawyers deal with it.
“There’s two sides… that’s all I can say now.”
Read more from Sky News:
Kennedy family criticises RFK Jr
Southport family hold funeral for daughter
What is the energy price cap?
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Jenas last presented The One Show in mid-July, and last appeared on Match Of The Day in May.
Jenas, who earned between £190,000 and £194,999 at the BBC for his work on the FA Cup, Match Of The Day and the World Cup in 2022/23, also works for TNT Sports.
Both TalkSPORT and TNT said on Thursday it took the allegations seriously and had no immediate plans to work with Jenas in the near future.
Entertainment
MasterChef presenter John Torode says allegation he used racist language upheld in report
Entertainment
Gregg Wallace: Over half of allegations against MasterChef presenter substantiated, including one of unwanted physical contact
An investigation into Gregg Wallace’s “inappropriate behaviour” on MasterChef has found that more than half of the allegations against him have been substantiated, including one of “unwanted physical contact”.
MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK shared a summary of its report into historical allegations of misconduct against the 60-year-old presenter, carried out by independent law firm Lewis Silkin over seven months.
The report also said the number of sustained allegations made Wallace’s return to MasterChef “untenable”.
The investigation heard evidence from 78 witnesses, including 41 complainants.
There were 83 allegations against Wallace, and 45 of them were substantiated. All were related to MasterChef.
While the majority of the substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated.
One allegation of unwanted physical contact was substantiated.
Nearly all the allegations against Wallace were related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018, with just one substantiated allegation taking place post-2018.
Wallace and Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2014
Ahead of the publication of the summary, Wallace had said he had been “cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations” made against him.
Additionally, the report summary found that there were also 10 standalone allegations about other people between 2012 and 2018/2019, two of which were substantiated. Those people were not named in the summary.
The investigation found that complaints had previously been raised with the production company between 2005 and 2024.
Gregg Wallace on MasterChef. Pic: BBC/ Shine TV 2024
While the report flagged inadequate reporting procedures prior to 2016, when Endemol merged with Shine ahead of Banijay acquiring Endemol Shine in 2020, it said there were significant improvements to HR processes and training after 2016.
While the investigation said some formal action was taken by the BBC in 2017, it also noted the corporation held no information regarding concerns raised over Wallace centrally, resulting in issues being addressed as a first offence.
Sky News has tried to contact Gregg Wallace for contact today.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike