Former football star Jermaine Jenas has been having sleepless nights since he was sacked by the BBC for sending inappropriate text messages to female colleagues.
The 41-year-old has described his life as “like a zombie” as he struggles with the impact on his marriage, family, career and reputation. Jenas has expressed shame over his actions after the allegations surfaced, revealing that his wife, Ellie Penfold, is furious and is currently not speaking to him amid the scandal.
The ousted One Show host insisted he had done nothing illegal and apologised if any of the women he messaged felt uncomfortable. Jenas expressed his humiliation after his world came crashing down last Thursday following the company’s confirmation and a “painful” meeting with HR and bosses.
The former Match of the Day presenter denies sending any explicit images or videos.
According to the Mirror, here we delve into the most shocking revelations from the sex scandal.
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Banned from the BBC.
Jenas was removed from the BBC’s presenting line-ups last Thursday. He offered his fans a heartfelt apology after his dismissal.
He said: “I am ashamed and deeply sorry,” the former Newcastle United and Tottenham footballer said in an interview with The Sun newspaper. “I have let myself, my family, friends and colleagues down and I owe everyone an apology, especially the women I have messaged. I am so, so sorry.
“I’m sorry for what I did to them. I think it’s fair to say that I have a problem. I know that I’m a self-saboteur and have a self-destructive streak when it comes to my relationships, especially, and I know that I need help. And I’m getting help.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I’m asking myself a lot of questions right now. I know there’s a lot of work to be done and it’s going to be tough.”
He added: “I did nothing illegal. These were inappropriate messages between two consenting adults.”
A BBC spokesman said elsewhere: “We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenter line-up.”
Jenas has been married to model Ellie for 13 years. According to official figures published last year, Jenas earned between £190,000 and £194,999 for his work on the FA Cup, Match of the Day and the World Cup for the BBC.
In 2020, he joined The One Show as a replacement co-host following the departure of Matt Baker and became a regular guest the following year.
The moment Jenas told his wife he was fired
Ellie, who has been married to the presenter since 2011, has reportedly been “furious” since learning about the scandal. Now, Jenas has also spoken out about the harrowing moment he told her.
The father-of-four was forced to come clean about his sacking after Ellie believed he was returning to his job on The One Show. Jenas broke the shock news, telling his wife: “I’ve been sacked from the BBC.”
When questioned by Ellie, the former midfielder admitted to “sending text messages that were not appropriate for two girls,” according to The Sun. Jenas claims he did nothing illegal and that the messages were exchanged between consenting adults, one of whom, he claims, showed interest.
He denies all allegations that he sent offensive images or videos.
Relationship therapy
Before the scandal, Jenas revealed that he and his wife had sought relationship therapy after a series of heated arguments.
The couple’s relationship has been under strain for some time, as Jenas admitted last year. He admitted that his work on The One Show put a strain on their marriage, as he was hanging out with his colleagues while Ellie stayed home.
“It all looked shiny, but to my wife it was like diapers and milk,” he said.
“I am a very active father and I always try to help her, but still she did not get the satisfaction from her own life.”
He revealed that they decided to seek professional help, saying: “It was actually for marital matters. We’ve done some work together in the past. But that’s my wife’s business, if I’m honest with you.”
Jenas stressed that relationships “take work.” The couple have three children together — daughters Geneva, 11, and Olivia, eight, and a two-year-old son Jacob.
The former footballer admitted he is not sure whether Ellie will forgive him over the text message scandal.
‘Top lawyers involved’
It is reported that after his dismissal from the BBC, Jenas has sought legal advice to handle his case.
The star’s world came crashing down after he was fired for sending inappropriate messages to two female colleagues. In a public apology, he expressed shame at being sacked by the BBC but insisted his actions were not criminal.
After his career-destroying moment, he vented his frustration, saying he felt he had been made “the scapegoat” amid other BBC controversies. Jenas stated: “I think everyone has seen what’s happened at the BBC recently with Huw Edwards and Strictly. I just don’t think I should be the one to be the scapegoat. I think it sums up where they are now. I think they clearly don’t know what to do, it seems, because as I said, the way the situation has been handled didn’t feel great.”
He is now considering legal action against the BBC over its handling of his dismissal and the subsequent leaking of his private information. He confirmed his future actions, saying: “That is something that my lawyers will be looking at, and that they themselves – the BBC – have to look at for the protection of everyone in the future. But my mind is overloaded. I am purely focused on my family and protecting my children, and so it is in the hands of my lawyers.”
‘Blocked from apologizing to women involved’
Jenas has said he tried to apologise to the female staff members but was stopped from doing so. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, he explained: “When it all started and I knew I was going to lose my job, I asked HR if I could contact the two women directly and apologise to them.
“But because of the legal process, I wasn’t allowed to. I didn’t get the chance to say sorry at that specific moment when I really wanted to apologize. I really want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for what I did to them.”
In a live call during the interview, he offered his unequivocal apologies to the women involved.
Difficult conversations on family vacation
To top it all off, Jenas’ dog has joined the group of people who are not impressed with his behavior.
According to the sacked BBC presenter, even his faithful dog has given him a cold reception in the aftermath of his recent sacking. His partner of 13 years is reportedly ‘absolutely furious’ about his behaviour, but Jenas revealed that his dog has also been giving him disapproving looks after claims surfaced that he was sending inappropriate messages to colleagues.
He also admitted that he had tough conversations with his children during a family trip to Marbella. He told his wife the news of his resignation last Monday.
Following the recent news, he acknowledged that their focus is now on his family, praising his wife as “amazing”. He admitted that they haven’t had much communication, saying “we haven’t really spoken” and revealed that Ellie is “absolutely furious” about the situation.
He said he was unsure whether she would forgive him, but said he had started therapy to work through his “self-sabotage issues.”
With summer vacation confining them at home, he explained that they are “locked in the house.” Despite the challenges, Jenas expressed remorse, saying he “apologizes to all of them,” and continued to praise his wife: “My wife is solid and she’s great. She’s nice. She just needs some time.”