Jenas Consulting Lawyers After BBC Sacking Over Colleague Message Claims

Match Of The Day and One Show presenter Jermaine Jenas is currently “speaking to his lawyers” following his recent dismissal from the BBC. This move comes amid allegations that Jenas sent unsolicited messages to a female colleague, with the former Premier League player expressing that there are “two sides to every story” and that he is “not happy” about the situation.

The BBC’s decision to terminate Jenas’s contract marks another tumultuous event for the broadcaster, following the Huw Edwards child abuse scandal and bullying allegations on Strictly Come Dancing. Jenas, who has been married to Ellie for 13 years, will also not be appearing on talkSPORT in the “immediate future.”

Jenas had just started co-presenting a drive-time show on talkSPORT with fellow former footballer Jermaine Pennant when the announcement about his removal from BBC line-ups was made. TalkSPORT confirmed that there are no plans for Jenas to continue broadcasting as a presenter with them for the time being.

During a live broadcast on Thursday evening, Jenas did not address his sacking. After the radio show, he left the News UK building in a car. In a brief interview with talkSPORT News, Jenas stated, “Look, I can’t really talk about it. As you can probably see, I am not happy about it. But currently, as it stands, I’m going to have to let the lawyers deal with it.”

When asked about reports of him sending unsolicited messages to a female colleague at The One Show, Jenas reiterated, “Like I said, I’m not happy about this situation. You know, I’m going to be speaking to my lawyers about it is all I can say right now.”

Jenas did not elaborate on what the complaint related to, whether it concerned more than one colleague, or when he first became aware of the complaint. He also declined to comment on whether legal proceedings were underway or if he might continue working in sports presenting or the industry as a whole.

When asked if he felt he should apologize to anyone, Jenas replied, “I can’t talk about that right now. I’ve just got to leave this to a team of lawyers at the minute who are managing the situation. This is tough, you know. But I’ve got to listen to my lawyers.”

A BBC spokesperson confirmed that Jenas “is no longer part of our presenting line-up.” According to BBC News, Jenas, 41, had his contract terminated after issues were raised involving digital communications, such as texts, in recent weeks. BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore stated she was aware of the situation but provided no further details when approached by PA news agency.

Last year, official figures revealed that Jenas earned between £190,000 and £194,999 for his work on the FA Cup, Match Of The Day, and the World Cup at the BBC. His salary for The One Show, however, was not publicly disclosed as it is produced by BBC Studios.

The presenter also appears on TNT Sports’ football coverage, but it is understood he is not scheduled to appear for a number of weeks. TNT Sports was reportedly unaware of the status of his employment with the BBC.

Jenas, a father of four, became a stand-in co-host for The One Show in 2020 following Matt Baker’s departure and was made a permanent fixture the following year. He has been a regular pundit on sports programs such as Match Of The Day and Match Of The Day 2 and a presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live.

He was considered a potential successor to Gary Lineker as host of Match Of The Day but was noticeably absent from Saturday’s first episode of the new season. In May, he was awarded the ally of the year award by the Women’s Football Awards.

During his football career, Jenas appeared for England and played for Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Queens Park Rangers. He also hosts Formula E race coverage for TNT Sports.

Additionally, his agency, MC Saatchi, no longer represents him, and his profile on their site now displays a “page not found” notice.

Source: PA Archive