Jermaine Jenas: Wife ‘Raging’ After BBC Sacking Over Inappropriate Messages

Jermaine Jenas has revealed that his wife of 13 years, model Ellie Penfold, is furious after he confessed to being dismissed by the BBC for sending inappropriate messages to two female colleagues.

The former footballer was sacked from his presenting roles on Match of the Day and The One Show following a female colleague’s report of unsolicited messages. Jenas, 41, issued an apology on Friday, 23 August, admitting to sending the messages but strongly denying any criminal activity and insisting he did not send sexual pictures or videos.

Jenas admitted to “frantically” sexting a woman over a 24-hour period after obtaining her phone number at a work event. Speaking to The Sun newspaper, the ex-footballer expressed his shame and deep regret, revealing that his wife has kicked him out of their bedroom in their Hertfordshire home, where they live with their children.

“We’ve not really spoken properly since,” Jenas told the publication. “She’s absolutely raging.” He admitted to initially lying to his wife, hoping he would be suspended rather than fired. He said, “I had to tell her by Monday evening because I knew then that I’d been fired. I just said, ‘I’ve been sacked from the BBC.’ She said, ‘What for?’ and I said, ‘For sending text messages that weren’t appropriate to two girls.’”

Jenas continued, “Ellie is absolutely raging. She’s human. When I see her now, she is just making sure the children are OK.” He also mentioned having “difficult conversations” with his two eldest children, aged 11 and 16, acknowledging that they are old enough to be aware of social media, making the situation even harder.

“I’ve let everyone down,” he said. “Even my dog looked at me disappointed.” Jenas stated that it is time to take responsibility for his actions: “I have been behaving in a way that’s just not acceptable within our marriage. Ellie is completely innocent in all this. All she’s doing is at home, working her heart out, looking after my children.” He concluded with an apology, saying, “The overriding factor is just how sorry I am to everybody.”

Jenas successfully transitioned into presenting after his professional football career ended, earning between £190,000 and £194,999 for his work on the FA Cup, Match of the Day, and the World Cup. His departure adds another challenge for the BBC, which is still dealing with the fallout from the scandal involving former newsreader Huw Edwards and allegations of abuse on the set of one of its biggest shows, Strictly Come Dancing.

On Friday, former Countdown star Carol Vorderman delivered a passionate speech, harshly criticizing the BBC for its handling of recent controversies.

Source: The Sun, PA Archive