Former Match of the Day and One Show star Jermaine Jenas is facing legal action after being sacked by the BBC for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a female colleague. The ex-footballer’s contract was terminated this week following allegations of unsolicited digital communications, including texts to a member of a production team.
Jenas, who was a regular presenter on The One Show, has said there are “two sides to every story” and that he will let his lawyers handle the situation. The issue was brought to the BBC’s attention a few weeks ago, leading to his departure being announced on Thursday.
Despite being on air at the time of the announcement, Jenas remained tight-lipped about the claims when asked about them on talkSport radio. He expressed his unhappiness with the situation and mentioned that he was leaving it to his legal team to manage.
The BBC confirmed Jenas’ departure from their presenting line-up, and he was last on air for the corporation earlier in the summer. While BBC News reached out to 21 people who have worked on his programmes, no one commented publicly on the matter.
Jenas, who also works for pay TV channels TNT Sports, has not received any comments about his future from the network. His profile was removed from his agent’s website on Thursday evening.
This incident comes just three months after Jenas was named Football Ally of the Year at the Women’s Football Awards. He had received the award for his support of the women’s game and advocacy for women in sport.
Jenas, who had a successful football career playing for teams like Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United, transitioned into media work after retiring in 2016. He became a regular pundit on Match of the Day and BT Sport before joining The One Show as a presenter in 2021.
His salary at the BBC for his football coverage was between £190,000 and £194,999 in the last financial year. Jenas also founded the Aquinas Foundation to support young people in schools across Nottingham.
As the situation continues to unfold, Jenas is relying on his legal team to address the allegations against him. The BBC and other organizations associated with him have not provided further comments on the matter.
