Guilt-ridden Jermaine Jenas has admitted to sending inappropriate text messages and described himself as “ashamed” after being sacked by the BBC over allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
But the former footballer insisted he did nothing illegal and apologised if any of the women he messaged felt uncomfortable. The star has been fighting for his career and on Thursday, following confirmation from the company and a “horrifying” meeting with HR and management, he spoke of his shame after his world came crashing down.
A day after his texting scandal rocked the BBC, which is once again under fire, the former One Show star denied sending any explicit images or videos. But he said he was “ashamed and truly sorry”. I have let myself down, my family, my friends and my colleagues.
“I owe you all an apology, particularly to the women I exchanged messages with. I am truly sorry,” he said, but added: “I did nothing illegal. These were inappropriate messages between two consenting adults.”
BBC bosses insist they will struggle to defend allegations that the presenter sent inappropriate messages to junior staff. They argue the evidence for the allegations, which led to his sacking from The One Show and Match of the Day, is compelling.
A BBC source familiar with the internal investigation “He did a number of things that were inconsistent with our values ​​and what we consider appropriate in the workplace. This was a clear abuse of power and there is no place for that here.”
“This wasn’t just a flirtatious text message to make you feel uncomfortable and he’s completely gone too.” The source said Jenas was unlikely to claim he was unfairly fired, although he insisted “there are two sides to every story”.
Ms Jenas said she had enrolled in therapy to get her issues under control before Thursday’s public storm. The BBC launched an immediate internal investigation after concerns were raised about the 41-year-old’s behaviour “a few weeks ago” and he was quietly removed from the broadcaster’s official channels. His contract was terminated after a routine check.
The former footballer said he was now trying to get his relationship with wife Ellie, whom he married in 2011, back on track. He said the pair had “barely spoken” since the news broke but that Ellie had “completely lost her mind”. Jenas admitted he was unsure if she would forgive him and had turned to therapy to “deal with issues of self-sabotage”.
He praised Ellie, who has three children, as a “great mother”. The presenter said he had been focusing mainly “just on the kids” as they were “stuck at home” over the summer holidays. Jenas stressed that he had “apologised to everyone”, adding: “My wife is solid and fantastic. She’s good. I just need some time.
Jermaine also revealed in an interview with The Sun that he and his wife Ellie had been in couples therapy after a series of heated arguments. There had been tension between the couple for some time, with Jermaine revealing his marital problems last year. He admitted that it was tough for his work on The Own Show to interfere with his marriage, as Ellie was meeting colleagues while he was at home. “It was all glamorous, but for my wife it was like nappies and milk,” he said.
“I’m a very practical dad and I always try to help, but she still couldn’t find satisfaction in her life,” he said, revealing that the couple decided to seek help, saying: It was actually about marriage. “We’ve worked together a few times in the past. But it’s my wife’s job, if I’m being completely honest,” he said of his son Jacob.
The former footballer admitted that after the texting scandal he wasn’t sure Ellie would forgive him and had started therapy to “deal with my self-sabotage issues,” adding, “I’ve apologized to all of my children,” and stressed that he “apologised to everyone.” He added: “My wife is solid and she’s great. She’s good. She just needs some time.