Former English football star sacked for sending inappropriate texts to female colleagues

On Aug. 23, BBC had announced the termination of its contract with Jenas after female staff of “The One Show” accused him of giving her unsolicited communications over text. Several others also complained about his inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

The BBC confirmed a probe was launched following “allegations involving digital communications such as texts” a few weeks ago.

Jenas was a presenter of BBC shows like “Match of the Day” and “The One Show” before he was sacked.

Less than a day after being sacked, Jenas gave an exclusive interview to The Sun, admitting to sending “inappropriate” messages and apologized if he had made the recipients feel uncomfortable.

Jermaine Jenas and his wife Ellie. Photo by Instagram/@jjenas

“I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology, especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry.

“I’m not proud of what I wrote and what I said. And I do consider it cheating, yes, although nothing physical ever happened. This is all on me and I fully accept there is a level of responsibility that needs to be upheld when you’re a member of the BBC,” he said.

However, Jenas is also considering suing the BBC for their handling of the crisis.

“I did nothing illegal. These were inappropriate messages between two consenting adults,” he said.

Jenas also revealed that his wife was upset, adding that he accepted the risk of their marriage falling apart. He has a daughter with an ex-partner before getting married and has three children with his wife Ellie.

Jenas, 41, played for domestic clubs like Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspurs and Aston Villa. He also represented England from 2003 to 2009, scoring one goal in 21 appearances. After retiring in 2014, he pursued a career as a commentator and TV presenter.