Former BBC presenter Jermaine Jenas has said he is “taking responsibility” for his actions and will be returning to TalkSport this weekend a “better person”. The former footballer, 41, was removed from the presenting team at Match Of The Day and The One Show in August following complaints about workplace conduct.
He was presenting TalkSport’s Drivetime show when the news of his BBC sacking emerged, and the outlet distanced itself from him in the wake of his departure. “The last six, seven months have been extremely tough for myself and my family,” Jenas said in an interview with TalkSport broadcaster Shebahn Aherne.
“But it’s also been a really good opportunity to kind of take stock, have a good look at why you find yourself in these kind of situations, and start to have some honest conversations, really. With yourself, with other people, people that are close to you, people that have been very supportive during this period of time and just kind of work your way back to a position where I can get back to doing what I love most.”
After his sacking from the BBC, Jenas apologised saying he had done “nothing illegal” and that the “inappropriate messages” were “between two consenting adults”. “The biggest thing, in this whole situation, is about taking responsibility, and that has been at the forefront of my mind,” he told Aherne on Friday.
“You need to take responsibility for your actions, there’s a reason why you’re in this position, and there’s a reason why this has happened. And once you kind of accept those things, then you can work on yourself, and you can work on the other things, and you can work on your family, and work towards a brighter future.
“I’m obviously very grateful TalkSport’s given me the opportunity to come talk to yourself and get back to doing what I what I love most. But, essentially, this is about me looking inwards, making some improvements, and coming back a better person.”
Jenas agreed his actions were “inappropriate”, before adding: “I made a mistake, and it was a mistake that is something that me and my wife and my family have to deal with.” He added: “So, moving forward, that’s where my focus is, making sure that my kids are okay, my wife is supported, and that I’m continually working on improving myself.”
Jenas also claimed his children were followed by the press, and added that his wife was getting followed to the gym and work. “They didn’t deserve to be in that position,” he said. At the time of his sacking, the BBC did not offer details over why Jenas’ contract was terminated.
The father-of-four joined The One Show in 2020 as a stand-in co-host following the departure of Matt Baker – and he was made a permanent fixture the following year. Jenas had been a regular pundit on sports programmes Match Of The Day and Match Of The Day 2 and a presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live.