LONDON, Aug 23 — Jermaine Jenas, a former footballer and now TV presenter, has been removed from his roles at the BBC following allegations about his workplace conduct. The 41-year-old, who appeared on The One Show and Match of the Day, confirmed he is seeking legal advice after being dropped from both programmes.
The BBC announced that Jenas was “no longer part” of their presenting team after an internal investigation, which was initiated a few weeks ago due to concerns about his behaviour. The broadcaster reportedly terminated his contract following allegations related to text messages and digital communications. Jenas was last seen on air earlier this summer.
In addition to his removal from the BBC, Jenas has also parted ways with his talent agency, M&C Saatchi. He was tipped as a potential replacement for Gary Lineker on Match of the Day before the allegations came to light, according to The Guardian.
On Thursday, Jenas was presenting a one-off show on TalkSport when news of his dismissal surfaced. In an interview with TalkSport News, Jenas remained tight-lipped about the details surrounding the complaint. He only remarked that “there’s two sides to every story” but declined to elaborate further.
The BBC’s investigation reportedly began after concerns were raised about Jenas, who played football for England, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United. The Sun newspaper added that a mural featuring Jenas alongside BBC Sport stars Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Alex Scott was removed from Manchester’s MediaCity HQ following the allegations.
Amid the scandal, the BBC’s governing board announced a review of its workplace culture, aiming to address “inappropriate workplace behaviour, particularly in creative and editorial environments.” The board plans to make recommendations to strengthen the workplace culture in line with BBC values.
Jenas, a father of four, was a prominent figure in the BBC’s sports coverage, having presented during this summer’s European Championship. He last appeared on The One Show with co-host Alex Jones on 22 July and was part of the Match of the Day panel on 4 May. However, he was noticeably absent from the first episode of the new season.
