Jermaine Jenas has publicly attacked Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh, accusing her of having an 'agenda' and 'twisting the knife' during a tense live television interview about the sexting scandal that cost him his broadcasting career.
Jenas Speaks Out on Instagram
The former England and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, 43, appeared on ITV's breakfast show on Friday morning to discuss the fallout from the controversy which led to his dismissal from the BBC in 2024. However, after the interview aired, Jenas took to social media to express his frustration with the line of questioning, singling out one presenter in particular.
'It felt as if there was a thirst for blood from one presenter in particular,' Jenas said.
The Interview
During the interview, Jenas reflected on the impact the scandal had on his personal and professional life. 'I've lost everything, my job, my family, everything was taken away from me,' he said.
Jenas was dismissed by the BBC in August 2024 following an investigation into allegations that he had sent inappropriate messages to a female staff member. Other women subsequently raised concerns about his alleged conduct. The controversy also coincided with the breakdown of his marriage to Ellie Penfold, with the couple later confirming their separation after 16 years together.
During Friday's interview, Singh challenged Jenas on whether he had sufficiently acknowledged the women involved. 'I notice you don't mention the women who you were texting and who accused you of sending unsolicited perhaps even videos or messages that they did not want,' she said. 'Do you have an apology to them?'
Jenas replied: 'I've always apologised. I don't think that's something I've never done.'
The discussion became increasingly tense when Singh suggested he was 'skirting around' what he had learned from the episode. 'I'm not skirting around anything, Ranvir,' Jenas responded. 'I know what I did was wrong. I accept those punishments. Nobody is skirting around the responsibility of what I did.'
Jenas Criticises the Interview
After the programme aired, Jenas posted a video on Instagram in which he criticised the interview and the approach taken by the presenters. 'How do I feel after my interview on Good Morning Britain? I'm glad I did it,' he said. 'There's obviously a level of disappointment as well purely and simply with the direction that the interview was taken. It felt that they had an agenda. It felt as if there was a thirst for blood from one presenter in particular which felt unnecessary.'
The former footballer suggested the discussion had not reflected conversations he had previously held with producers. 'They invited me on. I didn't ask to go on the show,' he said. 'They invited me on because they saw my post about these transitions in your life and rebuilding your life. No matter how many conversations I had with producers about, "Okay, we can touch on this but I want to move forward and look at what's next", it just felt like a trap.'
Direct Criticism of Singh
Jenas went on to make his strongest criticism of the interview, appearing to aim it directly at Singh. 'It felt like one individual had an agenda and she was going to twist the knife because she wanted to,' he said. 'Now, I can handle that. It's totally fine. It is what it is. I just wanted to show you lot that this is part of my journey. I think it's important that you all see what the media is like and that side of it I don't miss at all.'
Despite his frustration, Jenas repeatedly acknowledged during the interview that he accepted responsibility for his actions and the consequences that followed. When challenged over whether he had put himself in the position that ultimately cost him his career, he replied: '100 per cent. I did put myself in that position and I'm not sat here begging and pleading for my job back. I'm fully accepting what has been taken away from me.'
