Jermaine Jenas has admitted he believes his television career is finished following the sexting scandal that led to his dismissal from the BBC. The former Match of the Day and The One Show presenter said: "It feels the 10, 12 years I had in television is done. It’s been a while since I have been back on TV, which is tough to take, but it is part of the process."
The 41-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United midfielder was sacked by the BBC in 2024 after inappropriate text messages were uncovered. The scandal also led to the breakdown of his 14-year marriage to Ellie Penfold, with whom he has four children, and the couple have since divorced.
Speaking in a Facebook video, Jenas compared his current situation to the uncertainty he faced after retiring from football. He said: "That uncertainty and that fear about what my future is looking like is back again. I have to lean back on those experiences. I'm trying to go to the gym every day, trying to wake up early and do as many positive things as possible, believing at some point something positive is going to happen."
Jenas, who earned around £200,000 a year at the BBC, also lost presenting roles with Formula E and advertising deals. ITV, which previously featured him in Soccer Aid coverage, has since replaced him with Dermot O'Leary and Alex Scott. He now lives in France with his new girlfriend, Anne Leplaideur.
Reflecting on the texts, Jenas described them as "Christian Grey in text messages" and said they occurred during a difficult period in his marriage. He accepted full responsibility, stating: "I dealt with it wrong and got heavily punished for it by losing pretty much everything that I had at that time."
