Match of the Day presenter Jermaine Jenas sacked by BBC over ‘inappropriate texts’

Former Tottenham Hotspur player ‘no longer part’ of broadcaster’s presenting line-up

Jermaine Jenas has been sacked by the BBC over complaints about inappropriate communications including text messages.
The One Show and Match of the Day presenter, a former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, had been touted by some as a long-term replacement for Gary Lineker.
Jenas, 41, has now been dropped by the flagship football programme, the BBC confirmed.
“It followed allegations involving digital communications such as texts, which were raised with the corporation a few weeks ago,” the BBC reported.
A BBC spokesman said:  “We can confirm that Jermain Jenas is no longer part of our presenting line-up.”
It is understood Jenas was cut from the presenting team following an internal process.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the head of BBC Sport, confirmed the decision in an email to staff on Thursday, informing them that “Jermaine Jenas is no longer working for the BBC”.
The former player covered this summer’s Euros in Germany, and acted as a co-commentator on the semi-final between Spain and France on July 9.
He last presented The One Show on July 22, having first joined the evening TV show in 2021. His various roles earned him between £190,000 and £194,999 per year, according to the BBC’s 2023 annual report.
As news broke of Jenas’s sacking from the BBC, he was on air in his role as talkSPORT pundit. Jenas, who earned 21 England caps, did not address it during the drivetime show.
He later said in a statement: “I am not happy about it. I’ll have to let the lawyers deal with it. There are two sides to every story.”
Alongside his BBC commitments, Jenas has a relationship with TNT Sport, formerly BT Sport. He has provided commentary for its football coverage, and presented its E Sport programming.  
Jenas is not scheduled to appear on air again for a broadcaster for a number of weeks, it is understood.
Talksport said it would pull Jenas from the air, adding in a statement: “We were made aware of a breaking news story involving Jermaine Jenas as he went on air for a one-off presenting slot on talkSPORT Drive. We made a decision, with Jermaine, that he should continue to present the show.
“Given the array of serious allegations being reported as the story continues to evolve, it’s for Jermaine as a private individual to address them in the way he chooses. 
“There are no plans for Jermaine to broadcast as a presenter on talkSPORT in the immediate future.”
Jenas began his career with Nottingham Forest, where he quickly made his name as a promising young player. In 2002 he joined a youthful Newcastle United squad stewarded by the late manager Sir Bobby Robson, and soon won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
He joined Spurs in 2005, and Aston Villa in 2011, ending his career at Queens Park Rangers two years later.
Jenas moved into punditry, first with ITV and BT Sport, before securing appearances on Match of the Day.
In 2023, Lineker, the flagship show’s host, suggested his time at the helm of the programme was “nearly up” and hinted at his possible successor.
The former England striker suggested Jenas could succeed him, saying that he was “probably drifting more towards my role” and was “doing it really well, doing The One Show”.
Jenas has three children with wife Ellie Penfold, who he married in 2011, and one other child from a previous relationship. 
His departure is the latest in a number of recent difficulties for the BBC. In July, Huw Edwards, the News at 10 presenter, pleaded guilty to possession of 41 indecent images of children, having initially been suspended from frontline duties in July last year.
An internal inquiry had been launched following reports that Edwards paid £35,000 to a man, who was 17 when the alleged relationship began, in exchange for sexually explicit images.
The BBC has asked Edwards to return the £200,000 of salary he received in the month following his arrest last November.
The corporation is also dealing with internal unrest over its HR system, which staff have claimed is not fit for purpose. Whistleblowers who came forward to raise concerns about Edwards said they felt their their complaints had been “swept under the carpet”.
The BBC has also been dealing with an ongoing Strictly row after former contestant Amanda Abbington accused her ex-dance partner Giovanni Pernice of abusive behaviour – claims he has resolutely denied.
Both parties are awaiting the findings of a BBC inquiry into the claims.