22 August 2024 , 17:21
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Jermaine Jenas has been fired by the BBC after claims of ‘inappropriate behaviour’, it has been reported.
The 41-year-old – who was the face of Match of the Day and The One Show – has been taken off air and sacked by the BBC after complaints were made.
Former England football player Jenas joined The One Show in 2020 where he began co-presenting with Alex Jones and he became a permanent fixture a year later.
After retiring from football in 2016 – after stints at Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur – Jenas began working as a Match of the Day pundit, and was hotly tipped to be Gary Lineker’s future replacement.
But it appears all this has changed, as a source claimed to The Sun: ‘This is a categorical nightmare for the BBC.
‘A complaint was raised concerning Jermaine’s behaviour.
‘After some immediate routine enquiries the decision was taken to take him off air, and terminate his contract.
‘The BBC’s new Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski has been heavily involved in this whole process, and is adamant that his new house is firmly in order, and there are no skeletons.
‘At present, the feeling is he won’t be back on the BBC.’
His agency MC Saatchi also no longer represents him.
A BBC spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting line up.’
Jenas is talking on radio channel talkSPORT Drive from 4pm until 7pm today (August 22) as the story breaks, but seems to be carrying on as normal. He is chatting with Jermaine Pennant about football.
He last presented The One Show on July 22 alongside Alex Jones, and appeared on the Match of the Day on May 4 – not featuring on the first episode of the new season.
The Sun claims the BBC has launched an immediate internal investigation after concerns about the broadcaster were reportedly raised.
Another source told the Mail: ‘It all came as a massive shock but his colleagues have now been told the news and he won’t be back.
‘His colleagues are stunned, they didn’t see it coming at all. They were kept in the dark to start with. They couldn’t believe it when they found out.’
Jenas has three children – two with his wife Ellie Penfold and one from a previous relationship – and lived in Hertfordshire.
This comes at a particularly turbulent time for the BBC after one of their most revered presenters Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, having been arrested in November.
Edwards was the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earning £475,000 and £479,999 from 2023 to 2024. The amount he earned from November last year – the time he was arrested – is around £200,000.
The broadcaster is now seeking the return of salary paid since his arrest.
Over on Strictly Come Dancing, accusations by former contestants are also hitting the headlines over their alleged treatment at the hands of various professional dancers on the show.