JERMAINE Jenas has denied being a sex pest and insisted he did nothing illegal as his texting scandal rocked the BBC.
However, he apologized if the women he sent the message were uncomfortable because of him.
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Fighting host Jermaine Jenas has denied sexual assault and insisted he did nothing illegal in his texting scandal Credit: Andrew Styczynski
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Former professional footballer apologizes if he made women he texted feel uncomfortableCredit: Andrew Styczynski-.Commissioned by The Sun
After he was sacked by the BBC, Jenas – in a harrowing online meeting with HR and senior executives at the corporation – showed a series of X messages he had sent to two colleagues on The One Show.
However, the defiant former football star, who is considering suing the BBC over their handling of the crisis, insists: “I did nothing illegal – these were inappropriate messages between two consenting adults.”
Speaking less than 24 hours after The Sun revealed he had been sacked from Match of the Day and The One Show following the complaints, Jenas said: “I am ashamed and deeply sorry.
“I let myself, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology – especially the women I talked to. I’m so, so sorry.
READ MORE ABOUT JERMAINE JENAS
“I’m sorry for what I put them through.
“I think it would be fair to say I have a problem. I know I self-sabotage and have a self-destructive streak when it comes to my relationship, and I know I need help. And I get help.
“I made a lot of mistakes and right now I’m asking myself a lot of questions. I know there is a lot of work to be done and it will be difficult.
“Before any of this became public, I saw my private doctor and after much discussion I booked myself into therapy to try and work through these issues, where they came from and why I’m doing this and hurting the people I love.
I have been given an amazing opportunity.. right now I feel like I have lost everything
Jenas
“I am not proud of what I wrote and what I said. And I consider it cheating, yes, even though nothing physical ever happened.
“This is all on me and I fully accept that there is a level of responsibility that needs to be upheld when you are a member of the BBC.
Jermaine Jenas ‘not happy’ to be sacked by BBC over ‘spam’
“And I fell short of those standards. I have to take responsibility.
“I was given an amazing opportunity and I know it’s up to me right now I feel like I’ve lost everything. I feel like people are judging me and I’m the number one target in the country right now.”
Jenas reveals he was sacked by the BBC on Monday, five days after the first HR consultation process began.
The BBC’s director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, informed all staff of the former Spurs star’s sudden sacking only after The Sun published the story online.
Jenas insists he thinks it “really says it all about how the BBC handles it all”.
While former colleagues, both on and off screen, have been advised not to contact him due to the legal situation, he says several famous faces and production staff have offered their support. Jenas says he knows one of the women involved through work and gave him her the mobile phone number at the work party.
They then had “frantic” sex for more than 24 hours, but he claims it ended amicably.
Jenas insists: “They were two adults I spoke to. With one, she made it clear that she was interested. I don’t want to go on the ‘who persecuted who’ topic, but when people say things that are wrong and when false information is spread, I have to defend my space in some way.
“In that particular case, there was an adult conversation that took place in a bar in London where that person made it very clear that he was attracted to me. Yes, there was alcohol involved, but I take full responsibility.
“I feel that people do not know the truth and that they create opinions about me that are not correct.
“I wasn’t going through some sort of BBC vault trying to get women’s numbers. I’ll state the obvious that I’m not a sexual pest.
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Jenas sent sexual messages to two colleagues on The One Show Credit: BBC Press Handout
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Jermaine was also sent off for match of the day, pictured with Wayne Rooney and Gary Lineker Credit: Instagram
“These were adults who consented to the texting.”
Speaking at the West Lodge Park Hotel in north London, Jenas denied sending any sexual images or videos.
He said, “That was not the case.”
After being told of the allegations against him, Jenas lied to his wife Ellie in a desperate attempt to stall and “find a way out of this mess”.
He was fired five days later via video call while on a family vacation with Ellie and their three children.
Jenas said: “It was just a grim situation. You have to sit and listen to what you said. I’m not proud of anything.
“It’s embarrassing, and apparently there are four people on the Zoom call, just listening to all this and reading my messages. I think I was in shock then, it was a lot to process.
“But I’m married, I’m to blame, and I kind of played that blame game in my head.
“The main panic was that I could lose my family.
It’s fair to say that I have a problem and I need help. And I get help
Jenas
“There is something in me that prays that there is some level of mercy or understanding of the fact that we are human beings and we all make mistakes, some more than others, and mine is a big mistake.
“But that didn’t happen, and yeah, the whole situation was pretty hellish – and I’m not quite sure what I’m feeling right now, but I don’t think I’ve ever been lower.”
He says that his anxiety has increased and that he suffers from insomnia. Jenas parted ways with his longtime agents, MC Saatchi, after they broke the news of the damaging allegations.
The BBC recently reformed its workplace culture guidelines following the Strictly Come Dancing and Huw Edwards scandals.
Jenas adds: “Some people said that I am the scapegoat here.
“But I have only myself to blame – I let everyone down and disappointed a lot of people. I just want to apologize to everyone I hurt with my actions. I’m sorry.”
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Jermaine and his partner Ellie, who is said to be standing by his side Credit: 2023 Getty Images
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