It wasn’t physical but it was cheating, says ashamed Jermaine Jenas as he admits sending inappropriate texts to women
JERMAINE Jenas denied being a sex pest and insisted he had done nothing illegal as his texting scandal rocked the BBC.
But he apologised if he made the women he had messaged feel uncomfortable.
After being sacked by the BBC, Jenas — in an excruciating online meeting with HR and senior corporation execs — was shown a string of X-rated messages he had sent two colleagues on The One Show.
However, the defiant former footie star, who is considering suing the BBC for 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 fired from Match of the Day and The One Show following the complaints, Jenas said: “I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry.
“I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology — especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry.
“I am sorry for what I have 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 especially, and I know I need help. And I am getting help.
“I have made a lot of mistakes, and I am asking myself a lot of questions at the moment. I know there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and it will be hard.
“Before any of this became public, I saw my private doctor and after a long discussion, booked in for therapy to try and address these issues, where they stem from, and why I have been doing this and hurting the people I love.
I was given an incredible opportunity.. right now I feel I have lost everything
Jenas
“I’m not proud of what I wrote and what I said. And I do consider it cheating, yes, although nothing physical ever happened.
“This is all on me and I fully accept there is a level of responsibility that needs to be upheld when you’re a member of the BBC.
“And I fell below those standards. I must take the responsibility.
“I was given an incredible opportunity and I know it’s on me that right now I feel I have lost everything. I feel like people are judging me and that I am the number one target right now in the country.”
Jenas reveals he was sacked by the BBC on Monday, five days after the initial HR consultation process began.
The BBC’s Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski informed all staff of the former Spurs star’s sudden dismissal only after The Sun had broken the story online.
Jenas insists he thinks this “says everything about the BBC’s handling of it all really”.
While former colleagues, both on and off screen, have been advised not to contact him due to the legal situation, he says several well-known faces and production staff have offered their support.
Jenas says he knows one of the women involved through work and she gave him her mobile number at a boozy work event.
They then “frantically” sexted over 24 hours but he claims it ended amicably.
Jenas insists: “These were two consenting adults I was speaking to. With one she made it clear she was interested. I don’t want to start going down the ‘who pursued who’ road, but when people are saying things that are wrong and false information is being spread, I do have to kind of defend my space.
“In that particular instance, there was an adult conversation that took place in a bar in London where that person made it very clear that they had an attraction to me. Yes there was alcohol involved but I take full responsibility.
“I feel people don’t know the truth and are forming opinions about me that aren’t accurate.
“I wasn’t going through some kind of BBC vault trying to get women’s numbers. I’m obviously going to say I’m not a sex pest.
“These were consenting adults I was texting.”
Speaking at the West Lodge Park hotel in North London, Jenas denied sending any sexual pictures 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 bid to stall and “find a way out of this mess”.
He was fired five days later via video call while on a family holiday with Ellie and their three kids.
Jenas said: “It was just a grim situation. You’re having to sit there and listen to what you’ve said. I’m not proud of anything.
“It’s embarrassing, and obviously there’s four people there on a Zoom call, basically, just listening to all of this, and reading out my messages. I think I was in shock at the time, there was a lot to process.
“But I’m the married one, I’m at fault, and I was sort of playing this blame game in my head.
“The overriding panic by a mile was that I could lose my family.
It’s fair to say I have a problem, and I need help. And I am getting help
Jenas
“There’s something in me that’s praying there is some level of mercy or understanding of the fact we’re human beings and we all make mistakes, some bigger than others and mine is a big mistake.
“But that didn’t happen, and yeah the whole situation was pretty hellish — and right now I’m not quite sure what I’m feeling, but I don’t think I have ever been lower.”
He says his anxiety has spiralled, and he is suffering with insomnia. Jenas has parted ways with his long-standing agents, MC Saatchi, after they broke the news to him about the damaging allegations.
The BBC has recently reformed workplace culture guidelines after the Strictly Come Dancing and Huw Edwards scandals.
Jenas adds: “Some people have suggested I’m the scapegoat here.
“But I have only myself to blame — I have let everyone around me down and I have disappointed a lot of people. I just want to apologise to everyone I have hurt through my actions. I am sorry.”