Multiple’ women came forward about Jermaine Jenas: Axed BBC presenter faces fresh claims of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ as insiders reveal they were ‘horrified’ by messages axed Match of the Day presenter allegedly sent to ‘junior staff’
DAILY MAIL
Jermaine Jenas is facing fresh claims of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ after he was suddenly sacked from the BBC over allegedly sending ‘unsolicited’ texts to junior members of staff.
The presenter, 41, was fired this week after ‘rumours’ spread among colleagues about the inappropriate messages.
A female member of staff claimed she received unsolicited communications via text from Jenas, reports claimed.
Others are now said to have come forward amid the probe into messages allegedly sent by the married ex-footballer, according to The Sun. However, the source added there is ‘no suggestion of illegality’ on the ex-footballer’s part.
The messages are understood to have ‘horrified’ the people who saw them, a source claimed.
‘We investigated him immediately and fired him pretty fast,’ they told The Times, adding: ‘There are no excuses for anyone in power abusing their positions. He’s a man in power messaging some runners.’
The presenter is understood to have told his wife of 13 years, Ellie Penfold, about the claims. The couple share three daughters.
A giant poster featuring Jenas alongside BBC Sport colleagues Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott was removed from Manchester’s Media City HQ on Thursday.
Breaking his silence over the claims yesterday, a spokesperson for Jenas said: ‘Right now I can’t talk about it.
‘I can tell you I’m not happy – there are two sides to every story – and I’m going to be speaking with my lawyers on the issue.’
Meanwhile, the BBC has been removing all traces of Jenas from its websites.
A BBC insider claimed: ‘It all came as a massive shock but his colleagues have now been told the news and he won’t be back.
‘They were kept in the dark. They couldn’t believe it when they found out.
‘There were rumours going around about text messages to members of staff so the evidence was there and the BBC knew that they couldn’t do anything else but terminate his employment. He was sacked very quickly; it’s a sorry state of affairs.’