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3 months ago
28 Jermaine Jenas has admitted he feels ‘ashamed’ of his actions after getting sacked by the BBC for inappropriate behaviour, but insists ‘false information’ is being spread.
The former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder was axed by the BBC following allegations of inappropriate behaviour — including sending unsolicited text messages to female colleagues on The One Show.
Jenas was working live on talkSPORT when the news broke and told the radio station he could not talk about the matter and that it was in the hands of lawyers.
But in a lengthy interview with The Sun published on Friday, Jenas wrongdoing and offered a public apology to his family, friends and colleagues.
“I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry,” said Jenas.
“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’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 has denied claims that the texts he sent to female colleagues were unsolicited, insisting the interactions were between ‘consenting adults’.
“These were two consenting adults I was speaking to,” Jenas continued. “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.”
The ex-England international also denied sending any inappropriate pictures or videos, insisting “that was not the case”.
Jenas was on holiday with his wife and children at the time he was fired by the BBC over video call.
“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,” Jenas recalled.
“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.
“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.”
