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Jermaine Jenas admits the actions that caused him to be sacked by the BBC were wildly inappropriate.
Jenas will return to punditry this weekend as co-commentator for Aston Villa vs Tottenham in the FA Cup for talkSPORT.
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It comes six months after the 41-year-old was removed from the presenting line-ups of Match Of The Day and The One Show following complaints about workplace conduct.
He was hosting talkSPORT's Drive show when the news of his dismissal broke.
He later apologised to former female colleagues for sending ‘inappropriate messages’ but insisted they were ‘between two consenting adults’ and that his behaviour was not illegal.
Ahead of returning to broadcasting this weekend, Jenas sat down with talkSPORT’s Shebahn Aherne to have a frank conversation about his return to work.
“Your actions then were wildly inappropriate,” the talkSPORT host asked. “We can agree on that?”
In response, Jenas said: “Yeah, of course. That's what taking responsibility is about. It was inappropriate.”
He continued: “I made a mistake. It was a mistake that is something that me and my wife and my family have to deal with.
“I think that the big thing here is that your career is one thing. I worked 10 years post-retirement from being a footballer and I can take it as far back as I want from starting from nothing to becoming a footballer to getting myself in a very fortunate position to work on television.
“It's a lot of hard work that you put into the job, but at the same time, it can be taken away from you like that. That's one thing that I've recognised.
“When it is taken away from you like that, the only people there for you is your family and friends and it's the people that are really close to you. That's what has been my biggest support system during this period of time.
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“Me and my wife have had some honest conversations. Me and my family have had some honest conversations and that's who this is really between.
“So moving forward, that's where my focus is, making sure that my kids are okay, my wife is supported and that I'm continually working on improving myself.”
Jenas played more than 400 competitive matches for Premier League teams Newcastle, Tottenham, and Aston Villa in a career that spanned more than a decade.
Now he hopes he can show he has learnt from his mistakes and make amends for his actions.
Jenas added: “I have in the past led by example in showing people that I can be a role model and I intend to get back on that path again.
“It's my job to get back to doing what I love most, which is talking about football.”
Watch the video in our web player at the top of this page or on YouTube
Read the full transcript below:
Shebahn Aherne: “This weekend, Jermaine Jenas makes his return to co-commentary and goes back to football.
“After losing his job at the BBC, Jermaine is with us now to talk about how things have changed for him and getting this new opportunity to go back to the sport that you love.
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“Jermaine, I feel a frank conversation is needed ahead of this, and I'm sure you can appreciate why.”
Jermaine Jenas: “Yeah, I think it's fair. The last six, nearly seven months, have been extremely tough for myself and my family, but it's also been a really good opportunity to take stock, have a good look at why you find yourself in these kinds of situations, and start to have some honest conversations with yourself, with other people, people that are close to you, and people that have been very supportive during this period of time.
“And work your way back to a position where I can get back to doing what I love most.”
Shebahn Aherne: It's been six months, which actually isn't a long amount of time. For you and for your family, it will feel like an incredible amount of time.
“But coming back into sport, to the sport that you love, and to the career that you had before everything went wrong, a lot of people will have a real problem with it and I can understand that.
“How do you assure us that you've changed?”
Jermaine Jenas: “The biggest thing in this whole situation is about taking responsibility and that has been at the forefront of my mind.
“You need to take responsibility for your actions. There's a reason why you're in this position, and there's a reason why this has happened.
“Once you kind of accept those things, then you can work on yourself and you can work on the other things, and you can work on your family and work towards a brighter future.
“I'm very grateful to talkSPORT for giving me the opportunity to come talk to yourself and get back to doing what I love most.
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“This is about me looking inwards, making some improvements and coming back a better person.”
Shebahn Aherne: “You're taking responsibility, clearly. Your actions then were wildly inappropriate. We can agree on that?”
Jermaine Jenas: Yeah, of course. That's what taking responsibility is about. It was inappropriate.”
Shebahn Aherne: So how do you make sure you're working on yourself and that there's no relapse there?”
Jermaine Jenas: “I made a mistake. It was a mistake that is something that me and my wife and my family have to deal with.
“I think that the big thing here is that your career is one thing. I worked 10 years post-retirement from being a footballer and I can take it as far back as I want from starting from nothing to becoming a footballer to getting myself in a very fortunate position to work on television.
“It's a lot of hard work that you put into the job, but at the same time, it can be taken away from you like that. That's one thing that I've recognised.
“When it is taken away from you like that, there's only one thing that's there for you and it's your family and it's your friends and it's the people that are really, really close to you. That's what has been my biggest support system during this period of time.
“Me and my wife have had some honest conversations. Me and my family have had some honest conversations and that's who this is really between.
“So moving forward, that's where my focus is, making sure that my kids are okay, my wife is supported and that I'm continually working on improving myself.”
Shebahn Aherne: “I appreciate that. I'd like to know, if it's okay to ask, how difficult that was for your wife and for the women in your life?”
Jermaine Jenas: When you have been living in a way that's not fit really for the position that you have, and you put other people's lives in a position that they didn't ask for, kids are going to school with press following them, wife's getting followed to the gym and to work.
“I put other people in a scenario that they didn't ask to be put into. Granted, some people will look at it and go, well, we've had some good times with you and we'll suffer the bad times, but it's not about that.
“It's about me realising that they didn't deserve to be in that position.”
Shebahn Aherne: “Can you use this experience to become a role model? Would you like to become a role model and how you can better yourself, become the better version of yourself?”
Jermaine Jenas: “I have in the past led by example in showing people that I can be a role model and I intend to get back on that path again.
“It's my job to get back to doing what I love most, which is talking about football.”
