Jenas was sacked by the BBC last summer for sending “inappropriate messages” to colleagues

Jermaine Jenas Talksport

Jermaine Jenas has returned to broadcasting, appearing as a guest on Talksport on Friday and co-commentating Aston Villa’s FA Cup victory over Tottenham last weekend.

The presenter and former footballer was sacked by the BBC last summer, with the broadcaster explaining it was due to “inappropriate behaviour.” Speaking in his guest appearance on Friday, Jenas agreed that his actions were, “wildly inappropriate,” and, “a mistake,” but added that the messages were, “between two consenting adults” and that his behaviour was not illegal. He went on to speak further on his side of the story, which you can see at the bottom of this article. You can also watch the interview below. 

Jenas’ co-commentary took place on Sunday, as part of Talksport’s coverage of Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup. 

Jenas was live on Talksport when the news about his removal from the BBC broke, and, according to The Telegraph, some staff were allegedly unhappy with his return. Broadcast Sport understands that Talksport staff were consulted before Jenas’ return to the broadcaster. 

Jenas also worked with TNT Sports before his downfall, presenting Formula E coverage that was shown by the broadcaster as well as working directly for it on its football broadcasts as a freelancer. Formula E has stated that its presentation team for its 2025 season is yet to be finalised, while Broadcast Sport understands that Jenas isn’t scheduled to return to TNT. 

Jermaine Jenas’ explanation on Talksport

“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.

“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.”