A BBC ‘insider’ has revealed how Jermaine Jenas’ fellow employees reacted to the announcement that he has been dropped by the corporation.
The Sun reported on Thursday afternoon that the BBC had decided to terminate the contract of the former Tottenham midfielder, who presented The One Show and featured as a pundit on Match of the Day.
The BBC later confirmed to SPORTbible that Jenas was no longer a part of their presenting line-up.
BBC News – which is a separate outlet to the BBC itself – reported their understanding that Jenas’ contract was terminated due to ‘alleged issues relating to workplace behaviour’.
Those allegations are said to involve digital communications, including texts, which were brought to the attention of the corporation ‘a few weeks ago’.
Jenas began presenting The One Show in 2020, before becoming a permanent host in 2021. His involvement with Match of the Day dates back to his playing days as a footballer.
In response to the BBC’s decision, Jenas told talkSPORT that there were ‘two sides to every story’ and that he was ‘not happy’ about the situation.
He added: “I’ve just got to leave this to a team of lawyers at the minute who are, yeah, I suppose just managing the situation.
“Yeah, it’s tough, you know. But I’ve got to listen to my lawyers.”
Now, the Daily Mail report that Jenas’ sacking came as a ‘massive shock’ to employees, according to a BBC insider, with the news spreading quickly through WhatsApp groups.
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It is claimed that staff were ‘kept in the dark’ over any BBC investigation, with the news being announced to them in a short message sent from BBC director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski.
The insider says: “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 … he was sacked very quickly; it’s a sorry state of affairs.”
SPORTbible has contacted the BBC for comment.
The announcement of Jenas’ sacking emerged shortly before he was due to present talkSPORT’s ‘Drive’ programme between 4pm and 7pm alongside former Sunderland and England striker Darren Bent.
Jenas fulfilled his presenting duties and then appeared later on a separate programme for an exclusive interview, but talkSPORT told SPORTbible in a statement: “There are no plans for Jermaine to broadcast as a presenter on talkSPORT in the immediate future.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty / BBC/The One Show
Topics: Football, Match Of The Day