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Former Match of the Day presenter claims he was sacked on Zoom and was not allowed to apologise to the women he messaged
Jermaine Jenas has criticised the BBC for how it handled his sacking and accused the corporation of making him into a “fall guy”.
The Match of the Day presenter, 41, was sacked earlier this week amid allegations that he sent explicit texts to two female colleagues.
He claimed on Saturday that the BBC had put him through “hell”, including carrying out the dismissal process via Zoom while he was on holiday with his wife and children.
In an interview with The Sun, Jenas said he is considering suing the broadcaster over its handling of his sacking and how confidential information about him was made public.
He claimed senior staff had been openly discussing his dismissal before he was told.
“The handling of the situation wasn’t great,” he told the newspaper. “It was quick — and hell.”
“I don’t think there was a game plan for when they were going to announce they’d fired me.
“I think different departments were being told different things. It’s shocking.”
Jenas said he did not want to be made a scapegoat because of the BBC’s high-profile recent failings over disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards and the bullying claims at Strictly Come Dancing.
He said: “I think everyone has seen what’s been going on at the BBC recently with Huw Edwards and Strictly.
“I just don’t think I should be the one to be the fall guy. I think it sums up where they are at right now.
“I think they clearly don’t know what to do, by the looks of it, because, like I said, how the situation was handled didn’t feel great.”
Jenas claims he was sacked on Monday, two days after he last worked for the BBC. He told the newspaper that while the BBC told staff that he had been dismissed in an internal email, the sports department had been told beforehand.
“From a process point of view from the BBC, it’s shocking.”
In an interview with TalkSport on Friday he said the situation had left him “fuming”.
Jenas said he asked the BBC if he could speak to the women involved and apologise personally but was refused.
“When it was all unfolding and I knew I was losing my job, I asked HR if I could contact the two women directly and apologise to both of them,” the former footballer said.
“But because of the legal process, I wasn’t allowed.
“I didn’t get the opportunity to say sorry to them at that particular point when I really wanted to apologise.
“I really want to apologise from the bottom of my heart in terms of what I’ve put them through.”
Asked what he would say to the women, he said: “I’m genuinely sorry for what I’ve done to you.”
Jenas on Friday released a public apology for sending the messages, saying he was “deeply sorry and ashamed”, and had let down his family.
He claimed that the interactions were consensual and the women involved were “consenting adults”.
The former One Show presenter, who has three children with his wife of 13 years, Ellie Penfold insisted he is “not a sex pest” but said he did consider the texts to be “cheating”.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting line up.”