Jermaine Jenas makes extraordinary statement live on TalkSport after news of his BBC sacking breaks
Jermaine Jenas, known for presenting The One Show and occasionally appearing on Match of the Day, has responded following news he had been sacked by the BBC after complaints over his workplace conduct.
The former Premier League footballer will no longer be presenting the popular shows, as it was revealed by BBC News yesterday (22 August) that the 41-year-old has had his contract terminated.
A BBC spokesperson revealed on Thursday: "We can confirm Jermaine Jenas is no longer part of our presenting line-up."
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Jenas was presenting a one-off show on talkSport radio following the news.
He stated that there are 'two sides to every story', but that he would step back as he'd let his 'lawyers deal with it'.
When asked about the termination on air, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder said he 'can't really talk about it' when the claims were brought up.
He told the station: "I, as you can probably see, I am not happy about it."
Jenas had long been suggested to be a long-term replacement for Gary Lineker as the host of iconic footy show Match of the Day.
When he was asked if he was surprised about the nature of complaints made against him, he repeated: "I can't really talk right now."
He also said: "I've just got to leave this to a team of lawyers at the minute who are, yeah, I suppose just managing the situation.
"This is... Yeah, it's tough, you know. But I've got to listen to my lawyers."
He did not reveal if it concerned more than one colleague, when he was first made aware of the complaints, or if he was surprised about the allegations.
Jenas also did not confirm or deny if legal proceedings had begun, or if he still saw a future in sports presenting or broadcasting, also declining to say if he felt apologetic to anyone at the BBC.
Jenas was on air for the BBC earlier this summer, having done work for the corporation for the FA Cup and the World Cup in recent times.
The former footballer also works for talkSport, and was presenting a show on air when news broke, with the radio station being made aware of the situation as the show started. It was decided 'with Jermaine that he should continue to present'.
"Given the array of serious allegations being reported as the story continues to evolve, it's for Jermaine as a private individual to address them in the way he chooses," a statement from talkSport said.
"There are no plans for Jermaine to broadcast as a presenter on talkSport in the immediate future."
Joshua Nair