Jermaine Jenas has revealed he has received support from BBC figures after he was sacked from the channel for sending inappropriate texts to women.
The presenter, 41, has said he is ‘ashamed’ and ‘deeply sorry’ – admitting to ‘frantically’ sexting a woman for 24 hours after she gave him her number at a work event.
And now the former footballer has admitted that while his former colleagues, both on and off screen, have been advised not to contact him, he has received some support.
Jermaine told The Sun that several well-known faces and production staff have reached out to him.
Speaking about the women he conversed with, he insisted: ‘These were two consenting adults I was speaking to. With one she made it clear she was interested.
‘I don’t want to start going down the ‘who pursued who’ road, but when people are saying things that are wrong and false information is being spread.
I do have to kind of defend my space.’
Jermaine explained that after a chat in a bar the woman made it clear they were attracted to him, yet he also takes full responsibility.
He added: ‘I feel people don’t know the truth and are forming opinions about me that aren’t accurate.
‘I wasn’t going through some kind of BBC vault trying to get women’s numbers. I’m obviously going to say I’m not a sex pest.’
Jermaine also denied sending any sexual pictures or videos.
He was let go by the corporation after women complained about his workplace conduct and a junior member of staff – said to have been previously impressed by the BBC star – raised concerns over alleged flirty texts.
The corporation acted ‘swiftly and decisively’ because ‘the BBC cannot be seen to be slow to take action’, a source claimed.
The BBC informed staff of their decision to let him go after the story had already been made public by news outlets.
While an investigation into his behaviour continues, Jermaine has had his BBC contract terminated and will no longer appear on Match of the Day or The One Show.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm Jermaine Jenas is no longer part of our presenting line-up.’
The corporation fired Jermaine in an excruciating video call – while he was on a family holiday in Marbella, Spain, with his wife Ellie and their three children.
However he went on to confess he lied to his wife Ellie Penfold after being informed of the allegations to ‘find a way out of this mess’.
Ellie has since kicked him out of the bedroom and the pair are no longer on speaking terms as he fights for his marriage.
The ex-footballer said he has a tendency to ‘self-sabotage’ his own relationship, saying that sexting other woman may not have been a physical form of cheating but he still considers it an unfaithful act.
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Source: USA Today