Jermaine Jenas apologises after BBC sacking: ‘I am ashamed and deeply sorry’

Jermaine Jenas has apologised and said he is “ashamed” after being sacked by the BBC, but insisted his behaviour was not illegal.

The Match Of The Day and The One Show presenter was removed by the BBC from the presenting line-ups on Thursday after claims he sent inappropriate messages to two female colleagues.

The BBC has not offered details on why Jenas’s contract was terminated.

“I am ashamed, and I am deeply sorry,” the 41-year-old former footballer said in an interview with The Sun newspaper.

“I have let myself down, my family, friends and colleagues down, and I owe everyone an apology – especially the women with whom I was messaging. I am so, so sorry.

“I am sorry for what I have put them through. I think it would be fair to say I have a problem.

“I know I self-sabotage and have a self-destructive streak when it comes to my relationship especially, and I know I need help. And I am getting help.

“I have made a lot of mistakes, and I am asking myself a lot of questions at the moment. I know there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and it will be hard.”

Jenas said he fell below the standard of responsibility that “needs to be upheld when you’re a member of the BBC”, but insisted there was no criminality involved.

“I did nothing illegal – these were inappropriate messages between two consenting adults,” he said.

It comes after a BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm that he is no longer part of our presenting line-up.”

Jenas told The Sun: “I’m not proud of what I wrote and what I said. And I do consider it cheating, yes, although nothing physical ever happened.

“This is all on me and I fully accept there is a level of responsibility that needs to be upheld when you’re a member of the BBC. And I fell below those