Jermaine Jenas doesn't hide how he really feels about BBC – 'They just lie to your face'

Jermaine Jenas has hit out at theBBC, accusing them of dishonesty towards their employees as he reflected on the nature of the television industry. The ex-footballer, 42, was dismissed from the corporation last August due to improper conduct.

Jenas, who used to share presenting duties with Alex Jones on The One Show, admitted to sending lewd messages to two former colleagues at the BBC. In addition to losing his BBC role, the former England midfielder saw his representation with a talent agency terminated.

His 14-year marriage to Ellie Penfold also ended as their separation was publicly acknowledged in March. After keeping a low profile for four months, Jenas is gradually stepping back into the spotlight.

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During his appearance on with ex-Chelsea players Carlton Cole, Joe Cole and Wayne Bridge, Jenas compared the worlds of football and television.

He said: "I don't think there's been a footballer that has gone on a day-time, evening live television slot and presented in an entertainment space.

"It was crazy, I think that side of it was strange if I'm totally honest with you. I think what you realise when you go into television is the football world is very different because we are naturally competitive.

"Also, I've always been the type of person that's very much, 'If I'm not doing something right, just tell me,' because it's like that in training. If I'm not playing, I go knock on the manager's door, 'What am I not doing?'

"'You're going out too much, you're not working hard enough, you're not in the gym enough,' right, I'm going to do all those things and then I want to be playing, it's simple."

He spoke candidly about the cutthroat nature of the television industry, revealing that gossiping and backstabbing are commonplace.

Jenas claimed that he experienced this firsthand during his time on The One Show, where he worked with various stand-in presenters. "Television is not like that, they just talk behind your back," he revealed (via Wales Online).

"Everybody in television would just lie to your face. When I was a main presenter on the show, sometimes when Alex Jones wouldn't be working because she was having children at the time, I was working with various female presenters.

"We'd come off air and they'd go, 'Oh did you like her JJ', I'm like, 'Yeah she's really good, it's her first time, she's done really well.' And then I'd just see them talking c*** about them going, 'Yeah she's not coming back.'"

Almost a year after leaving the BBC, Jenas continues to work as a contributor on talkSPORT and has launched his own podcast 'Let Me Tell You Something with Derek and JJ' alongside boxing star Derek Chisora.

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