Jermaine Jenas receives TV career lifeline after BBC sacking

Jermaine Jenas is to be given a career lifeline by TNT Sports after his sacking by the BBC.

The former England international was sacked from Match of the Day and The One Show last week for sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues, but TNT has not banished him from its roster and he is expected to return to TV screens later this season.

TNT declined to comment on Jenas’s employment status after his sudden dismissal by the BBC. Contrary to some reports, Jenas was not stood down from commentary duty at Brighton’s Premier League win over Manchester United on Aug 24. He had not been scheduled to appear.

While Jenas has not been booked by TNT for the next few weeks, he has not been exiled. Some sources at TNT told Telegraph Sport that they expect him back after next month’s international break, but a return date has yet to be formally discussed.

TNT executives are expected to address the matter during the Premier League break next month. Any further revelations of inappropriate behaviour by Jenas at the BBC would alter their stance.

Jenas is employed as a freelancer by TNT, which calls him up on an occasional basis alongside other pundits and co-commentators.

In addition to commentary work, the 41-year-old also presents TNT’s E Sport programming.

Jenas commentated on Liverpool’s opening-day Premier League win over Ipswich for TNT 10 days ago, but did not appear on Match of the Day, as expected, that evening because the BBC was investigating complaints that had been made against him.

His last BBC appearance was on The One Show, alongside Alex Jones, on July 22 and he last appeared on the Match of the Day panel on May 4, although he was used regularly as a co-commentator by the BBC during the European Championship, including for Spain’s semi-final win over France.

TNT executives are in a difficult position as they have not seen the evidence which led to him being fired by the BBC. The former Tottenham midfielder issued a public apology last week to the two women he had texted, but said he thought their exchanges had been consensual.

Jenas is also expected to be given punditry work by Talksport, where he was live on air when the story of his BBC sacking broke last Thursday. Talksport chose to continue with Jenas’s programme as a guest presenter of Talksport Drive before releasing a statement saying it had no plans to use him again in the immediate future.

Talksport has also not ruled out booking him again however, with producers at the channel saying they were impressed by his professionalism last week and the way he handled the furore. Jenas answered questions about the matter live on air before giving a fuller interview to The Sun the following day.

Click here to view this content.

Jenas was appearing as a guest host on Talksport for only the second time last week and could do so again. Media experts told Telegraph Sport that his booking fees are likely to be signficantly reduced however, given he no longer enjoys golden boy status at the BBC, which regarded him as a possible successor to Match of the Day host Gary Lineker.

Jenas was paid between £190,000 and £194,999 per year by the BBC, according to the corporation’s 2023 annual report.

TNT and Talksport declined to comment.