During a podcast interview, Alex Jones has opened up about the sexting scandal, which saw her former The One Show co-presenter Jermaine Jenas sacked by the BBC last year
The One Show star Alex Jones has said she was “the last to know” about Jermaine Jenas’ sexting scandal, which saw him sacked by the BBC. The TV presenter and football pundit, 42, was axed in August last year over claims he had sent inappropriate texts to female colleagues. He was removed from his role as a presenter of The One Show and a pundit for BBC Sport after an internal investigation was launched.
Jenas’ BBC contract was terminated and he also parted ways with his long-term agents MC Saatchi in addition to being let go from his role presenting Formula E. Now Alex, 48, has spoken about the scandal while appearing on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast.
The TV star, who worked alongside Jenas until his departure from the show last year, said: “JJ and I had become good friends. I was the last to know. The BBC dealt with it, and I think if people feel uncomfortable, they have to deal with it.
READ MORE: Six bombshells from Jermaine Jenas sext scandal as guilt leaves star ‘like a zombie’
“If it was my daughter, and she was at work in whatever industry and she felt uncomfortable, I would hope to God that I’d given her the tools to be able to speak up.” She added: “If she was brave enough to speak up, because it is a brave thing to do, I would hope that the company, corporation, whoever, would deal with it.
“Lots of journalists are asked, ‘Have you ever had experiences that are uncomfortable?’ I mean, if you go back to the 90s, early 2000s, there was stuff and there were ways that things were said that weren’t great. But, nothing has stuck with me, nothing makes me shudder. And I know the type of girl I was then, and I wouldn’t have handled it.”
Alex said she has “a lot of respect” for the women who spoke out, which she described as “an incredibly brave thing to do.” In addition to the professional repercussions, the scandal also led to the breakdown of Jenas’ marriage. In March, Jenas’ Ellie Penfold announced her split from him. Ellie, who shares four children with the presenter, took so social media to confirm the end of their 16-year relationship.
“I never imagined I would have to share something so personal with the public, but given the situation, I feel it’s necessary,” she said. “After 16 years together and 4 wonderful children, Jermaine and I have decided to part ways.
“We will remain friends and continue to co-parent. We kindly ask that you respect our children’s privacy during this challenging time. Thank you, Ellie.” After the allegations emerged, Jenas said that he was “ashamed of himself” after the allegations came to light, and that his wife was livid and not speaking to him.
The axed host has stressed he has done nothing illegal and said he was sorry if he made any of the women he had messaged feel uncomfortable. Jenas spoke of his shame after his world collapsed following the corporation’s confirmation and an “excruciating” meeting with HR and execs. The former One Show star denied sending any explicit pictures or videos.
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.