Jermaine Jenas' wife Ellie breaks silence over ex-One Show host's BBC sacking amid sexting scandal

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Jermaine Jenas’ wife Ellie has spoken publicly for the first time about the sexing scandal that saw her husband sacked from his BBC hosting gigs.

Jenas, 41, was sacked from his presenting jobs on flagship BBC shows Match Of The Day and The One Show in August. His firing came after it was revealed that the former footballer had been sending inappropriate messages to women he worked with.

Ellie Penfold, Jenas’ wife of 13 years, has remained quiet on the situation since his sacking, but has now broken her silence on the subject. Speaking to The Sun at the launch of her personal care brand Preppy, Penfold said: “It has been an incredibly hard and difficult time for myself and my family.

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Ellie Penfold, the wife of former BBC host Jermaine Jenas, has spoken out publicly for the first time since he was sacked from the broadcaster amid a sexting scandal.Ellie Penfold, the wife of former BBC host Jermaine Jenas, has spoken out publicly for the first time since he was sacked from the broadcaster amid a sexting scandal.
Ellie Penfold, the wife of former BBC host Jermaine Jenas, has spoken out publicly for the first time since he was sacked from the broadcaster amid a sexting scandal. | Getty Images

“My only focus has been on our children and building my brand Preppy. Now I just want to move forward. Naturally this has been hard for me but my only concern has been our children and that will not change.”

The couple married in 2011 and have three children together, as well as Jenas being a father to a fourth child from a previous relationship. Jenas previously spoke out about the situation, saying on Instagram Stories: “I just thought it was important for me... to talk to you lot and just say thank you really for the level of support that you’ve shown me. It’s clearly been a difficult period for me but one that I definitely will grow from.”

He added: “We’re human beings, that's what it is, you’ll learn from it and become a better person. I think those are the things that are important in life, none of us are perfect and we’ve just gotta find a way to keep moving forward. Look after our babies and our families in the best possible way and that’s something I am trying to do.”

Jenas’ departure from football highlights show Match Of The Day comes as the show looks set to undergo a transformation, with stalwart host Gary Lineker also set to hand up his presenting boots. With Lineker set to leave the show at the end of the 24-25 season after 25 years at the helm, favourites to replace the former footballer include Mark Chapman, Alex Scott and Kelly Cates.

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