Jermaine Jenas, presenter of The One Show and also appearing on Match of the Day, has been fired by the BBC following complaints about workplace conduct.
The 41-year-old former footballer said he was seeking legal advice after being dropped from both shows.
The BBC reported that his contract was terminated following allegations over text messages and other digital communications.
The matter was apparently brought to the network several weeks ago, and the network released a statement on Thursday confirming that Jenas is “no longer” on the network’s hosting staff – he last appeared on the show earlier this summer.
The presenter and commentator, who has long been considered a long-term contender to replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day presenter, has also parted ways with his agency M&C Saatchi.
News of Jenas’ departure broke while he was presenting a special talkSPORT show. Speaking to TalkSPORT News on Thursday evening, he said “there are two sides to every story”.
“I am not happy with the situation and I will be discussing the matter with my lawyers, that’s all I can say for now,” he added.
Jenas refused to go into detail about the nature of the complaints made against him, whether they involved multiple colleagues, whether he was surprised that a complaint had been made against him, when he first found out a complaint had been made, or when he was told by the BBC he was fired.
He also declined to answer questions about the ongoing legal process, whether he thought he would be able to keep his job as a sports presenter, or in broadcasting more generally, or whether he thought he owed anyone an apology for leaving the BBC.
A talkSPORT spokesman said: “We became aware of the breaking news about Jermaine Jenas when he aired a one-off hosting slot on talkSPORT Drive. We have decided, together with Jermaine, that he should continue to host the show.”
The spokesman added: “As the case develops, and given the series of serious allegations that have been reported, it will be up to Mr Jermaine as an individual to address these in any way he chooses.”
“Jermaine has no plans to present on talkSPORT in the near future.”
According to The Sun, the BBC launched an immediate internal investigation after concerns were raised about the former England, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United midfielder, and he was quietly removed from the broadcaster’s official channels.
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According to The Sun, a mural featuring Jenas and his BBC Sport colleagues Lineker, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott has been removed from the club’s Media City headquarters in Manchester.
This month the BBC’s board of directors confirmed plans for an independent review of workplace culture, citing concerns about “the potential for inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, particularly in creative and editorial environments”.
The broadcaster said in a statement that the review would “recommend practical steps that can strengthen a workplace culture that is in line with BBC values”.
Jenas, who is married and has four children, covered this summer’s European Championships and commentated on Spain’s win over France in the semi-final on July 9.
He last hosted The One Show on Wednesday, July 22, alongside Alex Jones, and appeared on the Match of the Day panel on May 4. He was absent from the first episode of the new season on Saturday.
Jenas, who is also employed by TNT Sports, receives between £190,000 and £194,999 from the BBC, according to official figures published last year.
Jenas played for Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Tottenham, making more than 400 club appearances and 21 England appearances before retiring in 2016 aged 32.
