Jermaine Jenas paid a heartfelt tribute to his wife Ellie just weeks before he was fired for sending inappropriate text messages

JERMAINE Jenas has shared a loving tribute to his wife Ellie just weeks before he was fired for sending inappropriate text messages.

The Sun exclusively reported yesterday how Jenas, 41, the star of Match of the Day and The One Show, was sacked from the BBC after women complained about his conduct at work.

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But last May, the presenter was already showing off to brunette beauty Ellie Penfold, whom he married in 2011.

Sharing a series of holiday snaps with his children, he wrote on Instagram: “Happy Birthday Mrs J, I love you…we love you more than you could ever imagine…you deserve the world x.”

In the snaps, Ellie was seen in various bikinis on luxury boats and in a restaurant while traveling abroad.

The couple share three children together, daughters Geneva and Olivia and a son called Jacob, while Jenas has an older daughter, Sancha, from a previous relationship who lives in the United States with her mother.

We revealed on Thursday how a One Show colleague raised concerns after Jenas allegedly sent her unsolicited flirtatious text messages.

Other women have come forward as part of an investigation into private messages allegedly sent by the married former footballer.

Jenas is understood to have called in lawyers and is devastated by the turn of events, including the loss of his annual salary of £190,000 to £194,999 for his work on the FA Cup, Match Of The Day and the World Cup.

His work on The One Show is for BBC Studios, so this salary is not in the public domain.

A giant poster showing him alongside BBC Sport colleagues Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer has been removed from the Media City headquarters in Manchester.

And Jenas was no longer listed for Match of the Day on the television industry database IMDb.

A source said last night: “The presenters, cast and crew have all been asked not to contact him while the legal proceedings are ongoing.”

They added: “As a result, many rumors have been circulating.

“Even the biggest talents like Alex Jones, Alan Shearer or Gary Lineker were not aware of it.”

The source said: “It was shrouded in secrecy. It shocked and shook everyone.”

Jenas’ sacking was initiated by the BBC’s new director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski.

It comes just weeks after he was named Ally of the Year at the Women’s Football Awards.

He is said to have spoken to his wife of 13 years, Ellie, about the allegations and is said to be “deeply unhappy”.

We understand that she stands by his side.

The source said: “This latest incident of alleged workplace misconduct is the last thing the BBC needed.

“The first complaint was filed after Jermaine sent a flirtatious message to a female employee at The One Show.

“She has raised her concerns formally. The BBC knows it can no longer ignore concerns or complaints.

“After an immediate routine investigation, the decision was made to take him off the air and terminate his contract.

“They acted quickly and decisively. In this case, Jermaine was the scapegoat and was fired.

“Although there is no suggestion of any illegality, the BBC cannot be seen as slow to act.

“He has not yet given his version of events, but he has privately let his friends know that he is unhappy.”

The Sun broke the story on our website yesterday afternoon, moments before Jenas began his talkSPORT Drive show.

Within four minutes of the news breaking, Mr Kay-Jelski sent an email to BBC staff.

He wrote: “Hello everyone, I wanted to let you know that Jermaine Jenas is no longer working for the BBC.”

Last night, talkSPORT said it had no plans for the star to broadcast “in the immediate future”.

The alleged complaints came to light after the Euro where he was a pundit and commentator.

He was on air to cover Spain’s victorious semi-final against France on July 9.

Earlier this month, he, Ellie and some of his four children were on holiday in Marbella.

Jenas last presented The One Show alongside Alex Jones on July 22 and last appeared on the Match Of The Day panel on May 4.

He was widely seen as a natural successor to replace Lineker as MOTD host, but was absent for Saturday’s opening match of the new season.

But he was on air on Saturday, commentating for TNT Sports on Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Ipswich.

And on August 2, he took to Instagram after hosting the Formula E season highlight alongside Nicki Shields.

Jenas has posted only three photos on Instagram since May, compared to 73 last year.

He also parted ways with his longtime agent, MC Saatchi. He no longer appears on their website.

In an interview with The Sun in October 2021, Jenas said he would love to replace Lineker as host of Match Of The Day.

He said: “It’s the biggest job on television, and if I ever had the opportunity, of course I would say yes.”

The following month, Lineker told The Sun: “Jermaine is my natural successor, I think he’s doing well.”

The BBC said last night: “We can confirm that Jermaine Jenas is no longer part of the line-up.”

Jenas said through a spokesperson: “At the moment I can’t talk about it. I can tell you that I’m not happy.

“There are two sides to every story and I will discuss this with my lawyers.”

talkSPORT said: “We were made aware of a story involving Jermaine whilst he was on air.

“We made the decision – with Jermaine – that he should continue to present the show.

“A series of serious allegations are being reported as the story continues to evolve.

“It’s up to Jermaine, as an individual, to address them as he sees fit.

“Jermaine has no plans to become a presenter on talkSPORT in the near future.”

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