Alex Jones has spoken publicly for the first time about the Jermaine Jenas sexting scandal, revealing she was “the last to know” about her co-host’s inappropriate messages to female staff.
Appearing on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, the Welsh broadcaster, 48, said she had deep respect for those who came forward with allegations against the former footballer, 42, who was dismissed from the BBC in August 2024 after complaints about texts sent to female colleagues.
The scandal cost Mr Jenas his £190,000-a-year salary and several high-profile presenting roles.
“JJ and I had become good friends. I was the last to know,” Ms Jones told the Made in Chelsea star, speaking candidly about the fallout.
Jermaine Jenas was dismissed by the BBC
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PA
She explained the BBC handled the matter independently and did not inform her until after action had already been taken.
“The BBC dealt with it, and I think if people feel uncomfortable, they have to deal with it,” Ms Jones said.
Drawing on her own experiences as a mother, the broadcaster said she understood why victims needed proper support. “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 said.
Ms Jones added if someone was “brave enough to speak up”, companies had a responsibility to respond appropriately.
Jermaine Jenas and Alex Jones presented The One Show together before the scandal
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Reflecting on changes within the media industry, Ms Jones acknowledged attitudes and expectations have shifted significantly since she entered broadcasting.
“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,” she said.
However, Ms Jones clarified: “But nothing has stuck with me. Nothing makes me shudder.”
Ms Jones admitted that earlier in her career, she would not have felt able to report inappropriate behavior. “I know the type of girl I was then, and I wouldn’t have handled it,” she said.
Alex Jones discussed the scandal on Jamie Laing’s Great Company Podcast
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Great Company Podcast/YouTube
When Mr Laing suggested that concerns over job security might stop people from speaking out, Ms Jones agreed, saying: “Yeah, I know I wouldn’t have said anything, and so I’ve got a lot of respect for the girls that did, because I do think it is an incredibly brave thing to do.”
Fans of the podcast quickly took to social media to share their thoughts on the interview.
Many were in support of Ms Jones. One fan wrote under the podcast uploaded to YouTube: “Well done Alex for not brushing that question under the carpet. I was a teen/twenty-something girl at work in the 80’s, and the things I had to deal with would make your hair curl. I’m glad girls are speaking up and being taken seriously now!”
Another penned: “80’s & 90’s were horrific … & “oh that’s the way it was then” is no longer an acceptable response to sexism, misogyny & abuse. Speak up ladies & gents.”
However, others referred to the podcast as “the woke show” and suggested that Ms Jones had “sold out” Mr Jenas.
Mr Jenas’s personal and professional life unraveled in the aftermath of the scandal.
His 14-year marriage to wife Ellie Penfold ended in March 2025, with the couple confirming their separation after 16 years together.
Jermaine Jenas and his ex-wife Ellie Penfold
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The former couple share three children and Mr Jenas has another daughter from a previous relationship.
Following his dismissal, his agency MC Saatchi dropped him, prompting the former Tottenham midfielder to launch his own production company as he attempted to rebuild his career.
Mr Jenas later returned to broadcasting on TalkSport in February 2025, having admitted to making “a mistake” but insisting he had done “nothing illegal”.