Inside Jermaine Jenas' family life: £1m mansion and ex-model wife who 'is standing by him'

Jermaine Jenas' wife Ellie Penfold is believed to be 'standing by him' after the BBC star was sacked on Thursday for inappropriate behaviour - just a year after he warned his new career was causing 'stress' in their marriage

BBC's Jermaine Jenas has been dramatically dismissed due to inappropriate behaviour, with his wife Ellie Penfold reportedly "standing by him" amidst the scandal. The news broke as he began hosting a three-hour drive-time programme on talkSPORT radio alongside fellow ex-footballer Jermaine Pennant last month.

Jenas is no longer part of The One Show's presenting team and has also been removed from his punditry and presenting roles on Match of the Day, Match of the Day 2 and Radio 5 Live. He joined The One Show in 2020 as a stand-in for Matt Baker, before becoming a permanent fixture a year later.

Off-screen, Jenas resides with his wife Ellie Penfold, whom he married in 2011, and their three children in a £1million Hertfordshire home. It's understood that Ellie is supporting her husband through this difficult time.

Just a year prior to his dismissal, Jenas revealed that his new presenting roles had caused disagreements with his wife, as she struggled with the amount of time he spent socialising post-filming for the BBC. He admitted: "I would say up until about five years ago it was quite stressful for us both."

Jermaine Jenas has opened up about the dynamics of his relationship, admitting that it involved a great deal of competition at times, especially when balancing family life with his burgeoning career. "There was a lot of competing going on in our relationship and a lot of 'you get to do this' or 'you don't do this. It was a lot to do with the kids and the fact that I had this new career starting and I was out and about and meeting new people and going to shows... it was all glitzy but for my wife it was like nappies, milk... I am a very hands-on dad and I'm always trying to help but still she wasn't getting that fulfilment in her own life," he explained, reports the Mirror.

To tackle these issues, Jenas encourages his wife to take personal breaks, saying, "I had to address it and over the last five years I always say to her once or twice or year just go away for three days or something. In the summer and coming up now she will usual go to Ibiza with her mates and have a good blowout and that's for her not to have to wake up or think about the kids, and I've just come back from Scotland playing three days of golf and she will say the same to me, go and play golf, relax, enjoy yourself."

Jenas consistently commends his partner on social media platforms, evidenced by a touching tribute earlier in the year for her birthday. Posting a photo of his spouse enjoying some holiday relaxation, he captioned it: "Happy birthday Mrs J, I love you more than you could ever imagine. You deserve the world."

The former Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur player also shared insights into their successful marriage, highlighting communication as key, urging couples to talk "before the crisis hit" and shunning "game playing" to maintain tranquillity at home.

BBC News has declared that Jermaine's contract was cut off earlier this week over reported concerns related to his behaviour at work. The dismissal is said to have come after claims tied to digital communications.

In a conversation with a talkSPORT reporter last month, Jermaine remarked: "I can't really talk about it. As you can probably see, I'm not happy about it. But currently as it stands I'm going to have to let the lawyers deal with it."

He continued, "There's two sides... that's all I can say now."

His discontent clearly showing, he stated: "I'm not happy about this situation. I'm going to be speaking to my lawyers about it, is all I can say right now."