Jermaine Jenas has been axed as the presenter of Formula E, months after the former footballer was sacked by the BBC.
Jenas was abruptly sacked in August by the BBC from his £190,000 on The One Show job for sending ‘inappropriate messages’ to two female colleagues.
He later admitted to the messages and said they left him feeling ashamed and fighting to save his 13-year marriage to Ellie Penfold.
Jenas was axed from The One Show and Match of The Day. He was also met with similar allegations from other women in the weeks that followed, which he later denied.
The 41-year-old has now been replaced as the host of Formula E, after the series agreed a new television deal in the UK and Ireland.
Jenas had served as the lead presenter on TNT Sports, but has been replaced as host after a deal was agreed for ITV to broadcast the season.
Jermaine Jenas has been replaced as the lead presenter of Formula E after their move to ITV
Jenas was sacked by the BBC in August, losing his roles at the One Show and Match of the Day
Nicki Shields, who presented on TNT Sports with Jenas, has been confirmed as the new lead presenter following the move to ITV.
‘We’re excited to confirm that Nicki Shields is our lead presenter for Season 11,’ a Formula E spokesperson told the Sun.
‘As with every off-season, we undergo a thorough and carefully considered evaluation process of our presenter line up.
‘Jermaine Jenas will not be part of the team for Season 11.’
Formula E said Shields has been a prominent figure both on and off the track since the series launched back in 2014.
Shields’ experience as a sports broadcaster, as well as unmatched knowledge and passion to Formula E, were cited as being behind the decision to name her as the lead presenter.
‘I vividly remember my first Formula E race in Beijing 2014, and 10 years later, my passion for the sport remains just as strong,’ Shields said.
‘I’m thrilled to return to Formula E as lead presenter for Season 11.
Jenas was sacked by the BBC for ‘inappropriate behaviour’ in August. He initially denied sending ‘inappropriate messages’ to two female colleagues before admitting to them
Jenas opened up about the impact that his sexting had on his marriage to Ellie (pictured)
‘It’s an honour to share the excitement and drama of this incredible sport with fans around the world.
‘With our talented presenting team, we’re committed to bringing viewers closer to the action than ever before. Bring on São Paulo.’
Karun Chandhok, David Coulthard and Billy Monger have also been confirmed as part of the presenting team.
Formula E confirmed all 16 races, including qualifying, will be streamed live on ITVX having moved to free-to-air TV.
Nine races will be shown live on ITV4 while the broadcaster will also have a bespoke highlights show after each race weekend.
Jenas joined The One Show in 2020 as a stand-in co-host following the departure of Matt Baker and he was made a permanent fixture the following year.
He had been a regular pundit on sports programmes Match Of The Day and Match Of The Day 2 and a presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Jenas has criticised how the BBC handled his sacking and has said he will be speaking to his lawyers about the situation.
Upon his sacking from the BBC, Jenas told his former female colleagues he was ‘genuinely sorry’ for sending inappropriate messages, issuing an apology after being told not to contact the two women due to ‘legal process’.
Jenas made his return to punditry on the sidelines of Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool in October
But he insisted they were ‘between two consenting adults’ and that his behaviour was not illegal.
He said in an interview with the Sun after confessing to the allegations: ‘I feel ashamed. I feel I’ve let everybody down – friends, family, colleagues.’
The former midfielder also hit out at the BBC for the way the corporation handled his axing, saying: ‘The handling of the situation wasn’t great. It was quick — and hell.
‘I don’t think there was a game plan for when they were going to announce they’d fired me.
‘I think different departments were being told different things. I think it’s shocking.’
Jenas said that he had hoped to speak to the two female colleagues who had made the allegations, but had not been able to when the process got underway.
The former Tottenham star made his return to football punditry last month, working for an overseas broadcaster when Arsenal hosted Liverpool in the Premier League.
During his football career, Jenas appeared for England and played for Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers.
