Jermaine Jenas will be returning to TV tonight for a Channel 4 documentary – but who is he, who’s his wife and does he have children?
The star suffered a torrent of racial abuse as a commentator during the Euros 2020. In fact the abuse targeted at him on social media was so bad he called the police.
Now he’s hitting back, in Hunting The Football Trolls: Jermaine Jenas.
The documentary will see him uncovering racist slurs against footballers and asking what can be done?
The One Show co-host even tries to get through to one troll in a face to face confrontation.
Who is Jermaine Jenas?
Jenas is a popular football pundit and also works as a co-host for The One Show.
He is an ex-Nottingham, Spurs, Aston Villa and Newcastle midfielder and moved into punditry soon after retiring from the game.
He was a top midfielder but had a career hampered by injury that did not stop him remaining at the top level for years.
Jermaine played for England a total of 21 times.
He announced his retirement from football in 2016 although he hadn’t played since 2014 due to injury.
Who is Jermaine married to and does he have children?
Jermaine is married to former model Ellie Penfold.
They got together in 2009 and married in 2011.
Jermaine once said: “It was love at first sight – but not for her!”
The couple have two daughters, Geneva and Olivia.
Jermaine also has an older daughter from a previous relationship, who lives in America with her mother.
Meanwhile, Jermaine and Ellie are expecting their third baby.
What is Jermaine’s net worth?
According to fame ranker.com, Jermaine’s net worth is £1.2 million.
Although it could be more since signing as a presenter of The One Show earlier this year.
What happened to Jermaine Jenas?
Former Tottenham Hotspur footballer Jermaine spoke about the abuse he suffered in an interview with The Sun.
He said his was subjected to so much racial abuse as a Euros 2020 commentator that he deleted Twitter.
A lot of it was racial abuse, some of it just abuse for no reason
Jermaine said: “These unregulated platforms, where people can be anonymous, have become like the black market of racism.
“I got a lot of abuse commentating during the Euros, which wasn’t nice.
Read more: The One Show viewers demand new presenters after ‘incredibly painful’ show
“Pretty much any game I did, I was trending on Twitter afterwards. It got to the point, after the third game, I think, where I had to delete Twitter.
Jermaine called the police who are believed to still be investigating two trolls in particular.
He also tried to lodge a complaint with Instagram.
But he was later informed by the social media platform that the slur he complained about ‘didn’t break to code of language’.
What’s the worst thing Jermaine endured?
Jermaine, 38, knows racism in football is not a new thing – it’s just moved online more.
In 2004 the midfielder played for England against Spain at the Bernabeu stadium.
But it’s not the play he remembers – it’s the sickening sound of the ‘monkey chants’.
Racist fans made sick noises every time a black player touched the ball.
He told The Sun: “That was the worst feeling being on a football pitch. I just thought, ‘Why are we here?’”
What happens in Hunting The Football Trolls: Jermaine Jenas?
Dad-of-three Jermaine joined forces with the Football Policing Unit for the documentary.
The unit was set up by the Home Office and he spent 12 months researching it.
Jermaine does indeed hunt down some internet trolls.
Two were ruled out of being approached by the makers of the programme, ‘on mental health grounds’.
Read more: The One Show’s Jermaine Jenas wins over viewers
But eventually one 22-year-old man was found and confronted.
Viewers will see Jermaine trying to question him about his online behaviour.
Hunting The Football Trolls: Jermaine Jenas airs on Channel 4, tonight, at 10pm.
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