COULD Jermaine Jenas’s return to broadcasting signal the beginning of the end of the toxic cancel culture which has, for so long, plagued our society?
Sadly, probably not.
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But his talkSPORT comeback does provide us with a glimmer of hope that people can make mistakes and not have their careers ended for good.
Now, before I go any further, I’d like to make clear I do not condone his actions which forced BBC bosses to wield the axe on his roles there.
Sending what one of his female colleagues on The One Show said were unsolicited flirty texts is wrong, and he has caused suffering to multiple women – not least his poor wife Ellie Penfold.
His actions cannot be excused, and BBC bosses were right to give him the boot from The One Show and his Match of the Day punditry gig.
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But should a man who has held his hands up and apologised profusely really be banished from doing any job ever again?
The answer from the woke brigade would be a resounding yes, of course.
But while what Jenas did was wrong on multiple levels, he has not done anything criminal.
He apologised, in an interview with The Sun, to those he had hurt – his family, friends and, most importantly, the women he had messaged.
He even admitted he had started receiving therapy, confessing he probably has a “problem”.
Now he has been offered a role back on talkSPORT – where he was working as news of his sacking broke last August – as part of the commentary team for this Sunday’s FA Cup clash between Aston Villa and Spurs.
And he clearly still has something to offer.
Here is a 41-year-old man who spent 13 years as a professional footballer, making 341 appearances for clubs including Premier League sides Spurs and Newcastle, and winning 21 senior England caps.
A man who was once touted by the great Gary Lineker as his successor as Match of the Day host.
So well done to talkSPORT chiefs for giving him a lifeline.
And here’s to hoping others will be prepared to follow suit and fight back against cancel culture.
