'I know! F***** it!...' Jason Manford recalls his The One Show departure 15 years after his sexting scandal
Fifteen years since Jason Manford left BBC's The One Show following his sexting scandal, he admits he "f*****" up his presenting job.
Jason Manford says he "f*****" up his presenting job on The One Show - 15 years after his sexting scandal.
The 44-year-old comedian quit the BBC evening magazine show in November 2010 - three months after joining the programme - after he admitted to having shared sexual messages online with female fans whilst married to his ex-wife, Catherine.
Jason reunited with his former co-host, Alex Jones, 48, during the August 2 episode of The One Show, and a viewer said it was sad that their on-screen partnership did not last long.
After the comic posted a sweet selfie of him and Alex to his Instagram account on August 2, the viewer said in the post's comments section: "It's such a shame your on screen partnership didn't last 15 years.
"A lovely pair. (sic)"
Jason replied: "I know! F***** it!
"But hey ho, we live and learn and grow!"
Jason's sexting scandal first emerged as allegations in the newspapers.
According to his then-agent Katie Phillips, Jason handed in his resignation to the then-bosses of The One Show "to ease the situation surrounding newspaper allegations".
The star then issued a statement confirming his departure from The One Show.
He told The Sun newspaper at the time: "I have decided after careful consideration to step down from The One Show to concentrate on my family and tour commitments."
The dad-of-six took full responsibility for his actions.
Jason added to the publication: "I have only myself to blame.
"I have never felt so low."
He claimed that his then-wife, Catherine, had forgiven him.
Jason and Catherine - who have twin daughters and a daughter and son together - split up in 2013 after six years of marriage, and he then dated TV worker Lucy Dyke in 2014.
He and Lucy - who have a son and a daughter together - tied the knot during a ceremony in Manchester in 2017.
In 2024, The One Show was rocked by another sexting scandal after it emerged Alex's former co-host Jermaine Jenas, 42, "sent unsolicited texts to a female staff member" at the programme - which he insists was "nothing illegal" and that "inappropriate messages" were sent "between two consenting adults".
Jermaine - who was with his wife Ellie Penfold at the time - was removed from the presenting line-up after he admitted to sexting.
But Alex did not know what was happening until the BBC dealt with the matter with Jermaine.
She told the July 28 edition of The Big Issue magazine: "With JJ, I didn't know what was going on. I had no idea.
"I thought he was taking extended leave. The BBC didn't share with me what was going on until they actually dealt with it. And, you know, they did what they thought was right."
In March, Jermaine's wife, Ellie - who has daughters Geneva, 11, and Olivia, eight, as well as a two-year-old son called Jacob with Jermaine - announced the couple had split up after 14 years of marriage.
Speaking about the scandal on an episode of the Let Me Tell You Something podcast, he said: "It was sexting, as simple as that, but it was initiated to me, and then I responded.
"It wasn’t just me going out of my way, and it definitely 100 per cent wasn’t, 'If you do this, I will help you in your work.'
"There was no power element to it going on."
