Jermaine Jenas is reportedly dating a 31-year-old French woman named Anne, and friends say the relationship has been building quietly for six months. The former footballer, 43, has been seen spending more and more time in Paris, while Anne has also visited him in London.
The pair have kept the relationship out of the public eye, but one source told The Sun the move between the two cities made it obvious how serious things had become. “But now he’s in Paris so much it is clear it’s serious,” the source said, adding that “It felt like there was no messing around.”
The new relationship comes after a difficult year for Jenas, who split from Ellie Penfold, the mother of three of his four children, after 16 years of marriage. Penfold announced on Instagram in March 2025 that their marriage was over. Jenas later said it was her decision and one he had to accept.
His personal life changed again after his dismissal from the in August 2024 over inappropriate texts sent to female colleagues. Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski emailed staff at 3.39pm on a Thursday to say Jenas was no longer working for the broadcaster. Jenas said he was fired during a Zoom call in which executives read out his explicit messages, and he said he was “ashamed” and had “let everyone down.”
The exit followed complaints about his conduct at work, and the fallout appears to have pushed the family split into public view. Jenas has since spoken about the strain of the marriage, saying, “The reality is we both were in a position where we were like ‘are we really happy?’” He also said, “From her side of things, she’d ran the course more than probably me.”
Jenas has also described the breakdown in blunt terms, saying, “It’s a man thing. Relationships are what they are - they have highs, they have lows and people cheat – some people do, some people don’t, but you figure a lot of things out.” In another remark, he said, “I’ll be unhappy if I can stay in this house with you and these kids,” a line that underscored how badly the marriage had frayed before the split.
What comes next is less about a formal announcement than the simple fact that Jenas appears to have moved on. With Anne now part of his life and the relationship no longer confined to Paris or private visits, the former pundit’s next chapter is already out in the open.
