Jason Manford

[faceless]

Jason Manford: My Web Sex With 12 Girls
By GORDON SMART
19th November 2010
The Sun

TEARFUL telly host Jason Manford quit BBC1's The One Show last night after admitting internet sex sessions with 12 girl fans. Manford, 29, said: "I have only myself to blame. I have never felt so low." The comedian revealed he had betrayed his wife with steamy chats to 12 girls on Twitter and video calls on Skype. He announced his decision to leave the 7pm BBC1 show in a statement, saying: "I have decided after careful consideration to stand back from The One Show to concentrate on my family."

The BBC said later: "We have got nothing to say except that we accept Jason's decision." Bosses were considering whether to run material Jason had pre-recorded for Children In Need, which broadcasts tonight.

Speaking of his web shame, Jason told The Sun: "If I was reading this about someone else, I'd think, 'What an arsehole. How can he look at himself in the mirror?'" He revealed he had spent hours in hotel rooms in conversation with scantily-clad female fans.

The Mancunian decided to own up three weeks before his wife Catherine is due to give birth to their third child. The couple have twin daughters aged one. He said: "There were ten or 12 people flirting and then with a few it went over the line. We would start off flirty, then innuendo and then a bit saucy. They were the moments I thought, 'I shouldn't be saying that'. It was just nice to have some interaction I suppose. But the next morning I would wake up and think, 'Fuck. Oh my God'. I don't drink or do drugs, so it's not like I've those to blame - just my own stupidity."

Jason married long-term girlfriend Catherine last year. She is eight months pregnant. He has made a full confession to her about his sex tweets to Debra McNamee, 22 - revealed by The Sun two weeks ago - and all the girls he has been online with. Trying to make sense of his behaviour, he said tearfully: "I think it was because there was a danger to it. The fundamental thing is, I was a dickhead. My wife has called me a dickhead.

"We have had a serious sit-down about it and agreed that what we've got is worth fighting for. She's fine and we're fine. The kids are fine. We've got another one in three weeks. She hasn't kicked me out. I held my hands up. I showed her all the messages. I said, 'This is what's happened' and she was disappointed. But the relationship we have is not about, 'Right, get out!' or 'You're on the couch'. I don't feel any less of a dad but I still feel I've let them down. I just hope they never find out. I hope we can move on. My wife texted me today to say, 'Me and you are fine. We are dealing with it'. I am upset that I have disappointed people. Everyone makes mistakes."

Jason went on: "The mad thing was, when I was chatting there were messages I knew went too far. They weren't just flirty. I just didn't think. I can't even describe it. It's such a weird world online. People throw themselves at you. I had this ridiculous few days - what the hell was I doing? There were a couple who said, 'Let's meet' and 'Let's do that'. That was a wake-up call. I thought, hold on a minute. That was a point where maybe I annoyed them and off they went."

Jason confessed to gaining sexual satisfaction during sessions in his hotel rooms on Skype - a live video link online - with women. He said: "I went on Skype with a few girls. They also sent pictures on Twitter. It all happened on tour. It's boredom and loneliness. It was a few weeks back and I was in a hotel and a couple of them went too far. Every word seems an excuse - but I am sorry. I don't want to be crying in front of people, I want to be making them laugh."

In the last year TV host Vernon Kay and Chelsea star Ashley Cole have also found their marriages on the brink because of sex texts. And Jason knew his web sessions with girls would become public. He said: "I am not naive but I was on this occasion. I have read everything that happened to people in the past. I read the papers like everyone else. I just thought, how can it happen to me? It has been a hell of a learning curve this last few weeks. It made me decide I need to clean the slate and just get on with it. Hopefully me and my wife have another 60 years together. That is the most important thing. If people don't want to come to the shows any more and I end up on the bins, that doesn't matter. I am a good dad, a good husband. From now I am going to be one forever. That's it."

The star of hit shows like 8 Out Of 10 Cats has more than 200,000 Twitter fans and spent hours keeping in touch with them. He said: "Addicted is too strong a word, but Twitter did keep me company. It filled the time. I feel bad because I had a great relationship with so many people and I ruined it. At least 200,000 people are thinking, 'What a dick!'"

Recalling the day his wife learned the truth, Jason said: "It's the lowest I've felt in my life. I couldn't see an end to it. It was the embarrassment it caused her. I thought, 'Look at all the great things you've got'. You are going to throw them away for a bit of daftness on Twitter?' I have deleted Twitter from my phone. If a 17-year-old could see what I have done over the last few weeks, he would knock me out. All I ever wanted was to have a family and I've risked it all for some girls online."

Ironically, news of his resignation sparked a Twitter flurry from fans last night. Fiona2608 tweeted: "I know Jason Manford is in the wrong, majorly. But he always seemed like such a nice guy. Makes it even more sad really."

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