Eni Aluko apologises to Ian Wright for comments about his media work

Eni Aluko has apologised to Ian Wright for her comments over his involvement as a pundit in women’s football.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour this week, the former England forward discussed the risk of men blocking opportunities for female broadcasters in women’s football. When asked by the presenter Clare McDonnell whether Wright was an example of someone taking up space that could be occupied by a woman, Aluko said :

“I’ve worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he’s a brilliant broadcaster. But I think he’s aware of just how much he’s doing in the women’s game. I think he should be aware of that.”

Aluko added:

“I think we need to be conscious and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway in broadcasting in the women’s game. It’s still new, it’s still growing. There’s a finite amount of opportunities and I think that men need to be aware of that. Men need to be aware that you’re in a growing sport for women and we haven’t always had these opportunities. It’s about the awareness and supporting other women through that pathway.”

After media scrutiny over criticism of her comments, Aluko apologised to Wright yesterday via her Instagram Story. “Ian Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women’s game has been significant,” she wrote.

“In my interview with Woman’s Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football – whether that’s in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces – and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch. But it was wrong for Ian’s name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise.

“I’ve known and worked with Ian for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him.”

On Thursday Aluko had posted on Instagram with a link to her BBC interview to highlight the “full context” of her comments and deny she had “attacked” Wright.

“I’m sharing this full episode here again so people can actually listen to everything I said with full context,” she wrote. “Contrary to clickbait media headlines no one was ‘attacked’ or ‘accused’ during this interview. There are lots of examples of men in women’s sport. Ian Wright is one. And as I said in the interview – Ian Wright is brilliant.”

Wright was part of the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2022 when he implored, after England’s semi-final victory over Sweden, for girls to have the same access to football in schools as boys. His advocacy for the women’s game has stretched to paying for the anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation of Kayleigh McDonald, who sustained the injury while playing for Stoke City last year.

“I wouldn’t be in a great place mentally if it wasn’t for Ian Wright,” McDonald told the Telegraph. “For him to do this for me, someone he didn’t know, I think there should be more of a spotlight shone on him.”

Aluko won 105 England caps and made history in 2014 as the first woman to appear as a pundit on Match of the Day. She has worked for TNT and Amazon Prime among others.