Eni Aluko says Ian Wright’s rejection of apology ‘greenlit further abuse’

By Jamie Gardner, Press Association Chief Sports Reporter

Eni Aluko says Ian Wright’s refusal to accept an apology from her last year “greenlit further abuse”, and admitted she felt “gaslit” by social media comments from ITV presenter Laura Woods earlier this week.

Aluko had told the BBC’s Woman’s Hour last April that Wright and other male pundits risked blocking the pathway for female counterparts.

Aluko subsequently apologised, but Wright said at the time he could not accept it and wanted to move on.

She told talkSPORT on Tuesday: “I can only tell you that I made a comment about football and his name came up. I appreciated that it was the wrong thing. I apologised and I hoped that he would accept my apology.

“Unfortunately, when he didn’t accept my apology, it greenlit further abuse, and that’s been difficult to deal with for the last nine months.”

Aluko also told talkSPORT that ITV bosses told her Wright was “the priority” when it decided not to renew her contract at the end of the men’s Euros in 2024.

Woods appeared to take aim on Monday at comments made by Aluko last week where she highlighted that two of the six main panel pundits for last summer’s Women’s Euro final were men.

Aluko told the 90s Baby Show that left herself and Fara Williams as “290 (caps) sitting in the stands” and called for an effort to “gatekeep” women’s football for women, in the same way she argued the men’s game had been gatekept for men.

Woods posted on X: “Caps don’t win automatic work and they don’t make a brilliant pundit either. The way you communicate, articulate yourself, do your research, inform your audience, how likeable you are and the chemistry you have with your panel are what makes a brilliant pundit.

“If you want to grow something, you don’t gate keep it.”

Asked about Woods’ comments during her talkSPORT appearance on Tuesday, Aluko said: “I had to look at the messages yesterday and think, ‘hold on, I feel a bit gaslit here’.

“Laura consistently said to me, ‘I think you’re a brilliant broadcaster, I think you’re a brilliant pundit’. So I think there’s a little bit of serving her argument at this point, which I respect.

“There’s an insinuation in there that you don’t meet the standard. And I’ve worked too hard for people to just conclude that because you’re not seeing me on screen, I’m not good enough.”

Aluko, who was the target of grossly offensive social media posts by former footballer Joey Barton which resulted in him being given a suspended custodial sentence, said she felt she could no longer work in the UK media industry.

“It’s a very toxic space for me, and I’m fighting now to just even have an opinion, because there is a feeling that I can’t say anything without the sort of instant backlash that comes with the fact that people have already decided they don’t like you.

“I’m a fighter. I’m a resilient person. I want to say my opinion, but I don’t feel welcome.

“There are definitely opportunities internationally, but not even just punditry. I mean, I’m an ambassador. I do a lot of work in Africa. You know, I’m an investor.

“You have got to go to pastures new. I have no bitterness whatsoever. If I never do another live game as a pundit, I’m very proud of the 11-year career I’ve had.”

The Press Association has approached Ian Wright’s representatives for comment.