Eni Aluko Speaks Out on Her Feud with Ian Wright and Misunderstood Comments: 'I'd Love to Speak to Him'

Eni Aluko has once again addressed her strained relationship with Ian Wright, expressing a desire to repair their fractured bond.

The dispute, often described as a friendship that deteriorated in the public eye, began after Eni Aluko suggested that Ian Wright’s social media interactions with her critics intensified the online backlash she faced.

Ian Wright, however, has maintained that he never intended to harm her and has spoken of his disappointment over how their once-strong professional relationship unravelled, with tensions becoming especially noticeable during their Euro 2024 coverage.

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Their feud intensified following Eni Aluko's appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, where she suggested that male pundits, specifically naming Ian Wright, might be inadvertently ‘blocking’ the limited pathways for women in sports broadcasting.

While she acknowledged Ian Wright as a ‘brilliant broadcaster,’ she argued that there are a finite number of opportunities in the women’s game and that men should be conscious of the space they occupy.

In an interview on Talk Sport, Eni Aluko explained that over the past nine months she had reflected a great deal on the controversy involving Ian Wright and had sought to address the situation with sincerity.

She said that when she had previously mentioned him, it was never her intention to make the discussion about him personally, and she regretted that his name had even been brought up, as it was only meant to illustrate a broader point she was making.

Eni Aluko emphasised that throughout their professional relationship, she had always treated Ian Wright with respect and admiration, describing him affectionately and acknowledging the longstanding regard she has held for him, despite how the situation may have been perceived publicly.

“For the last nine months, after sort of apologising about, you know, the Ian Wright comments that obviously didn't land well, you know, I didn't even bring his name up in that interview. I apologise that his name even came up because it wasn't really relevant. It wasn't the intention,” Eni Aluko said.

“I think his name came up as an example of a point I was making, but it felt like it became about Ian Wright. I've no idea. I don't know. Because as far as I'm being honest, as far as I'm concerned, we've always had... I've always shown him the utmost love and respect. It's like, you know, Uncle Wrighty.”

Eni Aluko further expressed her desire to have a conversation with Ian Wright and to rebuild their relationship, noting that they have not spoken since the incident.

She explained that, in her view, the situation did not justify the ongoing public scrutiny and that his name had been repeatedly used against her over the past nine months.

Eni Aluko added that she had made consistent efforts both privately and publicly to mend the relationship, and she conveyed her frustration at being continually criticised despite having no personal agenda in the matter.

“I would love to speak to him. I would love to reconcile with him. Which means I haven't spoken to him, and based on what I said, I don't think it warrants this sort of, and people have weaponised his name against me for the last nine months,” Eni Aluko added.

“And I'm a bit fed up with it because I'm like, listen, I've done everything I can privately, publicly, to try and re-establish a relationship without having any skin in the game. I don't need to be picked at this moment in time.”

Eni Aluko clarified that there had been a misunderstanding about her comments in the interview with Women’s Hour.

She explained that she had intended to highlight Ian Wright’s contributions to the women’s game while also emphasising the importance of ensuring that opportunities for women in punditry were not limited.

Eni Aluko stressed that her remarks had been taken out of context and that she had never suggested that Wright should be excluded from the sport, pointing out that she had even apologised for any confusion caused by her headline comment.

Eni Aluko further explained that her broader point was about creating space for women to access major punditry roles, which are often long-term and lucrative, while Wright could take on more of a supportive role, and that this had been her focus rather than any personal criticism of him.

“That was what I apologised for. Yeah, that was nine months before the Women's Hour interview where I felt that there was an opportunity for me to stay in the game with ITV,” she added.

“But the bottom line is, you know, I want to make it very clear, you know, I've never, you will never find a quote or a video of me saying Ian Wright should get out of the women's game because I think people are trying to make that, make this what this is.

“All I'm trying to suggest is, is there a way that the main punditry spots, which are often long-term contracts, which are often lucrative contracts, can be prioritised for women, where Ian plays more of a supporting role.”