Ian Wright to make Lionesses' ITV return after Eni Aluko row

Telegraph

22-07-2025

Ian Wright will be part of ITV's coverage of the Lionesses semi-final against Italy on Tuesday evening in his first appearance on television covering England women following his row with Eni Aluko.
Wright, 61, was not originally part of the broadcaster's punditry line-up but had been covering the tournament on his Crossways podcast with former England captain Steph Houghton.
He will now make up ITV's team on the ground in Switzerland and is expected to be joined by former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, ex-England forward Karen Carney and presenter Laura Woods.
This was also the case when he joined the broadcaster's line-up from the semi-final stage during the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, having covered that tournament on his own platforms before ITV's team flew out.
It will be the first time Wright has appeared as a pundit on a Lionesses game for ITV since Eni Aluko claimed he was blocking opportunities for women and dominating punditry in football.
Aluko, 38, said during an interview on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in April that Wright should be aware of 'how much he's doing in the women's game' and suggested his presence on punditry hampered the chances of female pundits trying to break into the industry.
She later issued an apology on social media, which Wright refused to accept.
In June, ITV announced Aluko would be part of their punditry team for the Euros and she made her first appearance on television since the fall-out with Wright during the group stages.
She has not featured during any England games and has finished her role with ITV for this tournament.
Responding to Aluko's public apology in April, Wright said on Instagram: 'I've got to say, I'm very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I've helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she's had with me and my management.
'I've seen the apology on social media, but I can't accept it. But I also want to move on.'
In the video, Wright also thanked Kayleigh McDonald, the former Stoke City player who told Telegraph Sport how he had been paying for her rehab, which costs £1,700 per month, for an anterior cruciate ligament injury since the start of the year.
'I wouldn't be in a great place mentally if it wasn't for Ian Wright,' McDonald said. 'I would probably still be waiting for my surgery if it wasn't for him. For him to do this for me, someone he didn't know, I think there should be more of a spotlight shone on him.'