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Former England star Eni Aluko hit out at Ian Wright by 'dominating' the punditry scene
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Former England and Chelsea forward Eni Aluko has accused Ian Wright of blocking opportunities for women in football punditry by "dominating" the landscape.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Aluko claimed there are just "one or two" regular pundit spots available to women who want to break into football broadcasting.
The 38-year-old suggested that Wright, who has been a prominent figure in women's football coverage, should be more aware of the space he occupies in the field.
The BBC has contacted Wright's agent for comment but has yet to receive a response.
Eni Aluko hit out at Ian Wright over his dominance of the punditry scene
PA
Aluko, who has worked with Wright in the past, told Woman's Hour: "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."
She added: "I can't dominate the men's game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example."
When asked if it was wrong for Wright to be such a key figure in women's football, Aluko responded: "I don't know about wrong, but I think we need to be conscious and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway into broadcasting in the women's game."
Wright, 61, has long been an advocate for women's football and last year launched a podcast with former England captain Steph Houghton focused specifically on the women's game.
He also works alongside Kelly Cates at the BBC and anchored the Women's Euro 2025 draw in Switzerland.
In 2021, Wright spoke out about being "embarrassed" over abuse faced by female pundits, including Alex Scott and Karen Carney.
He insisted at the time that female pundits "deserve" their roles in broadcasting.
Wright is also a regular fixture on screens covering the men's game, appearing alongside Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jill Scott on The Overlap.
Aluko claimed her broadcasting career has been "hit" by her ongoing civil libel case against Joey Barton.
Earlier this month, a High Court ruled that Barton's post calling Aluko a "race-card player" had a defamatory meaning.
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Ian Wright is a popular figure in men's and women's football
PA
"In the last 18 months I've done the least TV I've ever done," Aluko said, noting her appearances dropped from 44 in 2023 to 27 last year.
Barton is also due to stand trial in May on criminal charges for allegedly sending grossly offensive communications.
The charges relate to posts in which he allegedly compared Aluko and fellow pundit Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West.