Ian Wright accused of hindering opportunities for women in broadcasting

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Former England striker Eni Aluko has raised concerns that prominent male broadcasters, including Ian Wright, could inadvertently be limiting opportunities for female pundits in women’s football.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Aluko, 38, acknowledged Wright’s long standing support for the women’s game, but urged him and others to be mindful of how their presence may impact the visibility and progression of women in sports media.

“I’ve worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he’s a brilliant broadcaster,” Aluko said. “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 pointed to the “finite amount of opportunities” available to female broadcasters in the women’s game, in contrast to the broader space available to male pundits in men’s football.

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“If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men’s game for broadcasters and coaches as there is in the women’s game, it’d be a free-for-all. But that’s not the case,” she explained. “I can’t dominate the men’s game in the way that, you know, Ian does in the women’s game.”

When asked directly if she believes it is wrong for Wright to be so visible in women’s football, Aluko clarified her position: “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. It’s still new, it’s still growing.”

Aluko also discussed the personal toll her civil legal dispute with former footballer Joey Barton has had on her broadcasting career. She recently won the first stage of a High Court libel case against Barton over defamatory social media posts, but says the legal battle has already impacted her visibility on television.

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“This happens in lots of industries – when women stand up for themselves, their career takes a hit,” she said. “I’ve been doing broadcasting for 11 years. I’m not new to it. And in the last 18 months, I’ve done the least TV I’ve ever done. That’s just a fact.”

She emphasised the ongoing challenges female broadcasters face, particularly in securing consistent roles across both men’s and women’s football.

“There is a double standard. We’re still competing for two or three seats maximum, which includes the presenters,” Eni Aluko said. “What the Joey Bartons, and some male football fans, want is for women to get off the TV.”

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