Shaun Wright-Phillips has dismissed claims that his dad Ian Wright's appearance on Strictly Come Dancing was a publicity stunt, insisting it was purely personal support. The former footballer, 44, who is competing with professional dancer Alexis Warr, 26, responded after Brendan Cole, a former professional on the show between 2004 and 2007, suggested the visit was a 'PR stunt'.
Brendan Cole's Criticism
Brendan Cole told Sky Vegas: "They've already used his dad in the VT. They can’t do that every week. Ian’s very, very popular, probably one of the most popular TV pundits there is. They’ve already used that early doors."
He added: "They could have probably used that next week or the week after to try to keep him in but I'd imagine his days are numbered on the show."
Shaun's Response
Speaking to Oddschecker, Shaun hit back: "Firstly, Dad hasn't been to a show yet because he's been busy. He came to a training session, which me and him spoke about over a lunch weekend, and he wanted to pop in, so I said, 'Why not?'"
He continued: "I've never used Dad for any public vote. He came because he just wanted to see me at work, and I wanted him there because I know the support he gives. Dad being there has nothing to do with trying to pull in votes, just for the record."
Competition Progress
Since making his debut, Shaun has survived one dance-off. He and Alexis faced Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters and her partner Aljaž Skorjanec, dancing the Quickstep to "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees, while Melanie and Aljaž performed the Charleston to "Ooh Ahh... Just A Little Bit" by Gina G.
Craig Revel Horwood and head judge Shirley Ballas saved Shaun and Alexis, while Motsi Mabuse chose Melanie and Aljaž. Anton Du Beke, with the deciding vote, saved Shaun and Alexis, eliminating Melanie.
Wider Controversy
Brendan has also faced backlash for comments about Amy Dowden, who returned to Strictly after fighting cancer. He said in an earlier interview that Amy was "not up to the challenge," adding: "I don't think Amy's been doing a very good job for the last few years, and she's been out first for the last few years. One can do the maths on that."
Amy, diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2023 and declared cancer-free in February 2024, responded: "Rather than him worrying about what the headlines were saying about himself, it would've been nice for him to call. He's got my number. Some of those headlines were quite upsetting, he said I've not done a good job since my cancer."
