ITV has confirmed that Eni Aluko will be part of its punditry team for the Women’s Euro 2025, but Ian Wright will not feature in the coverage. Aluko, a former England and Chelsea forward, will join Emma Hayes and Karen Carney as one of the broadcaster’s main analysts.
The decision comes after a public disagreement between Aluko and Wright in April. Aluko had suggested in a BBC Radio 4 interview that Wright should be aware of how much punditry work he was doing in women’s football and that it was important women were not blocked from broadcasting pathways. She later apologised on Instagram, but Wright said he could not accept the apology.
ITV backed Wright at the time, describing him as an “incredible advocate and ally”. However, sources at the channel insisted Wright’s absence from the Euro 2025 coverage is not related to the clash with Aluko. Wright was a regular pundit for ITV during the 2023 Women’s World Cup and England’s qualifying campaign.
Aluko was absent from ITV’s coverage of England’s 6-0 win over Portugal in May but has now secured a place for the Euros. The tournament begins on Wednesday 2 July with Finland vs Iceland, and England’s first match is against France on Saturday 5 July. ITV will share coverage with the BBC, with ITV having first pick of the semi-finals.
Despite not working as a pundit, Wright will present a six-part documentary for ITV titled ‘From the Ground Up’, which follows his involvement in launching a girls’ team at his childhood club Ten Em Bee. The documentary is set to air in August.
