Former England international Eni Aluko has accused presenter Laura Woods of “gaslighting” after their previously close working relationship collapsed into a public dispute over women’s football punditry that has drawn in other prominent media figures.
Aluko revealed on talkSPORT that she and Woods had enjoyed a strong friendship before the controversy erupted. “Laura was actually one of the people I would consistently go to. We got on like a house on fire,” she stated. “I had to look at the messages and think ‘hang on, I feel a bit gaslight here’.”
The former Lioness’s comments came during a heated confrontation with talkSPORT host Simon Jordan, who delivered a withering assessment of her broadcasting credentials. Jordan, the former Crystal Palace chairman, suggested diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives had benefited Aluko’s career beyond her abilities.
“I don’t think you are particularly enlightening, illuminating, engaging or charismatic,” Jordan told her. “The language that you use is, to me, it’s steeped in the sense of entitlement.”
He continued: “The sheer weight of the entitlement you seem to believe you have would sink the weight of the Titanic. I think you have been quite fortuitous. I think because of initiatives like DEI, they’ve allowed people to be put into positions in the men’s game that I don’t think they’ve merited.”
The escalating row originated from Aluko questioning ITV’s pundit selections for last summer’s Women’s Euros final. She expressed surprise that neither she nor fellow former Lioness Farah Williams were chosen for the broadcaster’s coverage of the tournament’s showpiece match.
Woods, who presents for both ITV and TNT Sports, responded to Aluko’s remarks through a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. The public challenge sparked a war of words that has since expanded beyond the original disagreement about panel selection.
The dispute intensified following Aluko’s proposal that male pundits should occupy supporting roles rather than lead positions in women’s football coverage. She has advocated for restructuring how women’s football is presented on television, arguing that female experts should take precedence over their male counterparts.
Aluko subsequently clarified her position whilst appearing on talkSPORT, acknowledging that international caps represent significant experience and insight but maintaining such credentials alone do not guarantee punditry roles.
She argued women should serve as the primary faces of women’s sport, with male pundits such as Ian Wright providing supplementary contributions rather than occupying central panel positions. Her stance specifically suggests experienced male commentators should support rather than lead coverage of women’s football.
The public nature of the confrontation between Aluko and Woods marks a dramatic shift from their previously collaborative relationship. Aluko’s revelation about reviewing past messages between them whilst feeling “gaslight” suggests the breakdown has been particularly difficult given their prior closeness.
Woods has not yet responded to Aluko’s gaslighting accusation or her description of their previous friendship. Ian Wright, whom Aluko specifically mentioned as an example of a male pundit who could provide supplementary contributions, has also not commented on being drawn into the controversy.
The dispute has exposed divisions over representation and expertise in women’s football broadcasting, with Aluko’s position that women should hold primary roles meeting resistance from some quarters of the media industry.
Jordan’s invocation of DEI initiatives during his criticism of Aluko added a further controversial dimension to the debate, suggesting her career advancement resulted from diversity policies rather than merit. His comments are likely to fuel broader arguments about representation in sports media.
The row continues to develop with both Woods and Wright yet to publicly address Aluko’s latest comments or the accusations made during her talkSPORT appearance.
