Ian Wright calls out Alan Sugar after Apprentice host doubles down on Euro 2022 comments

Ian Wright has called out Alan Sugar’s ludicrous comments on female commentators at the European Championships in a video uploaded to Twitter.

The nonsense began on the weekend when Lord Sugar, while watching a Euros match being commentated on by a man (Jonathan Pearce) felt compelled to tweet:

“I am watching the women football and notice that ALL the commentators are women. I also note when men’s football is on there is a symbolic female commentator to cover the broadcasters a**e. Should I complain there should me (sic) a male commentator in women’s football.”

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Having been reprimanded by Gabby Logan and vast swathes of Twitter, you might think the host of The Apprentice would apologise and admit his mistake. Instead, he decided to double down and involve Ian Wright, much to the former Arsenal man’s chagrin. On Tuesday, Sugar tweeted:

“I was pleased to see my old mate Ian Wright was given the opportunity to commentate on the ladies game last night. I wonder if my earlier tweet below touched a nerve. Of course BBC sport will say not at all, Ian was already lined up for it”.

Sugar concluded by tagging Wright but he needn’t have bothered since the video reply from the Arsenal great made clear he’d been inundated with tweets alerting him:

“Everybody please, stop sending me the tweet, I was taking my daughter to her singing lessons. The tweet is blowing up and doing my head in. I can’t believe it.

“Alan, the thing is, my friend. Rather than saying, ‘I got it wrong, lots of men are working at all levels of the tournament. You doubled down on some complete f***ing foolishness.

“You actually, in your mind, you actually thought that after you sent that tweet that the BBC phoned me up, never mind we’ve been ready and booked for a year, you think they called me up and said, ‘Ian, you’ve got to get back from Germany ASAP, Alan Sugar has tweeted, we can’t upset him, we need to get you on. You genuinely believe that happened, because I need to know, because that says to me my god, your ego is totally out of control. Where’s the people around you to hug you bro? You need some hugs man.

“Coming on Twitter for attention. It’s laughable. Stop doing it to yourself. Thank you for that tweet, because if it wasn’t for you I would have missed one of the greatest England games that has ever been played.

“In all seriousness, I’m glad you’re watching. Only thing you can find fault with doesn’t even exist. I sit in rooms with ex-players belittling the women’s game all the time. I’m so glad it annoys you and all of them. I hope you enjoy the tournament; can you please tweet again so I can work Friday?”

Safe to say it might not have been the support Sugar had hoped for.

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