Eni Aluko Blames Joey Barton Court Case For Decline In Punditry Work

ByMF Jones

You would think that Eni Aluko was thrilled with the outcome of the Joey Barton court case, but it’s actually a bittersweet “victory” for her because she reckons the whole drama is the reason for the massive decline in her TV & punditry work.

Barton, 43, was convicted on Friday of sending grossly offensive social media posts about Jeremy Vine, Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, with a jury at Liverpool Crown Court determining he had “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with six posts he made on X.

Aluko went on LBC and lamented the loss of her work opportunities since the saga began, and figured it’s because of “sexism, racism and misogyny”, claiming broadcasters are “reluctant to deal with those issues” since they came to the forefront during her beef with Barton:

Well, only the broadcasters themselves know for sure why they’re not offering Eni Aluko as much work anymore, but it’s not like she helped herself when she had a go at Ian Wright that time for ‘blocking opportunities’ for female pundits, is it? Falling out with Joey Barton is one thing, but falling out with Ian Wright? One of the most decent and likable personalities in football? Not exactly the best way to endear yourself to the world of football punditry.

Aluko, 38, also told The i Paper: “I would have liked to have seen a lot more courage on the broadcasters’ part to say ‘this is not something we’re going to accept.

“And how that pans out in practice is, you continue to stand by that talent. You put them on screen, you communicate about how to deal with online trolls and people in the comments section – but it was just avoided.

“Nobody had ever had that conversation with me, and in the end it ended up being that I just wasn’t on screen. And that’s very, very disappointing.

“When you look at the 12-month period, or 18-month period during this litigation, I have done the least TV I’ve ever done.

“My appetite to work in a space where you don’t feel protected and supported is gone.

“I think there’s lots of opportunities beyond the UK. I’ve always been a broadcaster internationally. I’ve always enjoyed that work and those are the spaces that I’m going to pursue.”

Sounds like she might have a crack at America, then? Who knows, maybe we’ll see her at the World Cup next summer. Good luck with that.

For the ‘abusive’ DMs that Eni Aluko sent an ex-QPR goalkeeper after he called out her punditry, click HERE.

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