Laura Woods appears to have reacted to Eni Aluko’s latest comments
Laura Woods posts on social media (Image: Getty Images)
Laura Woods seems to have hit on Eni Aluko’s comment about her lack of opportunities as a critic. This follows the host’s reaction to Aluko’s recent rant about his position as a broadcaster.
Former England international Aluko was previously at the center of a row over comments about Ian Wright’s presence in the women’s game. Arsenal legend Wright later refused to accept her apology.
Appearing on the ’90s Baby Show, Aluko discussed the selection of pundits for last year’s Euro 2025 women’s final, in which England beat Spain, pointing out that two of the six pundits on the BBC and ITV were men. She said: “In the women’s game, the opportunities are even more limited, so the stars of the show should be women.
“Men should be part of it too. I’m not saying anyone should be excluded. I’m a big believer in diversity. But just as we’ve always played a supporting role in the men’s game, you’re part of an ensemble and you’ll never get to play in a premium final. It should be the same in women’s football.”
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“I think we need to protect the women’s game in the same way that we protect the men’s game. What I’m saying is, you’ve heard me discuss the history of women’s football, but it took a long time and a lot of blood, sweat and tears for the women’s game to get to where it is now.
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“There are a lot of people, myself included, who have sown a lot of seeds to reap what we are reaping now… TV, money coming into the game, investment, and it’s still growing. From my perspective, we haven’t gone through all of the blood, sweat and tears for girls to be second in their sport. What are we doing? That’s my argument, the women’s game should be by women, for women.”
“Male allies should absolutely support that, but when it comes to you being the main character on the show, we’re just repeating the same patriarchal things we’ve been fighting against.”
Laura Woods and Eni Aluko have worked together before (Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
However, ITV and TNT Sports presenter Woods disagreed with Aluko’s views. On Monday, the 38-year-old made her feelings known in a series of social media posts.
On X, Woods said, “Cap doesn’t automatically win the job, and it doesn’t automatically make you a great critic. It’s the way you communicate, the way you articulate your ideas, the way you do your research, the way you get information to your audience, how likable you are and your chemistry with the panel that makes you a great critic.”
“‘Women’s games should be by women and for women’ is one of the most damaging statements I’ve ever heard. It’s not only a setback for women’s sports, it’s a setback for female professionals in all forms of competition.
“If you want something to grow, you don’t have to keep it up. We want to encourage not only little girls and women but also little boys and men to watch women’s football. And when you see players like Ian Wright taking football as seriously as he does, they follow suit. That’s how you grow the sport.”
Woods said after the thread. “Here’s a picture of our team at ITV. We won Best Picture at the 2025 Broadcast Sport Awards for our coverage of the Women’s Euros. Seb Hutchinson also won Best Commentator, so I think ITV got it right.”
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