Ian Wright announces that he’ll be leaving the role of a pundit on the football highlights program Match Of The Day. Every Saturday, this BBC series comes up with an extensive and accurate breakdown of the matches during the Premier League season.
Wright joined the show back in 1997 when his career was at its peak. After years of working on the show and making tons of memories and friends, Ian Wright has decided to leave Match of The Day for good and focus on something else now.
With a career filled with hardships, Ian somehow made it into football and eventually became one of the best players in the 90s. Once he retired from the sport, Ian decided to be a part of various reality shows and other game shows while also working as a host on MOTD.
Earlier, Wright had left his role as an analyst after Gary Lineker was suspended by BBC. Ian returned to his position starting with the new Premier League season, but it looks like this is going to be his last time on the sports program. This will leave Gary, Alan, and the others as the only hosts.
Why Did Ian Wright Leave Match Of The Day?
Match Of The Day has been one of BBC’s top-rated sports programs ever since it started airing in 1964. While the show has seen many hosts and other guests every season, Gary, Ian, and a few others have always remained constant.
Coming into the TV show world right after retiring from football meant a lot to Ian, as he reveals on his social media account. Earlier in December, Ian Wright came out with a post saying that he was stepping down as a pundit on MOTD by the end of this season of the Premier League.
He also recalled the memorable days he had with the team when he joined the show back in 1997 while still being a player on the field. Ian admits he has had a wonderful time on the show and feels privileged to be a part of something so grand. Match of The Day’s official account confirmed the news, too, with a post that shows Ian claiming MOTD will always be his Graceland.
When Ian first joined MOTD, he used to appear a handful of times during the season, but when he retired in 2002, Wright became a regular member of the sports program. In his statement, Wright also said that MOTD has meant a lot to him ever since he was a young boy.
After years of working on MOTD, Ian hinted that he was leaving the BBC show to work on something else during the weekends. Match of The Day comes out with new episodes on Saturdays, which means that for so many years since 1997, Ian has spent most of his weekends at the MOTD set preparing for his pundit role.
I’m stepping back having made great friends and many great memories. This decision has been coming for a while, maybe my birthday earlier this year fast tracked it a little, but ultimately it’s time to do a few more different things with my Saturdays. pic.twitter.com/n3zbUAumHv
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) December 17, 2023
Right after his 60th birthday, Ian felt it was the right time to focus on doing something else with his Saturdays. While this will be the last time we’ll see Ian be a pundit on MOTD, he claimed he was looking forward to an amazing Premier League title race this time around.
Ian Wright: From A Footballer To A TV Show Host
Born to Jamaican parents in Woolwich, England, Wright knew the hardships of life from a young age and tried to focus on becoming a great footballer someday. Ian’s determination to attain his goals became much stronger after he was arrested for not paying fines when he was a young adult.
Soon enough, all the hard work paid off big time as Ian Wright became a well-known name in the world of football. He attracted many wins and awards during his prime years in the 90s. It was around this time that Ian joined Match of the Day as a co-host along with Gary.
When he finally decided to quit football, Ian started joining all kinds of entertainment shows like I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, All or Nothing: Arsenal, and many others. For most of his career, Ian used to play for Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Both of Wright’s sons are now great footballers, too, and the dad has finally decided to take a break from the television world and focus on something different in his life. Ian will be showing up in the current season of MOTD only on BBC and BBC iPlayer.
