Ian Wright's cheating admission, family life with eight children, net worth and BBC exit

View 4 Images

Ian Wright is one of football's most familiar faces. He will be on punditry duty when England and Wales clash in an international friendly at Wembley on Thursday.

Despite earning 33 caps for England, Wright's journey to international football was anything but smooth. He only signed his first professional contract with Crystal Palace at the mature age of 21.

Wright made a name for himself at Palace before reuniting with childhood friend David Rocastle at Arsenal . Here, he became the club's top scorer during his seven-year tenure in north London, a record later surpassed by Thierry Henry .

Even while still playing at Highbury, Wright embarked on his media career, making his debut on Match of the Day in 1997. He hung up his boots in 2000.

After decades on the BBC's flagship football programme, Wright left his role at the end of the 2023/24 season . However, he continues to work as a pundit and will be front and centre at Wembley on Thursday as Mirror Football delves into his fortune, personal life and cheating admission.

Wright now works for ITV and hosts the Wrighty's House podcast. He also features on the Stick to Football podcast, works for Premier League Productions and hosts Crossways.

Celebrity Net Worth estimates that thanks to his illustrious football career and subsequent media roles, Wright has amassed a net worth of around £15.27million ($20million). His punditry gigs for ITV and BBC reportedly bring in about £150,000 annually. Back in 2019, reports claimed he bagged a whopping £400k for his stint on I'm a Celebrity .

Beyond his achievements on the pitch, Wright has carved out a successful television career, hosting shows like ITV's Moneyball. The ex-Arsenal striker also shared that he stepped down from Match of the Day to devote more time to his family.

View 4 Images

"It's time," Wright confided to Stick to Football . "I had a dear friend who said that sometimes you've got to know when to step back, change, rest, have a break and say, 'No, it's just time.'

"The way I am now because I have to get back to London, it's like 3.30am in the morning. It's a long day. I leave at 8am in the morning and get back at midnight. Especially when you're on Match of the Day, you're live and I've had a massive problem before with people knowing where you are. So, I always want to get back home to the misses and the girls.

"It just takes me two to three days after that to get ready, and there are other things I'm doing which I just haven't got the energy for sometimes. I'm getting older, I just want to make sure I use the time well and efficiently for myself and at the moment, Match of the Day is the one that if something had to go, it had to be that."

Wright is dad to eight children , including former Premier League footballers Shaun and Bradley Wright-Phillips. In his younger days, the Arsenal legend adopted then-girlfriend Sharon Phillips' son Shaun, who went on to play for Chelsea and England.

View 4 Images

He later had Bradley with Sharon, who carved out an impressive career in Major League Soccer. The TV personality also had a third son, Brett, before tying the knot with his first wife Deborah in 1993.

The marriage hit the rocks and ultimately ended in divorce in 2004 following revelations of Wright's infidelity. Wright and Deborah have two more children, Stacey and Bobbi-Lee. Wright also has a daughter, Coco, whom he provides for financially but has no contact with. He has two daughters with his current wife.

In his autobiography, Wright expressed remorse over his past actions . He said: "I got caught up in all of that and cheated on first wife, Debbie, which destroyed my marriage. That was a really horrible period. If there's ever been a time in my life I wish I could change, that would be it."

View 4 Images

A chance encounter at a Notting Hill pub saw former footballer Ian Wright meet his current wife Nancy Hallam. The couple married in 2011 and have daughters Lola and Roxanne.

Despite his current joy, Wright has openly expressed regret for past actions, stating: "I didn't experience an enormous amount of love from my mum when I was a child, so I've had to learn what it is, and learn how to be happy and at peace.

"I've put other people through horrible experiences along the way. If people think that's selfish, then I'm really sorry. Nancy's the perfect woman and I can't stand to be apart from her and our daughters. My love for them is unconditional and my upbringing means I have a lot of love to give now."

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.