Ian Wright quits as BBC "comedy jester"

Ian Wright has quit his role as a BBC football pundit - and branded its coverage "run-of-the-mill" and old fashioned.

The ex-England and Arsenal striker - a regular on BBC One for several years - complained he was made to take the role of the "comedy jester".

Wright told Broadcast he thought viewers wanted football coverage to take a new approach. "Times are changing," he said. "I don't know how long young people are going to want to sit down and watch that same old 'jacket, shirt and tie' format.

"They want people who are dressed like them. They've got no one to relate to and that's why I've said to them I don't want to do the England games any more."

Wright will co-present the revived Gladiators series for Sky One from next month and has a show on radio station Talk Sport.

He added that he was unhappy with his role in the BBC's football coverage. "I feel like I'm just there as a comedy jester to break the ice with Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen who just do run-of-the-mill things," said Wright. "I can't do that anymore. People want something different."

A BBC spokesman said: "We wish Ian Wright all the best in his career with Talk Sport."