Former football star Shaun Wright-Phillips is the adopted son of former England international Ian Wright.
Shaun Wright-Phillips has signed up to take part in Strictly (Image: GETTY)
BBC hit Strictly Come Dancing returns with its launch show on September 19, and amongst the star-studded line-up is football pundit and ex-winger, Shaun Wright-Phillips. The 44-year-old sporting legend played in the Premier League and Football League for Manchester City, Chelsea, and Queens Park Rangers, and at the senior international level for the England national team.
Since retiring from football, Wright-Phillips has been a commentator for BBC Sport, ITV Sport, TalkSPORT, and Sky Sports. One of his most daunting challenges yet is appearing on Strictly, with the star previously saying he was “definitely out of his comfort zone”. He was also “dreading” getting feedback from his family, adding: “I’m sure they’ll be giving me as much feedback as the Strictly judges.”
The star was born in Greenwich and is the adopted son of former England international Ian Wright. Shaun was the son of Ian’s then-girlfriend, Sharon Phillips, and he was three years old when Ian adopted him.
Ian Wright has previously opened up about why he adopted Shaun, and he said in an interview with The Overlap: “I think it was because of my own upbringing with my stepdad, and it wasn’t great. I wanted to make sure that this guy [Shaun] was somebody that I was going to give him a real proper chance and give him some real love, and make sure he’s okay, you know.”
When asked where he was at that point in his life, he explained: “I’m what, 19, I think I’ve just had another trial at Brighton, but I’ve failed in another one and I’ve come back. Like me and Sharon were together now and Shaun is there, and I just felt like the right thing to do is to adopt him and have him as my son. I was still going from job to job, but I remember once he started going… I knew he was my son.”
Ian’s biological father was absent from his life from a very young age, and he was raised by his mother, with the star speaking openly about his traumatic childhood and how it influenced him to make better decisions about his own family. The experiences from his dark past meant he was keen to raise Shaun with the kindness and respect he had always wanted for himself.
Shaun spoke to TalkSPORT back in 2019 about how his dad helped him cope with racial abuse during his career. “It was a big benefit to have my dad to knock certain things on the head that may have touched a very bad nerve and I could’ve reacted differently.
“He guided me and my brother [Bradley Wright-Phillips] in the right direction, and we’ve learned to cope with it. It’s just not good to have in the game, period. It’s just wrong,” he added.
Ian previously spoke to The Mirror about his tough upbringing, sharing: “I can’t remember ever being hugged. I just felt really, really alone. All I thought about was much I hated being in my house, how much I hated my sister and aunt, I hated my step-dad, and how my mum never showed anything.”
He was adamant that Shaun would not experience the same sort of childhood, and Shaun never forgets how Ian changed his life. In an interview with Gillette Labs, he shared: “As I got into the age where I was playing football, then it’s like, okay, dad’s kind of created a pathway in this game for me, and for the family and for everybody else.”
He went on to say that his father was the person he could go to for advice on tackling situations on the pitch, but also offered support with issues outside of football. He shared: “Whatever was going on outside, away from the field, as soon as I stepped on the field or training ground, that was gone.”
Shaun now has children of his own, including professional football player D’Margio Wright-Phillips and a daughter named Raphaella. He said he was excited for his children to see him take to the Strictly floor and show off some moves.
Strictly Come Dancing returns with its launch show on Saturday, September 19 on BBC One.
