ITV release official statement slamming Joey Barton for 'contemptible and shameful' remarks on Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward

ITV have released a statement in response to Joey Barton's comments on pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward.

Barton took aim at the ITV pundits during Crystal Palace's 0-0 draw against Everton in the FA Cup on Thursday evening.

The former Newcastle and Manchester City football, who has played 12 minutes of football for England, has caused controversy in recent weeks for his view on women working in men's football. Barton has claimed female pundits shouldn't be talking with any authority about the men's game.

On Thursday, however, Barton went a step further, labelling Aluko and Ward as the "Fred and Rose West of football commentary” for their punditry on the Selhurst Park encounter.

Fred and Rose West were a husband and wife who committed at least 12 murders over 20 years at the home in Gloucester.

Addressing Aluko, Barton wrote on X, formally Twitter: "How is she even talking about Men's football. She can't even kick a ball properly. Your coverage of the game EFC last night, took it to a new low. Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, the Fred and Rose West of football commentary."

On Friday ITV hit back with a statement. The broadcaster said: "For Joey Barton, an ex-professional player with a significant social media presence, to target to of our pundits, Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, with such vindictive remarks based on gender and to invoke the names of serial killers in doing so is clearly contemptible and shameful on his part."

ITV signed off with a succinct message: "Football is for everyone".

Barton subsequently responded to ITV's statement on X. He furiously said: "Shut up you f***ing idiots. Keep them off the tele. They’re ruining the game for everyone of us.

"It’s what happens when you force under qualified, under prepared, tokenistic people onto us.

"I will be calling them all serial killers from now on. Every clip you f***ers put out.

"Told you, I don’t care anymore. We’ve all had enough of your ‘Woke’, ‘DEI’ bulls***.

"I hope everyone who agrees with me, gets right after your social media every time you force this nonsense on us.

"I tried to play nice, you didn’t listen."