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Ian Wright surprises son Shaun Wright-Phillips at Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals
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In brief
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright made a surprise visit to Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals to support his adopted son, ex-England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, during the show's week three preparations. Shaun and professional partner Alexis Warr then performed a quickstep to The Monkees' "I'm a Believer," which judges scored 15 out of 40 on the episode broadcast Saturday, October 10.
Ian Wright, the former Arsenal and England striker, turned up at Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals to watch his son Shaun Wright-Phillips prepare for week three of the BBC dance competition, according to Brit Brief and SSBCrack News. Shaun, a former Manchester City, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and England winger, is competing in the show's new series.
The pair's connection surprised some viewers who had not realised the two footballers were related, Brit Brief reported. Ian Wright adopted Shaun at age three; Shaun's biological mother is Sharon Phillips, according to Wikipedia's biography of Shaun Wright-Phillips and Brit Brief.
What happened in week three
On the episode broadcast Saturday, October 10, Wright-Phillips and his professional partner, Alexis Warr, danced a quickstep to The Monkees' song 'I'm a Believer,' SSBCrack News reported. Brit Brief reported that judges Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas each gave the routine 3 points, contributing to a total score of 15 out of a possible 40.
The 15-point score was the lowest of the night, according to High On Films' coverage of the week three results. Wright-Phillips described the routine as 'very, very hard,' Brit Brief reported.
Ian Wright's reaction
SSBCrack News reported that Ian Wright expressed pride in his son's participation and praised Shaun's willingness to take on the challenge of competing on the show.
Who is Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Cameron Wright-Phillips was born October 25, 1981, in Greenwich, London, and is of Trinidadian and Grenadian descent, according to his Wikipedia biography. He played as a winger for Manchester City across two spells between 1999 and 2011, for Chelsea between 2005 and 2008, for Queens Park Rangers from 2011 to 2015, and for New York Red Bulls in 2015 and 2016 before retiring in August 2019.
He earned 36 caps for England, scoring six goals, and was named in England's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, according to the same source.
Public voting for week three remained open, with the lowest-scoring couples facing Sunday's dance-off to determine who leaves the show, High On Films reported.
Questions
- Who is Shaun Wright-Phillips?
- He is a former England winger who played for Manchester City, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and New York Red Bulls, earning 36 England caps, according to his Wikipedia biography.
- How is Ian Wright related to Shaun Wright-Phillips?
- Ian Wright adopted Shaun at age three; Shaun's biological mother is Sharon Phillips, per Wikipedia and Brit Brief.
- What dance did Shaun Wright-Phillips perform on Strictly?
- He and professional partner Alexis Warr performed a quickstep to The Monkees' 'I'm a Believer' in week three, according to SSBCrack News.
- What score did Shaun Wright-Phillips get on Strictly?
- Judges gave the routine a total of 15 out of 40, including 3 points each from Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas, making it the lowest score of the week, per Brit Brief and High On Films.
- Did Ian Wright appear on Strictly Come Dancing itself?
- Reports describe Ian Wright visiting rehearsals to support Shaun rather than appearing in the live broadcast segment, according to SSBCrack News and Brit Brief.
Sources
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