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MELINDA MESSENGER: IAN WRIGHT DROVE ME OUT OF MY JOB

ABOVE: Melinda Messenger was sick of Ian Wright putting her down

11th March 2010

By Peter Dyke

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TELLY beauty Melinda Messenger last night claimed she was driven out of her job on Live From Studio Five by Ian Wright.

Former model Melinda Messenger said she quit the early evening show because co-presenter Ian Wright made her life hell.

She raged: “Our working relationship became intolerable.”

Melinda, 39, decided to speak out after the ex-Arsenal star said in an interview yesterday that she had to leave because she was “not right” for the Channel Five show.

The former England striker, 46, said he and fellow presenter and ex-Apprentice contestant Kate Walsh, 27, could not get a word in when they tried to chat to celebrity guests.

He said: “Melinda would drown us out so many times and it was annoying.

“People don’t want to turn on to see people arguing.” But Melinda, who left the show last month, has hit back.

Last night her spokeswoman said: “Melinda was disappointed by the comments made by Ian.

“She did not renew her contract because the working relationship with Ian Wright became so intolerable.

“His allegations that she would not let him or Kate get a word in edgeways are ridiculous.

“Melinda loved working on the show but felt she had no other option but to bow out.

“This is not something we wished to talk about in the public arena but after comments made by Ian Wright about Melinda’s professional performance, we felt we had no choice but to respond.”

When we contacted Ian Wright’s agent about Melinda’s claims, he failed to respond to our calls and emails.