Ellyse Perry Explains Absence During Jude Bellingham's Arrival
Ellyse Perry’s brutally honest reason for missing Jude Bellingham meeting
When Jude Bellingham swept into Edgbaston this summer as Birmingham Phoenix’s newest part-owner, The Hundred finally had a slice of Real Madrid stardust to go with its coloured kits and fireworks. Cameras followed him, fans surged towards him, and the franchise basked in the glow of a 22-year-old global football phenomenon buying into their project.
One person was missing from the photo opportunities: the captain of his own women’s side.
Ellyse Perry, one of the defining figures of modern cricket, was nowhere to be seen when Bellingham turned up to meet players and staff. No quiet one-to-one. No handshake. No social media moment to launch a thousand retweets.
The reason? As unglamorous as it gets.
‘I was absolutely busting’
Speaking on No Balls: The Cricket Podcast, Perry was asked directly by Alexandra Hartley whether she had met the England midfielder.
“I didn’t,” she replied, without dressing it up.
Hartley and co-host Kate Cross pushed for details. Where had she been? How do you miss your own team’s part-owner on a day like that?
Perry’s answer cut straight through the mystique of modern sport.
“I have a feeling; I came off the field, and I was absolutely busting to go to the toilet,” she said.
No elaborate scheduling clash. No media duty. Just a world-class all-rounder sprinting off for a bathroom break at the exact moment a Champions League star walked in.
The irony wasn’t lost on her. Perry pointed out that when teams are asked to send players to do commercial or promotional work, enthusiasm can be in short supply.
“Normally you know it’s sort of like you need a few volunteers to go and do something particular, and sometimes that can be like pulling teeth, but does anyone fancy Jude?” she joked.
Cross summed up the mood with a deadpan punchline: “I think she disappointed most girls that day.”
Bellingham’s million-pound slice of Phoenix
Behind the light-hearted story sits a serious piece of business.
Bellingham, who grew up in Stourbridge and came through Birmingham City’s academy, took a 1.2 per cent equity stake in Birmingham Phoenix in January. The holding, split evenly between Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Knighthead Capital Management, was valued by Warwickshire at around one million pounds.
The deal went through with ECB approval despite a five-year lock-in period for new investors in The Hundred franchises. Phoenix chief executive Stuart Cain has said Bellingham loved cricket as a youngster and had wanted to be involved since the competition first went to market for outside backers.
His arrival altered the Phoenix share map but kept control local. Warwickshire now hold 50.4 per cent of the franchise, Knighthead 48.4 per cent, with the county valuing its majority stake at 48 million pounds. Bellingham’s slice is small on paper, but the impact is anything but.
A Real Madrid and England star on the books gives Phoenix a reach most cricket franchises can only dream of. One social media post, one appearance at Edgbaston, and suddenly The Hundred’s Birmingham outpost is part of a global conversation.
Profile rising, trophies still missing
On the field, the story has been less glamorous.
Despite the injection of profile and investment, Birmingham Phoenix remain one of the teams yet to win either the men’s or women’s Hundred titles. Perry leads the women, while Jacob Bethell captains the men in 2026, both chasing a first piece of silverware for a franchise that has threatened but not yet delivered a defining season.
The Bellingham link offers visibility, credibility, and a narrative hook. What it has not yet provided is a trophy parade through Birmingham.
For Perry, there is also the lingering question of timing. She missed the first big moment with the club’s most famous investor by a matter of minutes and an urgent dash off the field. Whether she gets another crack at that handshake may depend on how long Phoenix stay relevant at the sharp end of the competition.
If they finally turn profile into titles next season, it is hard to imagine Bellingham staying away from Edgbaston for long.
