As she adjusts to life in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! camp, Coleen Rooney will be looking ahead to some tricky challenges – but it’s unlikely any grisly trial will be as half as gruelling as her Wagatha Christie ordeal.
Best known as the wife of legendary Man United goalscorer Wayne Rooney, mum-of-four Coleen made a name for herself as a modern-day sleuth in 2019 after accusing fellow WAG Rebekah Vardy of selling stories about her to the press. And she dropped her accusations in a truly spectacular fashion, with a statement that promptly exploded the internet.
Much like Hercule Poirot before her, Coleen shared how she’d cracked the case with her amazed fans, explaining how she’d become suspicious after private stories about her family emerged in the papers, and she eventually zoned in on one particular suspect – Rebekah.
By making her Instagram stories private to everyone but follower and friend Rebekah, Coleen revealed she’d able to track down the person who’d been leaking information, ending her jawdropping allegations with the now iconic conclusion: “… It was Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
And unlike most classic detective novels, the tale didn’t end with Coleen’s pointed finger. Indeed, the trial that followed unleashed some of the wildest bombshells in Premier League royalty history, with revelations continuing to emerge from both sides of the WAG battlefied…
Rebekah’s alternative theory
Rebekah, the wife of Leicester City player Jamie Vardy, did not exactly take kindly to Coleen’s accusations, which she vehemently denied – even suggesting that her account had been hacked. In a post finished off with a broken heart emoji, Rebekah expressed her dismay at the allegations, hitting back: “If you thought this was happening you could have told me & I could have changed my passwords to see if it stopped.
“Over the years various people have had access to my insta & just this week I found I was following people I didn’t know and have never followed myself. I’m not being funny but I don’t need the money, what would I gain from selling stories on you?”
A seething defamation suit was filed in the summer of 2020, with Rebekah maintaining her innocence. Following the full trial in July 2022, it was ruled that Coleen’s claims were ‘substantially true’, with Rebekah ordered to cough up 90 per cent of Coleen’s legal bill.
Wayne’s fascination with case
Coleen’s hubby Wayne was reportedly fascinated by the ins and outs of his wife’s court case – so much so that he even considered swapping the football pitch for law school. In Disney plus doc Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, Coleen’s lawyer Jamie Hurworth offers an interesting insight into Wayne’s input behind the scenes, sharing: “Once the day was finished we would have a little debrief with Wayne and Coleen.
“I had not dealt with Wayne that much before the trial. But he was just fascinated by the whole thing. Wayne started suggesting, like, legal argument that we should start running.” Coleen’s lead lawyer Paul Lunt then chipped in: “I’m not saying he is a modern day Columbo but certainly had we have given him a gown and a wig he was bang up for asking a few questions.”
Wayne himself admitted: “Yeah, it was interesting because I do like crime documentaries and in particular the different techniques the two barristers used.” Coleen on the other hand was less impressed when Wayne contributed to all-important debrief meetings, laughing: “I just said ‘Wayne shut up and let David or Paul speak’. He was then going to apply for law school and he had all these plans. But them little moments carried us through.”
Wayne opened up again about his interest in the law on the Stick to Football podcast, revealing: “When Coleen had the court case with Rebekah Vardy, I was there with the barrister and the lawyers, and I was saying to the barrister, ‘You need to ask this question’.” He continued: “I did apply – it was to Nottingham University – I applied to go in and try and study, but then I did go away. I want to do it to get one of those wigs on!”
Caffè Nero snub
In a recent interview with The Sun, Rebekah revealed that she’d previously tried to make peace with Coleen by inviting her for a coffee at Caffè Nero, and that the offer still stands – even if she now has to fly over to Australia herself. She said: “Let bygones be bygones. You can’t hold grudges forever. Two years ago, I suggested we meet for a coffee at Caffè Nero — and that offer still stands. Perhaps now it might need to be over a lot of wine, though.
“But if people really want us to meet up before that, then ITV should get me in that jungle as a special guest. What are they scared of? Confrontation? But isn’t that what the show’s all about? It’s about viewing figures.”
Health woes
In her candid doc, Liverpudlian Coleen revealed that the legal war had taken its toll on her physical and mental health. Coleen said: “It caused anxiety and there were lots of tears. I have reactive arthritis. I’ve had it previously but this situation brought it on a lot more.”
According to the NHS, reactive arthritis causes redness and swelling (inflammation) to different joints, often affecting a person’s knees, feet, toes, hips and ankles. This illness often develops after suffering from an infection or food poisoning and will usually clear up within a few months.
Remembering this painful time, Coleen recalled: “It hit home just how low I was at that time. My emotions really came out and that made the interview process quite intense, but then it was also a good chance to reflect. I stuck to my guns from beginning to end. My story never changed from day one, and I was telling the truth.”
Coleen also discussed how her ordeal had caused her to withdraw, explaining: “It stripped me of my character, and I didn’t want to socialise with people. I was completely in my own world. It was not a nice place to be.”
Jamie and Wayne tension
Back in 2022, the court heard how Wayne was told by ex-England manager Roy Hodgson and then assistant manager Gary Neville to have a chat with striker Jamie over ‘issues regarding his wife’. Taking to the witness box, Wayne revealed: “They asked me, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife and I think we all knew that it was an awkward subject. I’d need to speak to Mr Vardy and ask him to speak to his wife and ask him to say to ask his wife to calm down.”
Clarifying that he ‘carried out that instruction’, Wayne added: “It was an awkward situation for me, and I’m sure it was an awkward situation for Mr Vardy, but I felt it was in the best interests of the team.”
Vasectomy reveal
In her Disney+ series, Coleen explained how Wayne’s secret vasectomy played a key role in her getting to the bottom of who was leaking stories. Discussing how she came up with the idea to hide all but from Rebekah’s account from her Stories came about, Coleen said: “After the birth of every one of my kids, the press are always interested in whether I was ever going to have another baby.
“The big question is always would you like a girl. I always thought I would have a few kids, maybe three at the most and then number four came along and we knew our family was complete. Me and Wayne talked about him having a vasectomy. He said after this baby ‘that’s it we are not having anymore’. And Wayne went in and got the snip, so I knew for sure we would not be having anymore children.”
She added: “I had heard about this procedure where you could choose the gender of your baby but it is something I have never considered doing. I was going to Mexico with the kids for the Easter holidays. So I came up with the idea of doing a story about going to Mexico to find out some information about Gender selection, for me to have a girl. I thought about what information I was going to use. I wanted to do a story with no truth whatsoever.”
Sex life swipe
In her interview with The Sun, Rebekah took a savage swipe at Coleen’s sex life when discussing what her rival could be eating during her time in the jungle. Not holding back, Rebekah admitted she was looking forward to watching Coleen chow down on ‘penis. Or humble pie’.
Then, when asked whether or not a camel testicle could be the worst thing Coleen has ever had in her mouth, Rebekah saucily replied: “I don’t know. You have to look at her husband for that one.”
Jealousy accusations
In the same interview, Rebekah, who appeared in I’m A Celeb back in 2017, claimed that Coleen had ‘always wanted’ her life. She said: “We’ll be watching avidly. Everyone seems to think I have this massive problem with Coleen going into the jungle. But do you know what? If you want to fan the fire, the flames are going to get higher. I wasn’t going to carry on talking about this, I had no intention of talking about it, but she clearly can’t let it go.”
“”I mean, we’ve done a book, we’ve done a documentary, we’re going into the jungle. What’s next – Dancing On Ice? She’s following in my footsteps. I think she always wanted my life.”
Mayah Riaz, of Mayah Media, previously told the Mirror: “Coleen joining the same show could be perceived as a subtle power move, a reminder that she’s still in the spotlight and can command attention on her terms. While I doubt the primary goal is to intimidate Rebekah, the symbolism is clear.
“She’s stepping into a space where Rebekah had a controversial stint and is doing so at a time when her own public image is riding high. This move might make Rebekah feel like Coleen is not only winning in the courtroom but also owning the narrative within the entertainment world.”
The 2024 series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues this evening (Monday, November 18) on ITV at 9pm.
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