She is going into the new year feeling positive after a victorious 2022, and Coleen Rooney’s infamous Wagatha Christie win is still being talked about almost six months after the verdict, with the wars of the WAGs re-enacted for a West End play and a Channel 4 documentary.
Now, insiders say Coleen is hoping to take advantage and make the most of her hero status in the new year.
A source tells Closer, “Coleen’s riding high on her wave of success and is looking to capitalise on that in 2023. With the Wagatha TV series and play, her public profile is only going to continue to grow in strength, so she’s intent on making the most of the spotlight and good publicity. She’s been in talks about doing her own sit-down interview, as well as getting back into fashion and potentially partnering up with a brand to release her own collection. She’s hoping to back some megabucks endorsement deals too.”
Former Closer columnist Coleen, 36, rose to fame when she started dating Wayne Rooney, who she met at the age of 12. Her net worth was once on a par with her husband’s, thanks to a series of lucrative deals, including Nike, LG, Littlewoods and a £3m contract with George at Asda – as well as having a TV show called Coleen’s Real Women. She only stepped back from the spotlight when she became a mum to Kai, now 13, Klay, nine, Kit, six, and Cass, four.
Meanwhile, Wayne, 37, has enjoyed a highly successful sporting career. He is the record goal-scorer for both the England national football team and Manchester United, and is considered one of the best players of his generation. He is now the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States, with his net worth thought to be around £139m.
But Coleen returned to the limelight in October 2019 in dramatic fashion, when she sparked one of the biggest celebrity stories of the decade. She took to Twitter, explaining that her private Instagram stories were being leaked to the press and in order to discover who was behind it, restricted access. She said that an account belonging to Rebekah, 40 – the wife of Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy – was the only one viewing the stories.
Becky strenuously denied the claims and it was announced in June 2020 that she was taking Coleen to court for defamation. The two-week trial took place in May, and the verdict was reached two months later, where a judge ruled in favour of Coleen. At a follow-up hearing, Becky was ordered to pay 90 per cent of Coleen’s legal fees, with the full amount estimated to be £1.5m.
Coleen’s triumph was met with outpourings of support, and she has not looked back. Insiders tell us that, despite relishing a quieter life away from the spotlight these past few years, Coleen wants to get back into work.
“She’s enjoyed taking a bit of time out of the public eye over the last 10 years or so, but now that she’s gained so much favourable publicity and respect, and the kids are a little older, she’s keen to get back to being the businesswoman and media personality she was 15 years ago,” an insider says. “With Wayne no longer playing for a team, he can be more hands-on with the kids, giving Coleen time to focus on her career. She’s stepped back and let him do the jobs he’s really wanted to do, and she’s now insisting it’s her time to throw herself back into her work. There was a time she was making similar money to him – now she’s keen to out-earn him. Her next shock move will leave Wayne behind.”
And PR expert Nick Ede says he believes Coleen will get more high-profile job offers, but will be picky with what she does and still stay private.
He says, “While Coleen doesn’t need the money, I think she’ll be well aware that her fame and profile is better than ever at the moment. It would be a shame not to play on this opportunity, especially as her kids are older now. I could see her hosting a documentary series, or launching a podcast – podcasts are ideal because they don’t take too much time, but reach a wide audience.
“Back in the day, Coleen was big in the fashion world, with her own lines and fragrance. I could see her going back to that, but with someone she knows and trusts – she wouldn’t put her name to anything. I can also see her doing a lot more for charity too, she’s very passionate about charities like ‘Jeans for Genes’. She may do a bit more high-profile campaigning to use her platform to raise awareness and funds.
“Saying all that, she is very private – that was what the crux of Wagatha was about. So she probably will be choosy with what she does and not give too much of herself away.”
