She’s set to head into the jungle on the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity! after reportedly signing a mega £1.5m-plus deal – the biggest in the show’s 22-year history.
And insiders tell Closer that Coleen Rooney, 37, is ready to prioritise herself and use the show to re-launch her career after being a devoted wife to Wayne, 38, and stay-at-home mum to their sons – Kai, 14, Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six, for the last 15 years.
A source tells Closer, ‘While Coleen’s cherished having the opportunity to be a full-time mum to her boys and support Wayne’s footballing career, she is now ready to start prioritising herself again and get her independence back.
‘She’s always been a huge fan of I’m A Celebrity! and has seen how much it’s done for the public profiles and careers of stars like Stacey Solomon and Vicky Pattison, and she wants the chance to show the public the real her – without the trappings of the WAG lifestyle.
‘Coleen’s sacrificed a lot over the last few years and while Wayne and the boys will still remain her number-one priority, she feels that it’s time start doing more of what she wants again. She’s told Wayne she doesn’t want to be held back now.’
After shooting to fame as Wayne’s childhood sweetheart at just 16 years old, Coleen became the nation’s favourite girl next door – writing a column for Closer which led to her own ITV series, a best-selling workout DVD, a series of books and a number of mega-bucks endorsement deals and national campaigns.
But after giving-up her career to start a family, she instead found herself in the headlines amid Wayne’s series of indiscretions and cheating scandals, which almost tore their marriage apart.
Many criticised Coleen for turning a blind eye and sticking by the footballer, which led her to publicly defend her decision to stand by him amid the series of public humiliations.
But after her victory in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial and receiving rave reviews for her candid Disney+ documentary, The Real Wagatha Story, Coleen has managed to turn the tide of public scrutiny into triumph and praise.
And after deciding not to follow her husband to Devon when he landed the job as Plymouth Argyle’s new coach in May – after previously uprooting to Washington, USA, when he signed with D.C. United – pals say it’s time to focus on her own career and future.
A source adds, ‘While she understands how it may look like she and Wayne are living separate lives, Coleen has many friends whose husbands travel for work who have strong marriages, so she knows they can make it work – and be even happier given they both have fulfilling careers they love.
‘Coleen’s at a point in her life where she’s craving getting back to herself, and now the kids are that bit older, it’s the perfect time to take all the opportunities she’s been turning down for so long and prove she’s more than just a footballer’s wife and mum.
‘She’s keen for 2025 to be her year, it feels the right time for a big comeback. She’s mulling over whether to launch her own lifestyle brand as well as start her own podcast and possibly even have her own TV show again.
‘There’s so much more she wants to do and she’s hoping that I’m A Celebrity! will be the springboard in helping her popularity to soar – and in turn be the making of her as she sets out to achieve all the dreams she put to the side for so long.’