She faced a crushing backlash after writing scathingly about her arch nemesis Coleen Rooney in her new column this week – and Becky Vardy has told Closer it’s all been too much.
Last week, Becky, who said she wanted her rival to eat ‘penis’ and ‘humble pie’, blasted Coleen, saying, ‘She likes to be the victim... I will never forgive her,’ adding, ‘She always wanted my life, so she’s following in my footsteps... Everything Coleen does is calculated.’
And with fears over what Coleen could say during her time in the I’m A Celebrity! jungle, fans have expressed their concern for Becky, who looks noticeably different, with some even suspecting that she has been using the controversial weight loss drug, Ozempic.
However, opening up at the VIP launch of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Becky, 42, tells Closer her extreme weight loss stems from all the upsetting drama, ‘I’m on the stress diet! It’s all been too much with everything going on at the moment.’
And sources now reveal that her stress has been caused by regrets she’s been having about her current I’m A Celebrity! column which, alongside popular Coleen’s appearance on the show, has reignited the public furore surrounding the Wagatha trial and the cruel online trolling over her private life and marriage to footballer Jamie Vardy.
The insider says, ‘Rebekah can’t believe she is getting so much hate – she had hoped her column would have painted her in a positive way, but it is having the opposite effect. ‘She regrets stepping back into the spotlight. The negative feedback from her column and the constant scrutiny have taken a huge toll on her. She feels like she can’t say anything without being criticised, and it’s left her questioning whether all of this was worth it.’
And the criticism has only been intensified by Coleen’s decision last week to open up about the trial to her celebrity camp mates.
Despite previously being adamant that she wanted to ‘get on’ with her life and hinting that she wouldn’t be discussing the trial in the jungle, Coleen has already described the experience as her ‘worst nightmare’ and detailed how the whole ordeal had left her ‘drained’.
Show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly also waded in, making several jokes directed at Becky – who entered the jungle herself back in 2017.
Introducing the camp mates during the first episode, the duo announced, ‘Then of course we’ve got Coleen Rooney... It’ll be nice for Coleen to face a trial that doesn’t involve Rebekah Vardy.’
Dec later quipped, ‘Coleen talks about the trial of the century and recovering her legal costs from Rebekah Vardy,’ with Ant adding, ‘And in case you are wondering, that money went straight into... Coleen Rooney’s account.’
Becky has since called the jokes ‘lame’, but the source says the mum-of-five has been left feeling ‘really hurt’ in private.
The insider says, ‘She’s really hurt by the way Ant and Dec keep bringing up Wagatha Christie jokes on their show, as it feels like they’re mocking her on a national platform.
‘It’s not just banter – it feels personal and she feels like a punch bag. She thinks ITV are desperate for a laugh at her expense and it’s clear the jokes have struck a nerve.
‘Becky used to admire Ant and Dec, now she can’t stand watching anything to do with the show – but knows she has to because she needs to talk about it for the next three weeks.’
And it’s no surprise that the source reveals how Becky is finding it ‘hard to get out’ of the seemingly constant cycle of negativity, which has happened on top of a tough few weeks for her current court appeal against Coleen.
Following her now-legendary legal battle with Coleen in 2022, Becky found herself in the courtroom once again in October as her appeal against the ‘sheer magnitude’ of Coleen’s legal expenses – currently standing at £1.8 million – from the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial rumbles on.
Five years on from the viral social media revelations that set the tone for showbiz’s biggest scandal – and ultimately led to Becky’s legal defeat and downfall – she is now appealing the court’s decision to make her pay 90% of Coleen’s expenses.
Becky’s legal team are currently disputing Coleen’s expenses outside of the courtroom, which include questions over Coleen splashing out on a luxury London hotel for her lawyer, and alleged excessive bills for a mini bar and food and drinks.
And with the case not due to be settled until next spring, critics have continued to troll Becky
– accusing her of ‘knowing how to spend [Jamie’s] money’ following her recent trips to the Maldives and Dubai despite the trial expenses.
However, Becky also tells Closer that she is still determined to put a brave face on it and enjoy Christmas with Jamie and their five kids – Megan, 19, and Taylor, 14, who she shares with ex Luke Foster, and Sofia, 10, Finley, seven, and Olivia, four, with Jamie.
She says, ‘Christmas with the kids will be chaos but good fun. They’ll have a great time on the big day.’
