It was a story that captured the nation, a classic whodunnit for the modern age. But now the infamous libel trial between footballers wives Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney is set to begin today.
Mrs Rooney accused Mrs Vardy of leaking “false stories” about her private life to the media in October 2019, after she said she carried out a months-long “sting operation”. The wife of former England star Wayne Rooney was dubbed “Wagatha Christie” when she publicly claimed her fellow footballer’s wife shared three fake stories she had posted on her personal Instagram account with The Sun newspaper.
The fake stories included Mrs Rooney travelling to Mexico for a “gender selection” procedure, her planning to return to TV, and the basement flooding at her home. In a shocking revelation, Mrs Rooney revealed on Twitter: “I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It’s ………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
Read more: Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy 'Wagatha Christie' libel trial - live updates
Mrs Vardy, who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, denies the accusations and is suing Mrs Rooney for libel. Under English defamation law, the burden of proof now will be on Mrs Rooney to prove that her post was “substantially true”.
But as the trial heads to High Court, who exactly are the footballer's wives embroiled in this million pound lawsuit, and how much are they worth? Here's everything you need to know as the trial gets underway:
What is Rebekah Vardy's net worth?
First coming to public attention as the wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, Rebekah has become a well-known face on British TV after appearing on hit ITV shows I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Dancing on Ice and Loose Women. While the former England star is valued at around £12m due to the wealth accumulated during his playing career, Rebekah's net worth is believed to be somewhere in the region of £3m.
The pair were little-known before 2016, with Jamie spending most of his career playing in the lower leagues before earning a move to Leicester and inspiring them to a stunning Premier League win despite being favourites for relegation. They married that same year and have three children together, as well as two daughters from Rebekah's previous relationships and a daughter from Jamie's previous relationship too.
She was believed to be paid around £100,000 for her appearance on I'm a Celebrity in 2017. Competing in the show alongside the likes of Dennis Wise, Stanley Johnson and Georgia Toffolo, she was the third celebrity to be eliminated.
What is Coleen Rooney's net worth?
While she also first rose to fame as a footballer's wife - with husband Wayne becoming Manchester United and England's record top scorer before retiring in 2021 - Coleen has gone on to make a name for herself through her own work. Becoming recognised as a published writer and television personality, she has amassed an incredible amount of personal wealth over the last 15 years.
Unsurprisingly for a former professional footballer, Wayne - who is now manager of Derby County - is reportedly worth over £140 million. However, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Coleen is estimated to have her own fortune of around £14 million.
This wealth has come after the mum-of-four embarked on a variety of business ventures, such as a best-selling exercise DVD, a series of autobiographies and a string of sponsorship deals with brands including Littlewoods and George at Asda. She also launched a jewellery range with Argos in 2008 in a deal worth £500,000 and has her own perfume range, Coleen X.
She has also made money through being a former column writer for celebrity magazine Closer, as well as presenting TV shows. In 2006, she assisted Sir Trevor McDonald on his show Tonight with Trevor McDonald in a programme about the genetic disorder Rett syndrome, from which her younger sister Rosie suffered. She and Wayne also own a number of luxurious multi-million pound properties across the world.
