Ten years ago, a seating row at the Euros lit the spark that would lead to the explosive 'Wagatha Christie' saga. In October 2019, Coleen Rooney famously declared, 'It was Rebekah Vardy's account,' unmasking the individual leaking gossip to The Sun. The ensuing social media bombshell ignited a multi-million-pound libel trial, which ended in July 2022 with the High Court ruling that Coleen's allegations were substantially true. Rebekah was ordered to pay 90% of Rooney's legal fees, landing her with an estimated bill of £3 million.
The Seating Row That Started It All
The bad blood dates back to June 16, 2016, during England's 2-1 victory against Wales at the Euros. Rebekah reportedly refused to move after she and her entourage allegedly hijacked seats belonging to the Football Association’s family liaison officer, Harpreet Robertson. The strategic move was reportedly designed to ensure Vardy was positioned directly behind Wayne Rooney's wife, Coleen. Harpreet claimed that Rebekah had deliberately placed herself 'right in the eyeline' of any camera fixed on Coleen to guarantee exposure. Harpreet recalled the confrontation: 'I asked them to move, but they refused . . . remarking words to the effect of, "We can sit where we like, f**k off."' An altercation followed which almost reduced me to tears.
Rebekah's Image Revamp
At the time, Rebekah was undergoing an image revamp with the help of her agent, Caroline Watt. Rebekah began working with Caroline in 2015, and when the PR professional struck out to forge her own firm, the media personality followed suit. The partnership proved successful, with Caroline even bagging Rebekah a coveted spot on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' Rebekah told the High Court she hired Caroline to counteract harsh criticism and tell her 'truth'.
Publicity Spotlight and Trial Details
While Jamie Vardy was representing his country, the mum-of-five threw herself into the publicity spotlight, penning a 'Euro diary' column for The Sun, which led to issues in the England squad's changing rooms. The 2022 trial heard that England manager Roy Hodgson urged Wayne Rooney to intervene, telling Jamie to speak to his wife about her 'media activities'. Jamie denied this, calling it 'talking nonsense'.
During the trial, Coleen’s legal team accused Vardy of calculated 'publicity-seeking behaviour'. Coleen's representative, David Sherborne, accused Rebekah of 'jumping around like a loony' in the contentious seat when Jamie scored. Rebekah rejected this, telling the court: 'I wasn’t seeking attention, no. I wanted to be there to support my husband.'
The publicity-grabbing claim was ultimately dismissed by Mrs Justice Steyn as 'irrelevant or peripheral' to whether Rebekah was leaking stories. However, the saga has since inspired documentaries, a West End production, and a Channel 4 docudrama.
