Coleen Rooney has revealed how a first date involving a trip to the cinema and McDonald's with Wayne Rooney changed the course of her life. The couple, who met as children, have been in the public eye throughout their adult lives, from the moment they announced their relationship as teenagers.
Speaking on Paul Brunson's "We Need To Talk" podcast, Coleen opened up about her upbringing, early life, and the moment she met Wayne. In recent years, she has made a name for herself in the spotlight following the Wagatha Christie case and her 2024 appearance on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Meeting Wayne at 12
Coleen and Wayne met when they were 12 years old, but she didn't "give him a date" until they were 16. Meeting Wayne changed the trajectory of Coleen's life, as the pair went from being ordinary schoolchildren from Croxteth to global fame in a matter of years.
Speaking about her first interaction with her future husband, she said: "Our families knew each other, we grew up together. My dad ran the local boxing gym with Wayne's uncle. We first started to get to know each other around 12."
She added: "He was always after me and wanted to date. He always says he knew I was the one. But I was busy, I didn't go out and hang around on the street as much, because I'd go to dance and go to drama and do my homework."
The first date
Reflecting on their first date, Coleen shared how a trip to the cinema and McDonald's was where it all started. She said: "We went to the cinema. I was a bit nervous because my family knew him, and I knew I probably couldn't hide the fact I was going on a date because I'd have to walk down and meet him on my road."
She added: "There wasn't anything wrong with that, I was 16 I could go on a date. But out of respect and so I could own it, I asked my dad if I could go on the date."
She joked as she said: "My dad said 'yeah as long as he sits on the back row and you sit on the front row'."
Coleen added: "We actually went with another couple who we were friends with. We went to McDonald's on the way back and that was it. It's funny now, because 16-year-old's seem to be doing a lot more mature things than going to the cinema and going to McDonald's."
From Croxteth to Cheshire
The childhood sweethearts went on to become huge names in UK media, as their relationship was broadcast for all to see. Wayne proposed in 2003, and they got married in 2008 in Italy.
The family-of-six live in a stunning mansion close to Mobberly in Cheshire. The home's official name is High Lake Manor and it sits on 50 acres of farmland. It is worlds apart from the modest Croxteth homes Coleen and Wayne grew up in.
Now, the family have made the decision to invite fans into their home as part of the new Disney Plus series, The Real Rooneys. The 10-part series shows a pivotal year in the lives of the Liverpool-born couple as they balance their careers with family time with their four boys Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass.
The Real Rooneys follows the family as Wayne steps away from football management. As he swaps the touchline for school runs, Coleen embraces the biggest opportunities of her career, including designing her own range with fashion brand, Primark. The Real Rooneys is streaming exclusively on Disney+.
