Wayne Rooney has revealed that his marriage to wife Coleen is in a "much better place" after he gave up alcohol and lost more than three stone. The former England captain, 41, said quitting drinking almost six months ago has transformed his physical and mental health and brought him closer to his wife.
Lifestyle Overhaul
Speaking ahead of his appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Rooney said he had completely overhauled his lifestyle. He noted that Coleen, 40, has noticed the difference in his appearance, overall happiness, and their relationship.
Asked whether his wife enjoyed his new figure, Rooney said: "She's obviously happy because I think, from a point of view of our marriage, it's in a better place, in a much happier place. And so that obviously makes a difference. So I think, yes, she's obviously said I look a lot better, but also from a mental point of view, I'm in such a better place as well."
Impact on Health and Weight Loss
The former Manchester United striker said giving up alcohol had affected virtually every aspect of his life. Asked about the impact, he said: "It has on everything…just in day-to-day living."
Rooney, who has spoken openly about his past struggles with alcohol, also credited not drinking with helping his dramatic weight loss. He said: "Having stopped drinking for almost six months now it does help in terms of your food. I've just been eating, to be honest, probably as healthy as I've ever eaten over that period, and then training, getting back into a routine of training. So obviously it all ties in and all helps. And then I had weight to lose as well. So I think I'm just in a really good place, a really happy place."
Preparing for the Jungle
Rooney admitted that the prospect of living on basic rations and tackling Bushtucker Trials in the jungle had encouraged him to take his fitness seriously. He said: "I think I got to a stage where I probably needed to, regardless anyway. But knowing that I was going into the jungle was a big part of it, and also I was preparing well for this in terms of cutting down on food and making sure I'm in the best possible place to handle what's thrown at me in here."
Asked exactly how much weight he had lost, he replied: "Probably over 20 kilograms" before clarifying "That's over the space of years, though. That's not just for the last six months."
Facing Fears and Family Support
Rooney admitted to a fear of heights, revealing he had booked to jump out of a helicopter three times but never gone through with it. He said: "I've never had the courage to do it. So if that's part of what I'm doing, then that would be the biggest challenge for me, I think."
He also said being separated from Coleen and their children without contact would be tough. Coleen, who finished runner-up in the 2024 series, advised him to be himself and enjoy the experience. Her final words before he boarded the plane to Australia, he joked, were: "She just told me to put my seatbelt on."
Rooney said his four sons have different views about his appearance on the show, with his younger two excited and his elder two worried about being embarrassed. He also said he would like to win, noting: "There's no competition, but I would like to do a little bit better than her."
