A journalist who spent a day with Rebekah Vardy in her family home has shed light on her true character, claiming there is "more to her" than the public perceives. Robert Crampton visited the Vardy household a decade ago, when Rebekah and her footballer husband Jamie were living in Melton Mowbray while he played for Leicester City.
Since then, the couple and their four children have moved several times, including stints in Lincolnshire and Italy, a journey charted in ITV's new three-part series, The Vardys. This series prompted Crampton to reflect on his meeting with the family.
Rebekah is perhaps best known for her role in the high-profile "Wagatha Christie" court case, a legal battle with fellow WAG Coleen Rooney. She is not keen on the term "WAG," however, considering it "quite derogatory."
Crampton, whose interview was originally intended to feature only Jamie, explained that upon arrival, he found Rebekah in hair and make-up, with Jamie "nowhere to be seen." Yet, he believes the former I'm a Celebrity star is "viewed too harshly," suggesting there is "more to her."
He questioned Jamie for The Times about why Rebekah's mother and his own parents did not attend their wedding. Crampton shared Jamie's response: "It had come to feel as though my parents didn't like Becky."
Crampton added: "Nor do many people, not even prior to the Wagatha fiasco of 2019-22. When she did I'm a Celebrity in 2017, Becky was booted out in the third public vote. On the basis of our one and only meeting, I feel she is viewed too harshly. She is clearly (as with Coleen and Wayne) the brains of the family operation. There's more to her than vacuous bling."
He also recalled how Rebekah told her daughter Megan that she could not have a debit card, insisting that she needed to "earn it." Crampton added: "I think she'll come over well in the forthcoming footage. Jamie could be a problem, but then he seems shrewd enough to listen to his wife."
He went on to claim that Rebekah "freely admitted" that she viewed her husband's success as a "financial opportunity" and sought to capitalise on it for the couple.
Fast forward to 2026, and it has been revealed that the Vardys are set to return to the UK after their stint in Italy, with their new show covering this chapter as well as the Wagatha Christie saga. The synopsis speaks about "frantic house-hunts, tearful school searches, unexpected disasters and dramatic setbacks, all while Jamie battles to prove his doubters wrong on the pitch."
Speaking about the Italy move to ITV, Rebekah said: "The biggest challenge was trying to balance the excitement of a completely new adventure with the emotional reality of leaving behind a life we'd built over more than a decade. Leicester was home for us in every sense - our friends, routines, schools, memories, so uprooting wasn't just about packing boxes and moving country, it was about starting again emotionally."
Catch The Vardys on ITV on Tuesday, June 2, from 9pm to 10pm.
