Coleen Rooney's Wagatha doc had 'ulterior motive as she launches new career'

26 October 2023 , 14:37

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Coleen Rooney's Wagatha doc had 'ulterior motive as she launches new career'

Coleen Rooney's bombshell Disney+ docuseries revealing the painstaking lengths she took to expose Rebekah Vardy had an ulterior motive, a PR expert has claimed.

The 37-year-old is the face of the new three-parter, billed as the MI6-style investigation she undertook to find out which of her high-profile friends had been leaking fake stories about her to the press. Coleen - who won the libel case Rebekah brought against her as a result of her 2020 'Wagatha Christie' findings - is said to have been paid more than £1million for the series, which is expected to propel her to household name status in America where it is streaming on Hulu.

However, one reputation management guru has claimed the mum-of-four has far more than just hard cash and a High Court win under her belt. Having been married to Wayne Rooney for 15 years - and put up with his multiple infidelities, boozy shenanigans and brushes with the law over the years, now is her chance to put herself in the spotlight.

Coleen and husband Wayne Rooney outside the Royal Courts of Justice during her libel trial against Rebekah Vardy (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"It will serve as a credible launchpad for what I have little doubt will be the upcoming business and television ventures that she’s inevitably about to embark upon," says Edward Coram-James, chief executive of PR and SEO company Go Up. "And my hunch is that’s what this is really all about. It’s a clever segue into a career transition."

Coleen, he believes, can now take her pick of presenting opportunities, celebrity reality show spots, podcasts and product launches, having shown she can "remain relevant" in the public eye and has the "approachable charm required for presenting jobs, and the shrewd, cleverness and determination required for production and business ventures".

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In pulling the "old bait and switch trick", he says, Coleen has offered millions of viewers an insight into her life and career while marketing the docuseries solely as an exploration of her battle against Vardy. "In terms of marketing decisions, bravo. She was spot on. Very few people would have tuned in for a documentary about Coleen Rooney. Millions will tune in for a docuseries about WAG-gate."

Rebekah Vardy lost the libel trial after taking Coleen to court in the wake of her 'Wagatha Christie' investigation (Getty Images)

Viewers have already heard how Coleen came close to ending her marriage to Wayne after he was caught drink-driving after a night out with party girl Laura Simpson in 2017. While Wayne wanted to put the shameful episode behind them, his wife felt "sickened" by his actions.

"It was just sickening. I've had that feeling in my stomach a few times and I'd never wish anyone to feel that," she tells the Disney+ cameras. "You do think, 'Do I actually know this person?' when things like that happen... you're not the person I married and you're not the person I want you to be."

She continues in the docuseries: "Wayne wanted it all to go back to normal but it wasn't as easy as that. I was still mad and I just didn't know what the future was for us as a couple. I said to him, 'I just can't carry on with this'." Edward adds: "For the past few decades, Coleen has been somewhat overshadowed by her famous footballer husband.

"Now, it appears, she is coming out from under that shadow and forging a public persona and brand in and of herself, using Wagatha Christie as the launchpad that allows that to happen. And what a launchpad it is! The saga, from the initial accusation through to the trial, unexpectedly gripped the nation and was the main news talking point for weeks on end.

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In many respects, Rooney would be mad not to capitalise on it. Far simply from being the wife of a footballer, the odyssey made Coleen into one of the defining figures of pop culture in 2020. "I imagine that she will already have had a huge number of approaches about jobs in television and brand launches, and she'll be in the luxurious position of being able to bide her time, be picky and choose the right one," he adds.

Emmeline Saunders