02 January 2024 , 23:10
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Coleen Rooney is set to become the main breadwinner in the Rooney household thanks to her Wagatha Christie exploits and husband Wayne Rooney's sacking from Birmingham City on Tuesday.
Former England captain Wayne was relieved of his duties in the West Midlands following a disastrous spell as manager of the Blues that saw him win just twice in 15 outings. Mother-of-four Coleen, meanwhile, is expected to explore more commercial opportunities on the back of the popularity of her Wagatha Christie documentary on Disney+.
Before the show's success, the 37-year-old had already banked a cool £800,000 in legal costs after a High Court battle with fellow wag Rebekah Vardy, who she accused of leaking a string of stories about her to The Sun, Rebekah has always denied the allegations. And with devastated Wayne admitting it "will take some time to get over" his setback, it may be left to Coleen to bring home the bacon.
Coleen netted £800,000 in legal fees following her Wagatha Christie High Court victory (Getty Images)
Wayne was dismissed by the Blues on Tuesday (Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)A source told the Sun: "Coleen and Wayne were in no rush for the Wagatha Christie money but now Wayne has lost his job it will come in handy. Coleen received the payment from Becky after she gave her an extension to give her more time to get the cash together. Coleen is the breadwinner at the moment and the Wagatha cash will certainly tide them over for a while."
Following his dismissal, Wayne said he should have been given more time as the Blues manager. Rooney, who has also had spells in charge of Derby County and MLS side DC United, oversaw just 15 games in charge of the Midlands outfit, a run that saw them slide down the table from fifth to 20th. In a statement released after his departure was confirmed Rooney said: "I would like to thank Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Garry Cook for the opportunity to manage Birmingham City FC and the support they all gave me during my short period with the club.
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Coleen, who is the author of several books, said she now wants to "map out" her next move whilst her stock is high. "The kids have always been my priority, they always will be, but I’d like to see what’s out there for me," she explained in a recent interview." "First, we’ll get through Christmas, that’s a big family affair - everything I do is a family affair. Then I’ll sit down with my management and map out what’s next. But I’m going to wait. I like to take my time; I like to organise and be prepared."
Back in October a reputation management guru claimed "shrewd" Coleen now has the perfect chance to put herself in the spotlight. "It [Wagatha Christie documentary] 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," said 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".
In pulling the "old bait and switch trick", he said, 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."