Coleen Rooney signs for I’m A Celeb in biggest deal in history as bosses hope she’ll spill secrets on Wayne & Wagatha
COLEEN Rooney has signed up for this year’s I’m A Celebrity — securing the biggest deal in the show’s history.
The 38-year-old Wag’s fee is understood to be way beyond Nigel Farage’s £1.5million last year.
ITV bosses hope Coleen will spill the beans on life with hubby Wayne and her epic fallout with Rebekah Vardy.
A source said: “I’m A Celeb bosses have pulled off a huge coup.”
Coleen is to get the ultimate revenge on her Wagatha Christie rival Rebekah Vardy — by heading Down Under for I’m A Celebrity.
The wife of ex-England striker Wayne has landed a record deal to enter the jungle, where Rebekah was booted out early in 2017.
Sources say ITV bosses hope she will reveal juicy details round the campfire of her life with Wayne, as well as gossip from her public fall-out with Rebekah.
Coleen and her four boys are huge fans of the show.
She will fly out next month to compete in the Bushtucker Trials.
A telly source told The Sun on Sunday: “I’m A Celeb bosses have pulled off a huge coup getting Coleen for the jungle this year and the team are thrilled to have her on board.
“She’s always been a massive fan of the show and loves watching it with her boys. ITV are over the moon that the stars have aligned this year and she can fit it in. The series is set to be one of the best yet.
“Coleen has a huge fanbase and she won massive plaudits for her classy handling of the Wagatha Christie case. She’s excited to show fans a different side to her and prove she can survive without her creature comforts.”
Rebekah, 42, was the third campmate to be eliminated in 2017.
Less than two years later, she was at the centre of a huge storm when Coleen accused the Wag of leaking stories about her.
Coleen has also had her share of ups and down with ex-Man United star Wayne, 38, who is now back in the UK after spells playing and coaching in the US.
The source went on: “The campfire chats are set to be bombshells as there is so much she could lift the lid on, from all the drama of the Wagatha trial to her turbulent marriage to Wayne and his football career.
“She is expected to be very popular with viewers and she could triumph over Becky again if she goes further in the competition than her.”
Coleen will be cheered on by proud sons Kai, 14, Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six.
Wayne now splits his time between the family’s £20million Cheshire home and Devon, where he manages Championship team Plymouth Argyle.
The insider added: “Now that Wayne is no longer working in the US and the children are older, Coleen is more available to throw herself into work projects.
“She has an incredibly tight-knit family, who can help out with childcare while she is away.
“Her boys will love watching her on the show. She isn’t a fan of bugs and creepy-crawlies or sleeping outdoors, but she is up for a challenge and has great determination.”
The news comes days after the Wagatha row was dragged back to the High Court, with furious Rebekah contesting her legal bill.
Her boys will love watching her on the show. She isn’t a fan of bugs and creepy-crawlies or sleeping outdoors, but she is up for a challenge and has great determination
Sun source
She unsuccessfully sued her former pal for libel after Coleen told her Twitter followers she had turned detective to uncover the source of leaks.
Coleen memorably sparked a media frenzy by ending her bombshell post: “It’s . . . Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
Rebekah denied being responsible amid a furious backlash and sought legal action.
Even before the case came to the High Court, she branded Coleen’s budget as “grotesque”.
She was then “devastated” when the judge ruled against her after a dramatic High Court trial in 2022, where she was joined by Leicester striker Jamie, 37.
She was ordered to pay 90 per cent of Coleen’s legal bill, which had risen to £1.8million from a reportedly agreed £540,000.
As we revealed earlier this week, it included a lawyer’s stay at a five-star London hotel, along with a £225 tab for food and drinks.
Coleen, meanwhile, won plaudits for her calm handling of the Wagatha ordeal.
She picked up £3million from streaming giant Disney+ for exclusive rights to a three-part documentary series about the court case.
She also graced the cover of Vogue magazine and picked up a £1million tell-all book deal.
Coleen has a huge fanbase and she won massive plaudits for her classy handling of the Wagatha Christie case
Sun source
Speaking last year she said: “I can’t live in the past. It’s happened now and I move on. It’s always going to be talked about. It’s part of my life. You can’t go wrong if you’re telling the truth.”
Coleen was catapulted to stardom aged just 16, when her then-Everton ace boyfriend Wayne became England’s most promising football talent.
Liverpool-born Coleen has always spoken about her strong roots. She recalled: “It’s always been important for me to have good people around me.
“Being in the spotlight since I was 16, now looking at it, my eldest is nearly 15. At the time, I didn’t think it was young but it was very young. I don’t know whether I’d have got through it without a strong unit around me.”
In 2016, when her children were much younger, Coleen revealed she was always turning down offers from reality shows — but if she did one it would be I’m A Celebrity.
She said: “I get asked all of the time, but I always say no. Reality shows like that are massive, they ask a lot of people to go in them, but I’ve never really wanted to.
I get asked all of the time, but I always say no. Reality shows like that are massive, they ask a lot of people to go in them, but I’ve never really wanted to
Coleen Rooney
“I’m a bit of a home bird – being away for quite a long time from the family would be hard.
“I was asked a while ago in an interview if I’d ever do any celebrity shows.
“It’s not that I said I would do one, it was just which one I would choose if I had to. It would be I’m A Celebrity. But I’d probably never do a show.”
She will join a stellar line-up reported to include boxer Tommy Fury, Rangers hero Ally McCoist, ex-Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse and Corrie’s Alan Halsall.
An ITV spokesman said: “Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity are just speculation.”
Explosive topics
By Hannah Hope
I’M A Celeb bookers have secured the most newsworthy contestant in the show’s history by tempting Queen Wag Coleen into the jungle.
She could lift the lid on any number of explosive topics in front of millions of primetime TV viewers.
They will expect her to open up on Wagatha Christie rival Rebekah Vardy.
And there could be tales about her marriage to Wayne — and his misbehaving.
But aside from the gossip, fans will enjoy Coleen’s down-to-earth nature. The nation will finally get to know the woman behind the headlines.
I, for one, am going to be glued to my screen.