‘Wagatha Christie’ Coleen Rooney trial LIVE

Explained: Who are the key witnesses and people involved?

The high-profile libel battle between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy is taking place at the High Court, with today being the fourth day.

Here are the key witnesses, and who is involved in the case:

• Rebekah Vardy
• Jamie Vardy
• Coleen Rooney
• Wayne Rooney
• Caroline Watt – Vardy’s friend and agent Caroline Watt, mentioned in the preliminary hearings.
• Hugh Tomlinson QC – An experienced media barrister, Mr Tomlinson is at the front of Vardy’s legal team in the libel case.
• David Sherborne – Mr Sherborne also has a reputation as a barrister the rich and famous turn to for legal assistance
• Mrs Justice Steyn – The High Court judge overseeing the case, Mrs Justice Steyn was appointed in 2019 and sits in the Queen’s Bench Division

The case is set to last for seven days.

Drinking excuse

Rebekah was yesterday asked a number of questions by Sherborne about the World Cup in Russia in 2018 during the libel battle.

Rebekah said that Ms Watt had arranged for a photographer to take pictures of her as she left her hotel, but denied giving the photographer the location of either the hotel or a restaurant she went to that evening with the England team’s WAGs.

She said she was “happy” to be photographed leaving the hotel but claimed that updates she sent when plans changed throughout the evening were not because she was working with the agent to arrange a “pap shot” of the group.

Mr Sherborne suggested that a message to Ms Watt which said “I have bought about 10 minutes” referred to the fact Mrs Vardy was delaying some of the women from posting a group snap on social media.

Rebekah used being boozy as an excuse, saying: “Well, it reads like that, I don’t recall it like that and if I’m being honest … I had been drinking.”

Distracted by Gemma Collins

Rebekah claimed yesterday that she was too distracted by Gemma Collins’ Dancing On Ice “faceplant” to respond when her PR agent admitted she was the source of the Coleen Rooney car crash leak.

The court heard that agent Caroline Watt admitted she had been the source of the Honda car crash story.

Rebekah agreed that the message “appeared to confirm Caroline Watt was the source of the story”.

The WAG did not respond to the message as it was the children’s bath time then she was further distracted by the reality TV star’s mishap.

Coleen’s testimony so far

• Coleen ‘offered an olive branch’ to Rebekah to stop her legal action but it was ‘in vain’
• Rebekah ‘leaked details of Wayne Rooney’s marital woes after he was caught drink-driving with a woman he met in a bar’

Rebekah’s testimony today

• Rebekah insists she only discussed Coleen’s private Instagram account with her PR agent Caroline Watt ‘a handful of times’
• Called her Peter Andre ‘chipolata’ 2004 kiss-and-tell interview ‘one of my biggest regrets’
• Admitted she texted ‘FFS’ message to footballer Danny Drinkwater after his drink-drive crash before leaking the story;
• Denied being behind ‘leaks’ of stories about Riyad Mahrez, an unnamed celebrity ‘cheating with a footballer’
• Claims she ‘didn’t know’ what her agent was implying when she said about ‘it’s on her private Instagram so we can’t do anything with it after spotting that one of the Rooney’s children wasn’t wearing a seatbelt
• Said that after Coleen’s Instagram reveal she suffered, ‘Constant anxiety, panic attacks, and I was scared I was going to lose my baby’
• Denied ever purposefully deleting her WhatsApp messages after evidence ‘went missing’
• Has said that being cross-examined by Coleen’s QC David Sherborne was ‘exhausting, intimidating – I feel like I’ve been bullied and manipulated’
• Wayne Rooney told Rebekah a newspaper story claiming he wanted her to keep a lower profile was a ‘load of b*******’;

Peter Andre claims

Rebekah claimed in court this week that she had been forced into being critical about Peter Andre by her ex-husband and regretted it.

It comes after an emotional Peter Andre apologised to his wife Emily and his four kids over her “chipolata” comments.

The 49-year-old star said he had been mocked about his manhood for 15 years because of an interview Rebekah gave in 2001.

After the historic story resurfaced this week, Peter wrote a now-deleted social media post saying it had been difficult to hold his tongue about the body-shaming.

He said: “Fifteen years this has been going on, and I kept quiet and didn’t say anything. I let everyone have their laugh and say what they wanted to say.

“Just think if I had said this about her anatomy and made up something unflattering, there would be outrage…the only one who sits there and takes hit after hit about it, is me.”

Explained: Coleen Rooney’s net worth

Coleen’s net worth is estimated at around £14million.

She and Wayne own a number of multi-million-pound properties around the world so she has a significant share in those assets.

But Coleen is much more than just a Wag and has carved out a name for herself with an exercise DVD, books and a series of sponsorship and media deals.

Meanwhile, footballer husband Wayne is reportedly worth over £140million.

Explained: What is Rebekah’s net worth?

Rebekah’s precise net worth isn’t known, however Jamie’s amounts to almost £10million.

Rebekah, 38, is seeking substantial damages from Coleen Rooney in their libel war.

However, the Wags have been warned about their legal costs.

Justice Nicklin said: “This case is particularly straightforward and I shall not expect costs above £25,000 (excluding VAT) for each party.

“I encourage the parties to reach agreement about costs budgeting.”

Access to Instagram accounts

Rebekah said she first granted agent Caroline Watt access to her Instagram account in November 2017 just before she went into the I’m A Celebrity jungle.

She said she was not allowed to post things while on the show and her agent kept her followers up to date with her life while she was inside and to get publicity for I’m A Celebrity.

She gave Watt her password and she said the agent always asked her permission before putting up a post.

Rebekah said Watt would, via her account, have had access to Rooney’s private Instagram account but did not consider it a problem.

She added: “That was not on my radar.”

She said she did not know Watt was monitoring the account and it was `wrong’ for her to do it without her authority.

Coleen and Wayne to give more evidence today

COLEEN Rooney has arrived at the High Court to begin her evidence in the blockbuster Wagatha Christie case.

The Wag, 35, is going head-to-head with Rebekah Vardy, 39, after she accused her of leaking stories to the press.

Coleen was joined by husband Wayne as she arrived at the court in London this morning.

She wore a cream trouser suit and a medical boot on her leg after she reportedly broke a bone in her foot.

The mum will take to stand to the stand at the high-profile case later today after Rebekah finishes her evidence.

She arrived minutes after Coleen in a dark suit and white shirt.

Vardy TOLD agent to ‘leak story about mystery celeb’s affair’

REBEKAH Vardy insisted she was “just joking” as the High Court on Wednesday heard she instructed her agent to leak a story about a mystery celebrity’s affair with a footballer.

The mum-of-five, who broke down in tears as she took the stand on day two of the Wagatha Christie trial, is being grilled by Coleen Rooney’s lawyers on messages she sent to her agent Caroline Watt.

The texts appear to suggest she’d considered leaking a story about a “well-known celebrity” – identified only as Mrs F – who was cheating on her husband with a “high-profile” footballer.

Rebekah told Miss Watt: “OMG have you seen how badly Mrs F is behaving. I’m actually disgusted by her.

“Leak the story about her sh*****g [the footballer] behind [her husband’s] back.”

Recap: Washing clothes in sink

Mum-of-five Rebekah was yesterday accused of having “selective amnesia” after denying that she had previously called herself the “unofficial leader of the WAGS” in an interview.

The article said England’s successful run in the tournament was down to Gareth Southgate “giving the lads the freedom to score – with their wives and girlfriends”.

Rebekah said the quote about her “leadership” was made up by her interviewer.

And she also said she hadn’t spoken with journalists during the visit to Russia – because she was too busy washing her clothes in the sink.

“I was busy with the kids and under so much stress,” she said.

“We even had to wash our own clothes in the sink at the hotel.”

The Davy Jones comment

And mythical sea figure Davy Jones was even mentioned in court yesterday.

Coleen’s barrister David Sherborne asked about Miss Watt losing her phone in the North Sea days after she was ordered to turn it over to the court.

He then jokingly asked: “We know that Miss Watt’s phone is now in Davy Jones’ Locker, don’t we, Mrs Vardy?”

Rebekah, who was clearly baffled, then replied: “I’m sorry, I don’t know who Davy Jones is.”

As people in the room burst out laughing, the judge explained it’s an idiom for the bottom of the sea.

Vardy crying

Rebekah left the witness box in tears yesterday after a day of jabs from barrister David Sherborne.

The WAG broke down in tears twice over the lawyer’s jibes – including the joke about Davy Jones.

After complaints of poor form from Rebekah’s lawyer Hugh Tomlinson, judge Mrs Justice Steyn said Mr Sherborne’s comments were “unnecessary”.

But moments later, Rebekah was in tears again. She put her head in her hands as she said: “There’s been a lot of abuse.”

Explained: Who is Coleen Rooney?

Born April 3, 1986, Coleen Rooney, 35, is probably best known as a football WAG and the other half of former England captain Wayne Rooney.

She was born Coleen McLoughlin in Liverpool, where her dad Tony ran a boxing club.

When Wayne first rocketed to sporting stardom she wrote columns for Closer and OK! magazine, talking about fashion and style.

She also presented her own TV show Coleen’s Real Women, looking for non-models to front huge advertising campaigns.

Coleen has in addition been the face of famous brands like George at Asda, Littlewoods, and baby toy company Lamaze.

Explained: Who is Rebekah Vardy?

Rebekah Vardy is the 38-year-old wife of Leicester City football player Jamie Vardy.

Born Rebekah Nicholson, she moved around between Norwich, Reading and Oxford.

The star met her future husband after she was hired to organise his birthday party in January 2014.

The family live in an eight-bedroom mansion in Lincolnshire.

Rebekah hit the headlines in October 2019 after becoming embroiled in a very public spat with Coleen Rooney over accusations that she had “leaked stories” to the press about Coleen.

Wayne‘s wife told her 1.2 million followers that Rebekah had been giving The Sun information about her “private posts and stories”.

Bizarre moments from the trial

REBEKAH Vardy and Coleen Rooney’s explosive trial kicked off earlier this week.

Here are SEVEN bizarre moments from the trial so far:

1. Peter Andre claims – Rebekah claimed in court this week that she had been forced into being critical about Peter Andre by her ex-husband and regretted it
2. Gemma Collins – Rebekah also claimed that she was too distracted by Gemma Collins’ Dancing On Ice “faceplant” to respond when her PR agent admitted she was the source of the Coleen Rooney car crash leak.
3. Davy Jones – And mythical sea figure Davy Jones was even mentioned in court yesterday
4. Washing clothes in sink – Mum-of-five Rebekah was accused of having “selective amnesia” after denying that she had previously called herself the “unofficial leader of the WAGS” in an interview
5. “To be honest” comment – Jamie Vardy’s wife was on the receiving end of a grilling from David Sherborne during yesterday’s court hearing.
6. Vardy crying – Rebekah left the witness box in tears after a day of jabs from barrister David Sherborne.
7. Drinking excuse – And Rebekah was asked a number of questions by Sherborne about the World Cup in Russia in 2018 during the libel battle.

Read the article in full here.