'She always wanted my life': Rebekah Vardy slams Coleen Rooney ahead of I'm A Celeb launch

16 November 2024, 08:38 | Updated: 18 November 2024, 07:50

Barristers for Mrs Rooney and Mrs Vardy have returned to the High Court
Barristers for Mrs Rooney and Mrs Vardy have returned to the High Court. Picture: Alamy

By Henry Moore

Rebekah Vardy has sensationally claimed Coleen Rooney “always wanted my life, she’s following in my footsteps” ahead of the launch of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

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Rooney, who is competing in the reality show this year, has been embroiled in a tense legal battle with Vardy since 2019, dubbed the Wagatha Christie case.

Now, Vardy, who competed on the reality show in 2017, has accused her rival of “wanting my life” as she was announced as the Sun’s new I’m A Celeb columnist.

"Everyone seems to think I have this massive problem with Coleen going into the jungle," Vardy told the publication.

"But do you know what? If you want to fan the fire, the flames are going to get higher.

Read more: Rebekah Vardy launches appeal against Wagatha Christie £1.8m costs ruling

"I wasn't going to carry on talking about this, I had no intentions of talking about it but she clearly can't let it go.

Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney Libel Trial in London.
Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney Libel Trial in London. Picture: Getty

"We've done a book, we've done a documentary, we're going into the jungle.

"I think she always wanted my life, she's following in my footsteps."

Despite this, Vardy said there are "no hard feelings" towards Rooney for appearing on the same reality shows as her, but "the hard feelings are still there for what she caused".

The 42-year-old said the abuse she endured while Rooney allegedly "sat back and allowed that to happen will never be forgiven, ever".

"If people want to go and celebrate Coleen as some sort of hero for doing what she did, then they need to remember what she did and what I went through in the form of abuse I suffered off the back of something that wasn't for public consumption," Vardy told the Sun.

"Everything Coleen does is quite calculated," she added.

Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney
Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney. Picture: Getty

In 2019, Rooney accused Vardy of leaking her private information to the press, with Wednesday marking the fifth anniversary of the viral social media post at the heart of the dispute.

Mrs Vardy sued her for libel, but Mrs Justice Steyn found in July 2022 that the allegation was "substantially true", ordering Vardy to pay Rooney a whopping £800,000.

Rooney is set to appear in the jungle alongside former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse, ex-champion boxer Barry McGuigan, N-Dubz band member Tulisa Contostavlos, Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall, Loose Women's Jane Moore and McFly singer Danny Jones.

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