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Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney libel trial to be made into a TV docudrama

The ‘Wagatha Christie’ court story will be told in a new two-part series on Channel 4

Megan Graye
Wednesday 27 July 2022 13:21 BST
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Coleen Rooney arrives at High Court for the start of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel dispute

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The Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney libel trial will be made into a Channel 4 docudrama, the broadcaster has confirmed.

Earlier this year, the legal battle gained significant media attention after Vardy took Rooney to court for defamation when Rooney accused Vardy of leaking her private social stories to the press in 2019.

The High Court case took place throughout May, with a verdict expected soon.

Channel 4 confirmed the news of the series on Twitter, calling it the case that “put social media under the legal spotlight”.

The two-part docudrama will be titled Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama and will be written by journalist and documentary maker Chris Atkins.

The drama will enlist actors to play the parts of Rebekah Vardy, Coleen Rooney, Wayne Rooney, and Jamie Vardy. The story will also use real courtroom transcripts, bringing viewers previously un-televised moments from the case.

Director Oonagh Kearney said: “This trial utterly captivated the public with its daily feed of entertaining exchanges and jaw-dropping reveals.

“But behind this, is a story of two women under constant public scrutiny, fighting for their reputations,” she said.

Tim Hancock, commissioning editor at Channel 4 said that the court transcripts used in the show “give a deep insight into the relationship between celebrities and the media, as well as showing how far some people will go to protect their reputation”.

The release date for Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama has not yet been confirmed.

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