Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama

Even in a year with some very big news stories – over the past 12 months, we’ve had two new Prime Ministers, as well as new King – the so-called ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial gripped the nation.

And now it’s even getting the TV treatment in Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, which plays out over two consecutive evenings, and stars arguably the king of dramas based on real-life stories, Michael Sheen.

Just in case you were one of the people not paying attention, it’s a story that began in 2019, when Coleen Rooney, wife of former footballer Wayne, revealed that she suspected somebody had been selling stories about her and her family based on her personal social media accounts.

So, she came up with a plan to start deliberately sharing false information on her Instagram stories to see if it found its way into the media, and ensured that only one account could view it. As she claimed in her now famous tweet “It’s……Rebekah Vardy’s account”.

Social media was quickly in uproar, with many people expressing their admiration for Coleen’s detective skills (which is where the Wagatha Christie handle came from).

However, one person who was noticeably less impressed was Rebekah Vardy herself. The wife of footballer Jamie Vardy denied the claims and later began legal action.

The trial commenced in May 2022, and on July 29, Justice Steyn ruled in favour of Rooney.

Although the media coverage was extensive, the trial was not televised – but now Channel 4 is bringing us the next best thing with this dramatic recreation, which draws on the real court transcripts.

Director Oonagh Kearney believes the drama – and the trial itself – is about more than just a social media spat, saying: “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.”

Alf Lawrie, Head of Factual Entertainment, Channel 4, goes even further, saying the drama “bring[s] to life a case that encapsulated so much about the British cultural landscape in the 21st century.”

If you think that’s a tad overblown, perhaps this opening instalment will convince you otherwise.

It begins as Rebekah (Natalia Tena) prepares for the trial with the help of her legal team, led by the experienced media law specialist Hugh Tomlinson QC (Simon Coury).

There’s a twist though when one of her most important witnesses, her former PR agent and friend Caroline Watt, withdraws at the last minute.

Rebekah also faces a grilling from Coleen’s (Chanel Cresswell) formidable barrister, David Sherborne (Sheen, who has previously played everyone from Tony Blair and David Frost to Chris Tarrant and Brian Clough), who paints a potentially damning picture.

Then in tomorrow’s concluding episode, it’s Coleen’s turn to be cross-examined, as Tomlinson raises the possibility that someone else was responsible for the leak, and the wags’ husbands have a dispute of their own to settle.