Wagspiracy: Vardy v Rooney (BBC Three Wednesday 25 January 2023)

Wagspiracy: Vardy v Rooney airs a new episode tonight Wednesday 25 January 2023 on BBC Three.

With Coleen Rooney accusing Rebekah Vardy of leaking articles about her to the tabloid press in 2019, “Wagatha Christie” captivated the United Kingdom. The inner story of how and why this unprecedented event in British society came to pass has never before been completely recounted, despite the enormous media attention given to this social media crisis and a trial that finished in the High Court in the summer of 2022, with Rooney emerging victorious.

The high-profile public bust-up between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy is the focus of this documentary, which delves into the inner workings of the tabloid press, public relations, agencies, and the ‘WAGs’ themselves. With access to critical sources who didn’t testify at trial, it shows that this isn’t just a story about a spat between two friends, but rather, a tale about the complicated nature of celebrity in modern Britain.

The story of the growth of the ‘WAG’ phenomena and the attendant ‘gold rush’ experienced by the tabloids can be traced back to Baden Baden and the 2006 World Cup, where the fixation with the wives and girlfriends of England’s footballers first began. An entire industry of publicists, agents, and paparazzi was spawned to cater to the growing demand for news about the private lives of these wealthy and famous people. In this documentary, the people that helped Rebekah Vardy become a new kind of “WAG” talk about how they saw her potential. Collaboration with the media, and The Sun in particular, reveals the inner workings of the celebrity and entertainment industries in modern Britain.

Examining the reasons why ‘Wagatha Christie’ and its following trial at the High Court became such a major issue, this analysis delves into the motivations of each of these prominent women as well as the treatment they have received online and in the news. It examines the aftermath for everyone involved with contributions from “WAGs,” journalists, and media professionals.

Airdate: Wednesday 25 January 2023 at 9.00pm on BBC Three.

Featured Image Credit: BBC Three