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ITV’s legal team is on high alert as Coleen Rooney enters the I’m A Celebrity jungle (Image: ITV)
ITV’s legal team is reportedly on high alert as Coleen Rooney enters the I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! jungle amid fears her appearance could spark another courtroom drama.
Producers are hopeful Coleen, 38, will share stories about her footballer husband Wayne Rooney or her infamous “Wagatha Christie” clash with Rebekah Vardy, but lawyers must ensure nothing is aired that could lead to fresh legal troubles.
An ITV insider revealed the challenge facing the show's legal team: “I’m A Celeb’s legal team will have been preparing themselves for weeks, knowing they have to walk a daily tightrope.
"They know Coleen is on the show partly because of what stories she has to tell, so can’t afford to lose any unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Coleen is reportedly the highest-paid contestant in the show’s history, earning £1.5 million for her appearance.
The pair were embattled in a highly publicised legal battle (Image: Getty)
However, the insider added that while the legal scrutiny of her comments will not differ from other campmates, her high-profile history presents unique challenges.
“Given the nature of the stories she has, they have to be vigilant and work at speed to safely condense each day’s conversations and events into a show by the broadcast time of 9pm,” the source said.
“The screening her comments go through won’t be different to any of the campmates’, but lawyers know the nature of what she says, and how much she has to say, will provide them with a challenge.”
The I’m A Celebrity spokesperson responded to the speculation, stating: “To suggest Coleen or any content in which she features, will be treated any differently to the other campmates is factually incorrect. All content has to go through a legal and compliance process.”
Coleen may spill details while on the show (Image: Getty)
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Tensions are heightened as Rebekah Vardy’s legal team reportedly monitors Coleen’s comments closely, prepared to take action if certain phrases, including “Wagatha Christie,” are used.
The term is trademarked by Becky, who was a jungle contestant herself in 2017. Rebekah, 42, famously lost her 2019 defamation case against Coleen after being accused of leaking stories to the press.
The dramatic fallout was chronicled in the Disney+ documentary Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, which aired last year. ITV plans to broadcast it tonight on ITV1 and ITVX, just ahead of Coleen’s jungle debut.
Meanwhile, Rebekah and her husband, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, appear unfazed by the looming jungle drama, as they were spotted at Heathrow Airport heading off for a family holiday in Dubai. Becky posted a photo from her flight, sharing a glimpse of their getaway.
English (US) ·