London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026

Wagatha Christie: Rebekah Vardy to pay 90% of Coleen Rooney's legal costs

Wagatha Christie: Rebekah Vardy to pay 90% of Coleen Rooney's legal costs

Rebekah Vardy is expected to pay an estimated £1.5m towards Coleen Rooney's legal costs after losing a defamation case earlier this year.

Court documents show Mrs Vardy has been ordered to pay 90% of Mrs Rooney's legal fees.

An initial payment of £800,000 must be made by 15 November, the court documents said.

Earlier this year, a High Court judge ruled in Mrs Rooney's favour following the so-called Wagatha Christie trial.

Mrs Rooney's legal team have not yet produced a final total for their costs, but the last figure presented to the court was £1,667,860 - and 90% of that would be £1.5m if it remains unchanged.

Mrs Rooney incurred total costs of more than £2m, but £350,000 of those had already been racked up before the trial in May, so those were removed from the figure that her legal team presented to the court.

Mrs Rooney had argued she should be paid 100%, while Mrs Vardy had asked to pay 80%.

The order is to contribute to costs incurred, and is not a libel payment - because it was Mrs Vardy who was suing for libel and her claim failed.

Mrs Rooney, therefore, was not awarded any libel payment.

Coleen Rooney, pictured with husband Wayne during the trial in May


The final figure of costs Mrs Vardy has to pay may be reduced further if she does not agree to pay the 90% total incurred by Mrs Rooney and, at a later date, a court considers some of those costs to have been unreasonable.

Mrs Justice Steyn said there were certain issues which arose during the seven-day trial which justified the reduction of 10% in the amount Mrs Vardy has to pay, including Mrs Rooney's "weak" allegation that Mrs Vardy was one of the people behind The Sun's "Secret Wag" gossip column, and Mrs Rooney's unsuccessful public interest defence.

"However, given the defendant's success on the defence of truth which was at the heart of this claim, and the degree to which there was overlap between the issues, I consider that the appropriate reduction is 10%," the judge said.

On top of the estimated £1.5m, Mrs Vardy will have to pay her own legal costs, which could bring her combined bill to over £3m.

Mrs Vardy will also have to pay some of the costs incurred by seven journalists who were potential witnesses but did not give evidence.

The trial took place earlier this year after Mrs Rooney, the wife of former England footballer Wayne Rooney, conducted a sting operation in 2019, accusing Mrs Vardy online of leaking private stories about her to The Sun.

Mrs Vardy has always denied passing the information from Mrs Rooney's private Instagram to the newspaper.

But in July, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that Mrs Rooney's accusation was "substantially true", saying it was likely Mrs Vardy "knew of, condoned and was actively engaged" in the process of leaking stories about Mrs Rooney to the Sun in collaboration with Mrs Vardy's agent, Caroline Watt.

Mrs Vardy, who is married to Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, said in a statement released at the time that she was "extremely sad and disappointed" at the judge's decision.

Mrs Rooney said she was "pleased" the ruling had gone in her favour, adding "it was not a case I ever sought or wanted".

The trial was dubbed "Wagatha Christie" - a reference to Wags, the wives and girlfriends of footballers, and Agatha Christie, the author famous for her whodunit mysteries.

Libel cases are mounted when an individual feels their reputation has been damaged following the publication of a false statement.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Royal Navy Commandos Complete Maritime Operations Training With US Navy SEALs
Vistry Profit Warning Adds to Concerns Over UK Housebuilding Conditions
UK Commits £343 Million to Major Expansion of Community Mental Health Services
Five Eyes Partners Back UK-Led Campaign Against Global Fraud Networks
UK Businesses Gain Full Access to £13 Trillion CPTPP Trading Bloc
UK Allocates Nearly £10 Billion for Council, Social and Affordable Housing
Chancellor John Healey Unveils Deregulation Drive to Accelerate UK Investment and Growth
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Post-Brexit Foreign Policy Vision at United Nations
UK Reassesses Chagos Arrangements as Burnham Seeks New Path on Diego Garcia
Key Trends to Watch
Government’s “Buy British” Procurement Push Targets More Domestic Jobs and Industrial Capacity
Scotland Launches Four-Year Flood Resilience Programme With New Community Funding
Low-Income Renters Face Record Gap Between Housing Support and Private Rents
UK and US Test Torpedo Launch From British Undersea Drone in Defence Technology Milestone
Britain Pushes Artificial Intelligence Security Onto United Nations Security Council Agenda
Treasury Committee Defends Office for Budget Responsibility Independence Amid Fiscal Pressure
Scotland Records Eleven Per Cent Rise in Drug-Use Deaths as Cocaine and Nitazenes Drive Concern
Welsh Government Sets Four-Year Programme Around Health, Living Costs, Jobs and Housing
Study Finds Most People With High Blood Pressure in England Remain Undiagnosed
Britain Plans First National Workplace Health System to Tackle Economic Inactivity
England to Introduce Vocational GCSEs in Major Secondary Education Reform
UK Elevates Climate and Nature Risks to National Security Priority
Andy Burnham and Donald Trump Put Trade at Centre of First Major Bilateral Meeting
Andy Burnham and Ursula von der Leyen Push Ahead With Closer UK-European Union Economic Ties
UK Government Borrowing Jumps to Eighteen Point Three Billion Pounds Ahead of October Budget
Piddington Residents Back Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Reform UK Names Helen Jenner as New Leader in Wales
England Expands Devolution of Transport, Skills and Economic Development Powers
Liberal Democrats Call for Temporary Fuel Duty Cut to Ease Cost-of-Living Pressure
UK Farmers Warn Drought Has Caused Crop Failures and Reduced Harvests
UK Fixed Mortgage Rates Approach 6% as Lenders Raise Borrowing Costs
YouGov Poll Puts Labour at 23% With Conservatives and Reform UK on 21%
Badenoch Presses Burnham to Increase Defence Spending and Cut Welfare Costs
UK Military Figures Warn of Growing Threats to Undersea Infrastructure and National Readiness
BP Moves Ahead With Sale of UK North Sea Oil and Gas Business
UK and ASEAN Endorse New Framework for Trade and Economic Cooperation
UK Consumer Confidence Falls to Three-Year Low as Borrowing Costs and Job Concerns Rise
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% as Motor Fuel Costs Push Prices Higher
Bank of England Sets Multi-Year Plan to Wind Down Quantitative Easing Holdings
UK Borrowing Rises to £18.3 Billion in August Ahead of October Budget
Michelin Guide Faces Industry Questions Over Restaurant Inspection Coverage
English Woodlands Face Renewed Weather Stress From Dry Conditions and Strong Winds
Research Finds Extensive Alcohol, Gambling and Unhealthy Food Branding During 2026 World Cup
Five Charged After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
BT Could Reap £2 Billion From Recycling Copper as Full-Fibre Network Expands
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
Reform UK Names Helen Jenner as New Leader in Wales After Dan Thomas Steps Down
Resolution Foundation Calls for Broad-Based Tax Rises to Fund Higher UK Defence Spending
Ed Davey Calls for Global Treaty to Halt Development of Super-Intelligent AI
Scotland Consults on Legal Price Caps for Essential Foods
×