The libel trial that followed one of the most talked-about moments in British social media history is being turned into a docudrama.
Channel 4 has confirmed that the High Court case, which saw Rebekah Vardy take Coleen Rooney to court over a 2019 social media post that accused her of leaking Rooney’s private stories, and was appropriately dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’ when it first unfolded, is to be the subject of one of its newest TV dramas.
The libel trial between the two wives of former Premier League and England international footballers, Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney, took place in May, and the judgement is expected soon – but those waiting for the outcome can in the meantime start looking-forward-to this new Channel 4 drama-documentary.
The two-part series will recreate the high court defamation case that followed.
Using the real court transcripts verbatim, Channel 4 says Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama will bring viewers all of the “incredible and unbelievable moments” from a case that many will know was not allowed to be televised.
ADVERTISEMENT
Scenes from the courtroom will be juxtaposed with analysis from the media and on social media, while actors will play the parts of the main protagonists – including Rebekah Vardy, Coleen Rooney, Wayne Rooney, and Jamie Vardy.
Casting is yet to be announced.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was the court case that gripped the nation, dubbed "#WagathaChristie" online, and put social media under the legal spotlight.
A new two-part drama-documentary……….will reveal all
Speaking on the new series, Alf Lawrie – Head of Factual Entertainment at Channel 4 – said: “More outlandish than a storyline from Footballers Wives, this High Court case gripped the nation.
“Now, using court transcripts, this factual dramatisation will allow viewers to see for themselves the courtroom drama in one of the most infamous trials of recent times, bringing to life a case that encapsulated so much about the British cultural landscape in the 21st century.”
It’s believed that some of the highlights of the drama are likely to revolve around questioning over Vardy’s relationship with journalists at The Sun newspaper, and the details of former relationships – including a fling with Peter Andre.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wayne Rooney’s stint in the witness box, when he told the court he had no idea about his wife’s social media “sting operation” until he saw her Instagram post, is expected to form part of the drama too.
Rebekah with husband Jamie Vardy, and Colleen and Wayne Rooney / Credit: Rebekah Vardy & Colleen Rooney (via Instagram)
Director Oonagh Kearney said it’s a “privilege” to get to “peel back the layers of this story”.
“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 added.
The script for the two-part series is confirmed to be written by journalist, author, and documentary maker Chris Atkins.
No dates for the commencing of filming or when it will air have been announced.
‘Nothing is eternal’: Is Pep Guardiola hinting at the end of Manchester City’s supremacy?
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola looks to have suggested that more than a decade of Manchester City’s supremacy and Premier League dominance at the very least might be coming to an end.
Speaking in his post-match press interviews after City were knocked out of the Champions League by serial European Cup winners Real Madrid, Guardiola cut a somewhat more deflated figure than usual following the 3-1 defeat.
A Kylian Mbappe hattrick which was closed out within an hour of play was enough to stretch the aggregate score to 6-3 over the two legs and Madrid doubling their lead across the tie proved yet again why, not unlike City domestically over the last decade, they’re the kings of the continental competition.
In contrast, however, Pep seemed to accept the loss much more easily than perhaps we’ve seen in the past and rather than appearing familiarly frustrated or defiant in the press conference; instead, he seemed rather reflective, responding to one reporter: “Nothing is eternal”.
🗣️ "Nothing is eternal" – Pep Guardiola.
🔵 Subscribe to our Manchester City page on BBC Sounds for the latest interviews. #MCFC#bbcfootball
Insisting that they have to decide whether a significant rebuild is needed to keep competing at the very top level consistently as they have done since the 54-year-old arrived back in 2016, he argued that it is only with that they’ll be able to determine what comes next.
As for the result itself, he made no bones about Carlo Ancelotti’s side having “deserved it”, stating simply that “the best team won” and that fans and players alike have to “accept the reality: they were better.”
Having been a familiar foe for Pep long before he arrived in Manchester, both at Barcelona and Bayern Munich – not to mention City having faced Los Blancos a dozen times before Tuesday night since 2012 – there have been less surprising outcomes for supporters to come to terms with.
“With time, the club and everyone is going to accept what it is but for now we have 30/40 games for the Premier League next season to try and be here [in the Champions League] and to improve. Nothing is eternal”, said the Catalan coaching genius.
On the other hand, he also went on to add that it was merely a reflection on the night itself and not what his team have achieved in recent years.
He went on to remark that “when we were playing outstanding it hurt more” to be knocked out of the UCL when he felt they deserved to stay in it, but still insisted: “We have been unbelievable and we have to try step by step to get better from today.” Tonight just wasn’t the night.
Who knows? Perhaps it was just some more melodrama from a manager with an undeniable flare for pageantry and playing into/in the face of narratives when he doesn’t come out on top – which hasn’t happened all that often until their dip in form this season.
Plus, there’s certainly still plenty for him and the fans to be positive about; not only has the arrival of their ‘Egyptian Prince’ and the media’s Mo Salah successor, Omar Marmoush, got plenty of people excited – especially after that first-half hattrick against Newcastle – but so too have the other January signings.
In fact, for all of his downplaying in this particular presser (which you can hear in full HERE), it felt like there were only upsides after their victory over Newcastle, even going so far as to dub new signing Nico Gonzalez a ‘mini-Rodri‘.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Pep is right, nothing is eternal – but sometimes you just come up against talents like Mbappe and there’s very little anyone can do about it.
Shepherd’s pie named among classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next decade
Emily Sergeant
Shepherd’s pie has been named among the classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next 10 years.
From a hearty roast dinner on a Sunday, to a slap-up full English breakfast to start the day, classic British dishes have become staples on dinner tables across the nation, all known and loved for their comforting flavours and cultural significance… but apparently, Google searches for ‘shepherd’s pie recipe’ are down 55% in the past year, indicating that less and less people looking to create this traditional dish at home.
So with this in mind, air fryer giants Ninja Kitchen decided to carry out a new study by surveying 2,000 people and studying search trends for popular British dishes to uncover which meals are still loved, and which might be nothing more than a distant memory.
Shockingly, the new study revealed that shepherd’s pie could be facing extinction from early as 2027, with several other favourites dying out within a decade.
Shepherd’s pie takes the fifth spot on the top 10 list, as according to the study, the dish is experiencing a 0.76% weekly decline, and due to the fact only 5% of Brits would name it a ‘favourite’, this classic risks extinction by 2027.
Shepherd’s pie has been named among the classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next decade / Credit: Dennis J Wilkinson | Steven Depolo
Another shocker on the list has to been the beloved veggie dish cheese and onion pie, which takes the ninth spot thanks to its 0.41% weekly decline in searches.
However, the majority of the other dishes making up the top 10 list tend to be regional delicacies or dishes that are popular within certain dietary preferences, such as Glamorgan sausage – which takes the number one spot, with a 2% weekly search decline – Tatws Pum Munud, a nut roast, and a vegan roast dinner.
57% of the nation would be sad to see British staples fade away, according to the study, but 31% do appreciate the evolution of food trends.
The study also revealed that the growing popularity of takeaway and convenience food is the leading reason why people are moving away from traditional classics such as shepherd’s pie, with nearly half (46%) of respondents citing it as their main reason.
Emily Sergeant -
27th July 2022 
