Coleen Rooney's I'm A Celeb jungle adventure could boost Rebekah Vardy's earnings amid ongoing legal battle

ITV may find themselves paying out to Rebekah Vardy for Coleen Rooney's stint in the I'm A Celebrity jungle after Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough referenced the notorious 'Wagatha Christie' saga during the show's first trial. Prior to the programme's start, it was revealed that any use of the term 'Wagatha Christie' in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here would necessitate a licence, as Rebekah Vardy, aged 42, holds the rights.

The pair are still embroiled in a legal fee tussle from their 2022 libel case after which Rebekah was directed to cover 90 percent of Coleen’s costs, now totalling £1.8 million, a figure which she aims to lower. Insiders have hinted at an ironic twist, reports the Mirror. One source quipped: "It's quite funny that Coleen's involvement is likely to be a money-spinner for Rebekah, given everything that's gone on.

"Her Wagatha Christie trademark specifically covers broadcast, and the phrase is likely to be used throughout the series and for promo for it - there will surely be some brilliant themed Bushtucker trials. Of course they could refuse to use it altogether, but bosses are likely to want to have some fun with it."

Although fair dealing would cover certain usages of the term, more commercial applications might necessitate a licencing agreement with ITV, potentially costing thousands, depending on the extent of its usage.

Rebekah Vardy, wife of Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, successfully trademarked a term last year under several categories, including Class 38 which pertains to broadcasting. An insider revealed: "Rebekah has never capitalised on her trademark, she only did it to stop anyone else profiting from it - but it could earn her a nice little sum anyway."

The phrase was originally coined by an online comedian who humorously suggested that Coleen Rooney, wife of Plymouth Argyle manager and former Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney, had turned detective as if she were in an Agatha Christie novel. London Entertainment Inc Ltd trademarked the term on Rebekah's behalf.

In 2019, Coleen, 38, suspected one of her Instagram followers was leaking stories from her private page to the press.

She posted a now-infamous message claiming she had blocked all but one account - Rebekah Vardy's - from viewing her Instagram Stories and shared a series of false events which she claimed were subsequently leaked. During the 2022 trial, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that Coleen's post was "substantially true" and ordered Rebekah to pay 90 percent of her costs.

Rebekah's legal team argued in court that the £1,833,906.89 bill included costs for a lawyer staying at London's Nobu Hotel as well as dinner, drinks and minibar charges. They criticised the "kitchen sink" approach to the calculations, which they said included £120,000 of costs to which Coleen "had no entitlement".

The court heard that her barrister David Sherborne charged £497,850. Earlier this month, costs judge Andrew Gordon-Sake confirmed that there had been no misconduct from Coleen's team. A detailed assessment of the costs is expected later, likely to occur next year.

Coleen is starring in this year's series of I'm A Celeb, alongside Strictly Come Dancing champion Oti Mabuse and McFly's Danny Jones.