Vardy v Rooney court transcripts were "unbelievable", says drama producer
Executive producer Tom Popay has said that reporting from the trial had "just scratched the surface".
In spite of the trial only wrapping up earlier this year, Channel 4 will this week air a dramatisation of Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney's high profile court dispute, in a series called Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama.
While some viewers may think they're already aware of all there is to know about the so-called 'Wagatha Christie' trial, Vardy v Rooney's executive producer Tom Popay has said that the series, which is based on the official court transcripts, will reveal "unbelievable" new details.
Popay told The Independent: "No one could watch this [case] – everyone was just getting this kind of live stream from the journalists who were in the courtroom. It was all so sensational, so we were like, 'Well, what kind of new stuff would we learn if we fully recreated the trial?'
"We sent off for the transcripts and when they came… they were absolutely unbelievable. We realised that all the Tweets and reports from the trial had just scratched the surface."
The series was first announced in July and stars Chanel Cresswell as Coleen Rooney, Natalia Tena as Rebekah Vardy and Michael Sheen as Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne.
A first-look clip from the drama was exclusively revealed by RadioTimes.com earlier this week, featuring Sheen's Sherborne questioning Tena's Vardy over a former newspaper interview she had given about Peter Andre.
The two-part drama will explore how events unfolded after Rooney alleged that Vardy’s Instagram account had been the only one capable of leaking fake stories about her to the press, after they had been posted on Rooney’s private Instagram Story.
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Vardy then sued Rooney for libel in June 2020, with the trial taking place in May 2022. Vardy strongly denied leaking fake stories, but the judge ruled in Rooney’s favour.
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama will air on Wednesday 21st December on Channel 4 at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
