Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama — release date, cast, trailer and all we know

Channel 4's Wagatha Christie miniseries Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama will tell the tale of the most famous libel case in recent years. 

The two-part drama will follow the high-profile case that followed Mrs Rooney's famous social media post in 2019, in which she accused Vardy of leaking private stories about her to the press.

With a host of stars including Michael Sheen set to play the trial's most famous participants, it's one that's sure to set tongues wagging. Pun intended. Here's everything we know so far...

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama release date

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama will premiere on Wednesday 21st December on Channel 4. The second episode of the two-part series will air the following evening, Thursday 22nd December. 

There are currently no details about whether the show will be broadcast in the United States. 

What was the Wagatha Christie trial about? 

In 2019, Coleen Rooney, the wife of the footballer Wayne Rooney, suspected that posts from her private Instagram account were being leaked to The Sun. 

After mounting her own investigation where she posted fabricated stories and restricted access, she concluded that Rebekah Vardy, the wife of the footballer Jamie Vardy, was the person leaking the stories. 

In late 2019, Rooney posted on Twitter that Vardy had leaked the stories to the press. Rooney's tweet went viral and was dubbed "Wagatha Christie" case. Vardy responded on Twitter, denying the claims and implying that her Instagram account had been hacked. 

In 2020 Vardy commenced an action to sue Coleen Rooney for defamation and when it finally came to trial in the Spring of 2022, Vardy lost the case and was ordered to pay Rooney's legal costs, which are expected to be around £1.5m. 

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama plot

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom will be created using real court transcripts and bring viewers "all of the incredible and unbelievable moments from the high drama, high stakes High Court defamation case." 

"The Wagatha Christie trial had a huge impact on the lives of the two women at its heart," a statement continued. "Catapulting the two sparring legal teams into the spotlight where, much like Rooney and Vardy, their every move in the courtroom was dissected and scrutinised in the press".

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama cast

Michael Sheen, who's famous for playing famous characters such as Tony Blair, Nigel Clough and David Frost in a string of hit movies and also played Chris Tarrant in the ITV miniseries, Quiz, will play Coleen Rooney's barrister David Sherborne. 

This Is England and The Bay actress Chanel Cresswell will play Rooney while Game of Thrones and Harry Potter star Natalia Tena will portray Rebekah Vardy.

Elsewhere, Vardy's barrister, Hugh Tomlinson, will be portrayed by Simon Coury (The Professor And The Madman), Wayne Rooney will be played by Dion Lloyd and Jamie Vardy by Marci Nagyszokolyai.

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama trailer

There is! Check it out here...