I’m A Celebrity star Coleen Rooney “had a couple of wobbles” as she prepared to leave her family at home and head into the Australian jungle.
Coleen, 38, shares sons Kai, 15, Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six, with former England footballer Wayne. The family are mostly based in Cheshire while Wayne, 39, is over 260 miles away in Plymouth, where he manages Plymouth Argyle.
Friends say the former Premier League ace has vowed to be Coleen’s “anchor” while she is away at I’m A Celeb. Stay-at-home mum Coleen however was said to be “anxious” before heading Down Under.
Speaking to Closer, a friend said: “Coleen was understandably incredibly emotional leaving them and had a couple of wobbles where she had second thoughts, but ultimately she knew that she needed to do this for herself and embrace the experience and all that comes with it after putting her career on hold for 15 years.
“Wayne vowed to be her anchor at home alongside her parents and while he was initially upset with her decision to keep him back, he respected her reasons, knowing that this is her time and after everything he’s put her through, he needs to focus on supporting her 100 percent and doing everything in his power to ensure this experience is everything she’s hoping it will be.”
The source says Wayne told Coleen he would be open to flying to Australia to meet her at the famous I’m A Celeb bridge. He reportedly said he would be able to get cover for Plymouth’s Championship games.
But Coleen is said to have been keen for Wayne to remain in England as she looked to seize her “big moment”. The friend says the star believed entering the jungle could be her “moment to shine”.
Childhood sweethearts Wayne and Coleen have been rocked by cheating scandals and allegations during their 22-year romance. Before they tied the knot, reports surfaced that Wayne had patronised a brothel on numerous occasions, reports WalesOnline.
The former Manchester United forward is said to have been unfaithful while Coleen was pregnant with their oldest son Kai. The incident reportedly led Coleen to seek refuge at her parents’ house.
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In 2017, Wayne faced arrest for drink driving after he was stopped in the car of office worker Laura Simpson, after he met her at a bar. She said they shared a “kiss and cuddle”, leaving Coleen “heartbroken”.
On Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, she discussed her reasons for repeatedly forgiving her husband: “You could draw a line under it but, with me and Wayne, I’ve always said, there was always love still there. So why throw it away when you can work at it? “
“If you work at it, and it doesn’t work, then forget about it and go your own separate ways. But, there’s always been love… we never wanted to part.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here airs daily at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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