THERE must have been plenty of times over the years when you wondered why on earth long-suffering Wag Coleen Rooney stuck with her husband Wayne.
Cynical critics assumed it was because he was a multi-millionaire footballer and she enjoyed lapping up the trappings of their luxury lifestyle — all those exotic holidays and the sprawling mansions.
Coleen always simply insisted she loves him.
But after Wayne spoke out this week saying that he’d be “dead” without his loyal wife and detailed his excessive drinking, I realised that they have survived, not just because she loves him, but because she adores him.
This is a woman who has been to hell and back.
Anybody who has lived with someone who has a drink problem, as I have in the past, knows that normal, loving, caring, kind human beings can make stupid, reckless mistakes when booze is involved.
We have all watched in horror as Wayne made catastrophic blunders.
He has slept with prostitutes, been caught drink driving, ended up in a hotel room with scantily dressed women, gambled to excess . . . the list goes on.
From the outside, we saw a stupid, privileged footballer misbehaving.
But behind closed doors, Coleen had to watch the man she has been with since she was a teenage girl unravelling in front of her and acting like a fool because he has a problem with drink.
And that is precisely why she stuck by him.
Coleen knew better than anyone that when he wasn’t boozing or hitting the self-destruct button, he was a loving husband.
And he was a caring father to their four young boys. Coleen once said he was the best at bath time and bedtime.
It must have been heartbreaking for her to endure.
Many women in the same mess would have walked for the sake of their own sanity.
But Coleen stood firm, became his backbone and stopped her husband from going the same way as footballers like tragic George Best.
And by being so candid this week, Wayne made it clear that he knows how valuable Coleen is.
He said: “I honestly believe if she weren’t there, I’d be dead.
“I’ve made mistakes in the past which are well documented and whatever, but I’m a little bit different at times and she keeps me on that path and she’s done it for 20-odd years.”
‘Drink for two days’
And he admitted just how bad his binge drinking was, saying: “I remember going into training and putting eye drops in, chewing gum. I just drank for two days straight.
“Go training and at the weekend, I’d scored two goals and then I’d go back and go and drink for two days straight again.”
I dread to think what he was like behind closed doors.
The life of a Wag appears glamorous and carefree — nothing but fancy restaurants and designer shopping sprees.
But they are just human, too.
And any human could have crumbled if they’d put up with what Wayne has done over the years.
There could have been times when Coleen could have walked away. But we love each other.
Wayne Rooney
But Coleen somehow found amazing strength and resilience to actually realise that his stupid actions were the by-product of his booze binges.
She is a stronger woman than most.
She is the kind of woman you want fighting your corner, or as a friend. The kind you’d want your son to marry.
A courageous woman who may be a role model to many young women and girls. Wayne Rooney is one very lucky man to still have her at his side.
And he knows that.
He once admitted: “There could have been times when Coleen could have walked away. But we love each other.”
That is clearer now than ever before.
A BOLD MOVE, MARG
Margot Robbie guaranteed plenty of attention when she shimmied up the red carpet in this backless dress[/caption]
MARGOT Robbie only has herself to blame for her latest film bombing at the box office.
She may have guaranteed plenty of attention when she shimmied up the red carpet in that backless dress at the premiere of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
But she stuffed up all that good publicity by admitting that she had never, ever bothered to sit through the film herself.
And instead of sticking around for the showing at the premiere, she went to Chinatown to do karaoke with her friends instead.
If the leading lady doesn’t think it’s worth watching, it’s not the greatest advert, is it?
HALF BAKED
AS someone that grew up in the North East, going to posh department store Fenwick in Newcastle was always an absolute treat.
We flocked there to admire the Christmas window displays and occasionally, if we had a wedding to go to, got a fancy new posh outfit from there.
Now some idiot has decided that Greggs should have a pop-up pub inside the store.
I am a fan of Greggs – who, after all, doesn’t love a bit of flaky pastry? But designer clothes don’t mix well with half-cut shoppers who have greasy fingers, do they?
GWYN GUCCI OUTFIT COULD SPARK DANNI HORROR SHOW
Danniella Westbrook in Burberry get-up complete with matching baby buggy[/caption]
OH dear. When you see a celebrity in an outfit, you know that there will be people following in her footsteps.
Take Gwyneth Paltrow this week, head-to-toe in a monogrammed Gucci outfit.
She pulled it off because she is a Hollywood A-lister, leggy, willowy and stylish.
But these looks should never be recreated.
Remember Danniella Westbrook, in that Burberry get-up complete with matching baby buggy?
It still sends a shiver down my spine.
JAIL SO CUSHY
OUR prison service is a shambles. But you can’t blame underfunding and overpopulation for some things.
Just TWO months ago Ian Huntley was penalised for wearing a red top similar to the Man U ones worn by little Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman when this evil monster killed them.
But now the taunting killer has got his privileges back and can chill out on his Xbox games console, has extra canteen cash, longer visits and more time in the gym.
What an absolute disgrace.
ACTRESS Emma Watson has just dragged out the world’s smallest violin to explain why she has the inability to stick to speed limits while behind the whee.
Emma Watson has just dragged out the world’s smallest violin[/caption]
The Harry Potter actor moaned that not having been allowed to drive herself to set because “they literally won’t insure you to drive yourself to work” meant she lacked practice which led to her driving ban.
With so many of us working from home there isn’t as much driving to work as there used to be, but the rest of us muggles still manage to have to read a road sign, and a speedometer.
VIOLET MASKS AGONY
I COULDN’T help but feel a tiny bit sorry for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s woke daughter Violet when she delivered a speech at the United Nations wearing goggles and a face mask.
Violet thinks masks must still be worn to stop the spread of Covid, even though we are five years on from the pandemic.
But the 19-year-old activist is one of those kids who grew up in the pandemic and whose anxiety was out of control as their lives were ripped apart at such a crucial time of their young lives.
She has a post-viral condition too so you can imagine how terribly Covid has affected her.
Now when Violet attends family events she is always the only one still wearing a mask.
Which seems tragic to me. Instead of a mask, what this young woman really needs is some love and support.
