Wagatha Christie drama: Vardy v Rooney cast with Natalia Tena and Chanel Cresswell, release date, and trailer

Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, a television adaptation of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ court transcripts, is coming to Channel 4 later this year.

The series, which stars Natalia Tena as Rebekah Vardy and Chanel Cresswell as Colleen Rooney, charts one of the more high-profile celebrity court cases of recent years.

Here’s everything you need to know about Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama.

What is it about?

So, to recap: in 2019, Colleen Rooney publicly accused Rebekah Vardy of selling her personal information to The Sun newspaper, revealing that over recent months she’d planted false information on her private Instagram to try and work out who was responsible.

Vardy for her part denied this, and a defamation case was brought to the High Court – Vardy often proved somewhat unprepared (at one stage “accidentally” losing her phone at sea so she wouldn’t have to submit it for evidence) and the case itself was subject of much scrutiny and much mockery.

The official Channel 4 synopsis reveals that the series “recreates the high drama, high stakes High Court defamation case that followed, a case that had a huge impact on the lives of the two women at its heart and catapulted 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.”

Who stars in Vardy v Rooney?

Natalia Tena plays Rebekah Vardy, accused of selling secrets to The Sun. You might know Tena from Harry Potter, where she played Tonks, or from Game of Thrones, where she played the wildling Osha.

Chanel Cresswell plays Colleen Rooney, who investigated which of her private circle might be betraying her. Cresswell is best known for appearing in Shane Meadows’ This is England, though you might also recognise her from Trollied.

Michael Sheen plays David Sherborne, Coleen Rooney’s high profile barrister. It’s the latest in a long line of factual dramas for Sheen, who’s previously played Tony Blair, Chris Tarrant, and David Frost. You might also recognise him from Good Omens, Staged, or the Twilight Saga.

Simon Coury plays Rebekah’s barrister, Hugh Tomlinson. Coury is best known for playing Sir Charles Troup in 2019 film The Professor and the Madman, though more recently he’s also appeared in the Channel 5 true crime drama Maxine.

They’re joined by Dion Lloyd (The Light in the Hall) as Wayne Rooney and Márton Nagyszokolyai (Shadow and Bone) as Jamie Vardy.

Who writes and directs Vardy v Rooney?

Oonagh Kearney (Five Letters) directs, while Chris Atkins (Who Killed the KLF) has written the script.

Is there a trailer for Vardy v Rooney?

Yes, there is! Dion Lloyd, who’s playing Wayne Rooney, shared the trailer on twitter - you can watch it below.

When and how can I watch Vardy v Rooney?

Vardy v Rooney is set to air on Channel 4 across two consecutive nights. The first episode will air at 9pm on Wednesday 21 December, with the second episode airing at the same time on Thursday 22 December.

You’ll also be able to catch Vardy v Rooney online on All4.

How many episodes is Vardy v Rooney?

Vardy v Rooney is a two-part drama, with each episode around 45 minutes.

Are there any other upcoming Wagatha Christie dramas or docs?

So far, Vardy v Rooney is the only currently confirmed dramatization – the first of many, surely, but still for the moment the only – but it will be joined by a Disney+ documentary.

The Disney+ documentary is still currently undated, but they have revealed that it’ll include extensive interviews with and testimony from Colleen Rooney.

Why should I watch Vardy v Rooney?

Might be fun? And, you know, who doesn’t love a “Michael Sheen plays a real person” drama, they’re usually reasonably solid.