The Wagatha Christie trial starts today: here's what you need to know

It's the case that hit the headlines back in 2019 when Coleen Rooney accused fellow 'WAG' Rebekah Vardy of spreading false rumours about her to the tabloids.

Rooney had been convinced that someone was leaking information about her and her family to The Sun. In true millenial style, she decided to do a spot of online detective work and posted some fake stories onto her own Instagram stories as red herrings. These included a story about her being considered for Strictly Come Dancing and going to Mexico to decide the gender of her next child. She restricted who was able to view the stories to narrow down the suspect pool. After some of these stories made it into the papers, Rooney picked up her phone once more to Tweet about her investigation and to reveal who she thought had been leaking the stories.

Rebekah Vardy was quick to deny any involvement, saying that she wasn't the only person with access to her Instagram account. It's said that she actually rang Rooney, who she knew well after their husbands had both played for England in 2016 at the Euros, to talk to her and plead her innocence.

The post and the drama sparked so much chatter on social media and in the papers that it was given the moniker Wagatha Christie.

In June 2020, Vardy made the decision to sue Rooney for libel. This brings us to today's court case, which takes place in the High Court and it's thought that it will last for seven days.

After refusing to settle out of court, both sides seemed determined to prove they were right.

The drama began in earnest at a pre-trial hearing when Vardy's agent Caroline Watt was ordered to give up her phone for forensic examination but admitted that it had fallen into the North Sea when the boat she was on hit rough waters.

According to Jonathan Coad, a media lawyer, who spoke with the BBC, there will most likely be a substantial financial loss for both sides. 'It makes no sense for either of them. Even the winner is going to come out with a massive loss.'

He worked out that legal fees for each will be over £1M and the winner will only manage to claw back around 70% of that. So there will still be fees to be paid afterward the verdict.

As it's Vardy suing Rooney, Rooney will have to prove that Vardy was the one who leaked the information or ordered someone else to do it in order to win the case. If it's revealed that it was someone else, even someone on Vardy's team who acted on their own accord, who gave the fake stories to the paper then Vardy will win.

Expect some serious fashion looks as both arrive in court each day and high drama from the High Court.

To be continued...