ITV will have to licence the Wagatha Christie trademark from Rebekah Vardy to use it during Coleen Rooney’s upcoming appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here
ITV could have to pay Rebekah Vardy for Coleen Rooney’s appearance in the jungle.
The broadcasters will have to licence the trademark “Wagatha Christie” for use on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, as Rebekah, 42, owns the rights to it.
Now, sources say she should be due a bumper pay packet thanks to her nemesis Coleen – while the pair are still involved in an ongoing court battle over legal fees for their 2022 libel dispute.
Rebekah has been ordered to pay 90% of Coleen’s legal fees, but they now stand at £1.8million, which Rebekah is looking to reduce. A source said: “It’s quite funny that Coleen’s involvement is likely to be a money-spinner for Rebekah, given everything that’s gone on.
“Her Wagatha Christie trademark specifically covers broadcast, and the phrase is likely to be used throughout the series and for promo for it – there will surely be some brilliant themed Bushtucker trials. Of course they could refuse to use it altogether, but bosses are likely to want to have some fun with it.”
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Some use of the phrase will be covered by fair dealing, but commercial activity is likely to require a licence from the broadcaster which could run into the thousands, depending on its use.
Last year, Rebekah, who is married to Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, was successful in trademarking the term under several areas, including Class 38 which covers broadcast.
A source said: “Rebekah has never capitalised on her trademark, she only did it to stop anyone else profiting from it – but it could earn her a nice little sum anyway.”
Rebekah Vardy appeared in I’m A Celeb in 2017 (
Image:
PA)
The phrase was coined by an online comedian, who joked that Coleen, wife of former Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney, had played detective as if she was in an Agatha Christie novel.
The London Entertainment Inc Ltd tradmarked it on Rebekah’s behalf. In 2019, Coleen, 38, said she had suspected that one of her Instagram followers was leaking stories from her private page to the press.
She posted a now famous message claiming she had blocked everyone from viewing her Instagram Stories except one account – Rebekah Vardy ’s – and posted a series of false events which she said were then leaked.
During the 2022 trial, Mrs Justice Steyn found Coleen’s post was “substantially true” and ordered Rebekah to pay 90% of her costs.
Lawyers for Rebekah told a court that the £1,833,906.89 bill included costs for a lawyer staying at London’s Nobu Hotel as well as dinner, drinks and minibar charges.
They said there was “a ‘kitchen sink’ approach” to the calculations, which included £120,000 of costs to which Coleen “had no entitlement”. The court heard her barrister David Sherborne charged £497,850.
Last week, costs judge Andrew Gordon-Sake said there had been no misconduct from Coleen’s team. A line-by-line assessment of the costs is due later, and is likely to take place next year.
Coleen is in advanced talks with ITV to appear in the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, which would see her fly to Australia next month.
Rebekah appeared on the series in 2017.
Other stars set to appear include former Rangers star Ally McCoist and Strictly Come Dancing winner Oti Mabuse.
