She was given the nickname Wagatha Christie after her sleuthing skills unmasked fellow Wag Rebekah Vardy for leaking stories about her to a red-top newspaper.
And detective Coleen Rooney delighted the nation again after she worked out two of her I’m A Celebrity campmates, Love Island’s Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles, were lying – resulting in them having to take part in a gruesome eating trial.
But there is one woman who is never surprised by the 39-year-old’s investigation skills – her mother Colette, 61, proudly told MailOnline: ‘She’d figure anything out.’
Colette arrived in Australia with her husband and Coleen’s father, Anthony, as they accompanied Coleen’s youngest sons Kit, eight, and Cass, six, to greet their mother off the Jungle bridge next week.
Her eldest sons Kai, 15, and Klay, 12, chose to remain in the UK with their father Wayne Rooney, 39, who is also staying home thanks to his job as a manager at Plymouth Argyle.
Coleen Rooney’s youngest boys Kit, eight, and Cass, six, have arrived Down Under to greet their mother off the bridge next week with her parents Colette, 61, and Anthony
Still full of energy, Kit and Cass raced off ahead of their grandparents who pushed trolleys ladened with suitcases ahead of their two-week holiday on the Gold Coast, waiting for their only daughter to leave the ITV show
Coleen’s youngest son Cass was carrying a cuddly kangaroo as well as a figure of Wayne in a football kit as he arrived at check-in (pictured at Manchester Airport on Tuesday)
She hid her tears and tried to pretend everything was normal on her four sons’ final school run over two weeks ago, before she left for the I’m A Celebrity jungle
Beaming, the grandmother said: ‘She’s amazing. She’s doing really well. We’re so proud. The kids have been really good, to tell you the truth.
‘If they hadn’t been able to see her, it would’ve been different. One of them’s been really quiet and subdued but not much longer now.’
When Coleen arrived at the same airport just two weeks earlier she told of how she had ‘shed a few tears’ after dropping her four sons at school before leaving for her stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
Laughing, Colette revealed she was ‘glad to see the back of the whiteboard’, which her daughter left behind before her departure which had a strict schedule for the grandmother to follow when it came to caring for her boys.
When asked if Coleen would have been angry if Colette hadn’t adhered to the instructions, the mother-of-three raised her eyebrows and said: ‘Oh, I followed the whiteboard all right.’
In an Instagram video the night before she left, Coleen explained the extreme lengths she had gone to make sure her sons were ok while she was away in the Australian Jungle for three weeks.
Revealing two huge whiteboards in her dining room, Coleen said she had covered them with her children’s schedules ‘on both sides’.
Speaking to the camera, Coleen said: ‘I am really anxious about leaving the kids, that’s my biggest thing, for weeks and months that’s been on my mind.
The four are staying in the five-star Marriott Hotel and will enjoy trips to the beach and days by the pool while Coleen lives off a diet of rice and beans in the Australian jungle
Before boarding the flight, Coleen’s parents said they were ‘very excited’ to see their daughter
Her mother Colette said: ‘We are very proud of her. She is doing very well. We are all very excited to see her’
Asked if she might win the jungle crown, smiling Colette who was dressed in a jungle-esque khaki two-piece outfit but later changed into a striped white and blue jumper when she arrived Down Under, said: ‘She’s got a chance’
Her father Tony added: ‘She’s doing pretty well, we are all very proud of how she’s doing. She’s doing alright and is coming across really well. You never know she might win. We’ve got a long flight now to see her’
‘But I’ve come to terms with it and I’ve planned and prepped, I’ve got an army of people – family and friends – school friends all helping out with the kids. They are going to be fine, they’ll probably have a great time.
‘I’ve prepped as you can see, behind me, that is literally the front and back four weeks of timetables, football runs, parties and everything.’
Her four sons, who she shares with the former England Football captain Wayne Rooney, have been cheering their mother on from the family’s £20million Cheshire mansion and voting her in for trials.
After Coleen’s trial in which she won nine out of the 12 stars as she lay in a hole with rats while covered in critters, the boys made a sweet tribute to their mother’s success – posing in front of the Christmas tree with their stars.
But Coleen’s best moment was when she figured out Maura Higgins and Rev Coles had been living in a separate luxurious camp, Jungle Junkyard, with a bed and even a bubble bath.
Their secret mission was to convince the other campmates they were living in terrible conditions.
If they successfully duped them, the 10 starving campmates – as well as both of them – would receive a jungle buffet including burgers, hotdogs and chips.
But while the first six portions had been secured, the 38-year-old wife of Wayne Rooney smelled a rat and discovered her fellow campmates were being hoodwinked by Ms Higgins and Rev Coles. That meant they had to go into battle to win the remaining feasts – with them successfully atoning for their sins.
A starving but victorious Mrs Rooney beamed open-mouthed as she ran through the Australian jungle after the trial, rewarded with a tray with six hot dogs laden with chicken nuggets.
Her eldest sons Kai, 15, and Klay, 12, chose to remain in the UK after their mother insisted they would have to bring their school work on the trip to Australia’s Gold Coast and to attend their football tournaments
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney, 39, is staying home thanks to his job as a manager at Plymouth Argyle, the boys made sure they took a reminder of their dad with them as they also had action figures of him playing football packed in their suitcases
I’m A Celebrity viewers were delighted when she was the only campmate on Friday night’s episode to sniff out Ms Higgins and Rev Coles’ lies.
After speaking to the pair, Mrs Rooney sensed something wasn’t right. She returned to the main camp and after sharing her suspicions, the pair were rumbled.
The mother-of-four said: ‘They’re not telling us the truth. I came out of there, not convinced they were living in those conditions. They looked a lot better than when I saw them yesterday.’
The other campmates heaped praise on Mrs Rooney for solving the mystery. N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos said: ‘If Wagatha Christie smells something fishy, then I believe it.’ Social media star, GK Barry, added: ‘That Coleen realised they were lying is even funnier – she should be a spy.’
Mrs Rooney set up an ingenious trap on Instagram five years ago to catch Mrs Vardy, who was leaking stories about her family to the tabloids. She then publicly outed the 42-year-old as a social media ‘mole’ by explaining: ‘It’s… Rebekah Vardy.’
In what has now been dubbed the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial, the wife of the Leicester City striker, Jamie Vardy, unsuccessfully sued Mrs Rooney for libel in a High Court battle in 2022.
I’M A CELEBRITY 2024: MEET THE ALL STAR LINE UP
OTI MABUSE
Oti Mabuse has already two Strictly glitterballs under her belt
AGE: 34
OCCUPATION: Professional dancer
FAMOUS FOR: Oti is best known for being a professional dancer on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2019 and 2020.
DANNY JONES
Danny Jones is one of the bookies’ favourites to win this year’s I’m A Celeb
AGE: 38
OCCUPATION: McFly singer
FAMOUS FOR: Danny is one of the lead vocalists and the lead guitarist for pop-rock band McFly.
He is also a coach on The Voice UK.
BARRY MCGUIGAN
Former boxer Barry McGuigan is heading into the jungle
AGE: 63
OCCUPATION: Retired professional boxer
FAMOUS FOR: Barry was nicknamed The Clones Cyclone and held the WBA and lineal featherweight titles from 1985 to 1986.
GK BARRY
GK Barry is a TikTok star who recently joined the ITV family on Loose Women
AGE: 25
OCCUPATION: TikTok star
FAMOUS FOR: Grace is known for her comedic commentary on culture, lifestyle, and fashion. She has over 3.6 million followers and recently joined the Loose Women panel.
DEAN MCCULLOUGH
ITV bosses are hoping Dean McCullough will ruffle feathers in the camp
AGE: 32
OCCUPATION: Radio 1 DJ
FAMOUS FOR: Radio 1 DJ Dean has been signed by I’m A Celeb bosses, in the hope that he will ruffle feathers with his outspoken views.
Earlier this year it was announced Dean would be taking over the BBC Radio 1 Early Breakfast Show, after previously fronting the afternoon slot.
JANE MOORE
Jane is best known as a panellist and anchor of Loose Women
AGE: 62
OCCUPATION: Journalist
FAMOUS FOR: Jane is best known as a panellist and anchor of Loose Women between 1999 and 2002.
She returned as a regular panellist from 2013 onwards.
Jane takes on the challenge following her high-profile split from husband of 20 years, Showbiz agent, Gary Farrow.
MELVIN ODOOM
Melvin was previously courted by I’m A Celeb bosses back in 2021
AGE: 44
OCCUPATION: DJ and TV presenter
FAMOUS FOR: His work on radio. Melvin was previously courted by I’m A Celeb bosses back in 2021, but turned down the offer at the last minute.
He also had a primetime stint on Strictly back in 2016.
COLEEN ROONEY
Reports claim that she has been offered the biggest deal in the show’s history
AGE: 38
OCCUPATION: WAG
FAMOUS FOR: Wagatha Christie case against arch rival Rebekah Vardy.
Reports claim that she has been offered the biggest deal in the show’s history, exceeding Nigel Farage’s £1.5million from last year.
ALAN HALSALL
Alan Halsall is best known for his role as Tyrone Dobbs on Coronation Street
AGE: 42
OCCUPATION: Actor
FAMOUS FOR: Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall was forced to withdraw from I’m A Celeb last year, after undergoing ACL Reconstruction surgery.
Bosses have now convinced the actor to sign up again, and no doubt he will draw in a huge fanbase thanks to his long-running role as Tyrone Dobbs on the soap.
TULISA
Tulisa is making her career comeback after reuniting with N-Dubz last year
AGE: 36
OCCUPATION: Singer and former X Factor judge
FAMOUS FOR: Tulisa reunited with N-Dubz last year for a tour after first finding fame with the band in 2007.
In 2011, she became a judge on The X Factor and went on to launch her debut solo album, The Female Boss.
She released her fourth album with N-Dubz last year.
REVEREND RICHARD COLES
Richard is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest
AGE: 62
OCCUPATION: Writer, broadcaster and priest
FAMOUS FOR: Richard is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest.
He first came to prominence as the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band the Communards.
MAURA HIGGINS
Maura is best known for her stint on Love Island UK in 2019
AGE: 33
OCCUPATION: TV Personality
FAMOUS FOR: Maura is an Irish television personality, television presenter and model.
She rose to prominence in 2019, when she was a finalist on the fifth series of ITV2 reality series Love Island.