A leading psychologist has issued a stark warning that Wayne and Coleen Rooney could be jeopardising the stability of their long-term marriage by inviting television cameras into their private world for a major new documentary series.
The Reality TV Pressure Cooker
The couple are set to star in a 10-part Disney+ docu-series, currently under the working title The Rooneys. The show promises to reveal the pair "like we’ve never seen them before", following Coleen's entrepreneurial ventures and Wayne's life after football. However, TV psychologist Emma Kenny cautions that the intense scrutiny could pile unbearable pressure on their 23-year relationship, which has already weathered numerous storms, including Wayne's past infidelity with sex workers.
"So many celebrity couples break up after being on reality TV because the show doesn’t just reflect the relationship, it reshapes it," Kenny states. "Coleen and Wayne must remember that a TV show is only temporary – but the emotional consequences can be permanent." She describes the reality TV environment as a "pressure cooker" few relationships are built to withstand, stripping away privacy and replacing it with constant surveillance and public judgement.
Coleen's Drive for Authenticity
According to a source close to the production, the series is largely the brainchild of Coleen, 39. Following the success of her Disney+ documentary Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story and her 2024 appearance on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, she is keen to forge a career beyond being labelled a footballer's wife. "This is all about her and she’s kind of proving a point. She’s sick of people saying that she’s a footballer’s wife," the source reveals.
Insiders claim the Rooneys are approaching the project with surprising openness, in contrast to the heavily curated Netflix documentary by Victoria Beckham, which some critics called "polished and controlled". "Coleen’s not going to do the big editing that Victoria Beckham did... Coleen wants it to be more real, and not so edited," the source adds.
The Risks of Public Exposure
Despite the couple's current confidence, Emma Kenny outlines significant dangers. She warns that producers are incentivised to expose fault lines, turning private moments that would normally be resolved quietly into public content. "Power dynamics shift when one partner is portrayed more favourably than the other, or when public sympathy lands unevenly," she explains. "Shame, humiliation and perceived betrayal can take root, particularly if one partner feels exposed or undermined for entertainment."
Kenny emphasises that once trust is damaged so publicly, it becomes incredibly hard to rebuild privately, especially with ongoing media commentary. She advises the couple, who are parents to four sons – Kai, 16, Klay, 12, Kit, nine, and Cass, seven – to establish firm ground rules. "They need to be aligned before stepping into any reality format about what is off limits... Reality TV thrives on division – couples survive by choosing solidarity instead."
However, the source suggests the filming process, already well underway, is currently having a positive effect. "Coleen has never been happier with Wayne, and it’s made Wayne look at her in a new light... He realises how lucky he is to have her, so their relationship is in a really good place." The series is scheduled to debut in early 2026, with Disney confident of a large audience eager for an intimate look at one of Britain's most famous couples.
