Coleen Rooney: We ‘don’t need to prove ourselves’ with new reality series

The former football player and manager, 40, and his wife of 18 years are the focus of the new Disney Plus documentary series The Real Rooneys – which follows the couple during a pivotal year in their lives.

They have opened their home to cameras as they juggle work responsibilities with raising their sons: Kai, 16; Klay, 13; Kit, 10; and Cass, eight.

Speaking to the Press Association at the premiere of the series in London, Coleen 40, said they didn’t see the series as a way to address any misconceptions about them, and instead just show them as everyday people.

“We don’t have to prove ourselves,” she said.

“But what I think is nice is that (the series shows) we are real people.

“I think people looking at people in the public eye think they’re not real and we don’t do things everyone else does, so I think they will get a taste of that on the series.”

Although she said many public figures now shared every aspect of their lives on social media rather than traditional reality TV shows, they embraced the idea of their own show.

“I think the big thing the world has changed and everything gets played out on social media, whether you are in the public eye or not,” she said.

“Time has moved on, but also we had a taste of it after doing our own documentary each and having people in the house and filming, which opened our eyes.”

She added that they were also “at a time in our lives when we are ready to open up that little bit more”.

The Real Rooneys follows the couple over the course of a year while Wayne steps away from football management, swapping the touchline for school runs, while Coleen embraces the biggest opportunities of her career.

Disney has teased: “With unprecedented access, we follow the family through the highs and lows of married life, raising four lively boys, and supporting eldest son Kai as he pursues his own footballing dream.

“Along the way come surprising personal revelations, career-defining moments, lavish celebrations and unforgettable family holidays.

“From their Cheshire home to the beaches of Barbados and the snowy Alps, this is Britain’s most famous and private family as never seen before: warm, funny, and authentic.”

The couple have been married since 2008 after starting a relationship in their teens.

Wayne retired from football in January 2021 at the age of 35 and now works as a TV pundit.

In 2024, Coleen appeared as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here where she finished in second place.

The Real Rooneys is streaming exclusively on Disney+ from September 24.