How the Golden Era footy WAGs made their fortunes – turning scandals into profit and the ‘get money and go’ tactic
THE year is 2006 and England has just sent a Golden Generation of footballers to the World Cup in Germany.
But the nation’s focus soon shifted to their wives and girlfriends when - for the first time - the players' partners joined them en masse.
These weren’t just any wives and girlfriends, though.
They were models, pop stars and socialites known for downing champagne, dancing on tables and spending tens of thousands in a single shopping trip.
These women - Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole, Abbey Clancy, Coleen Rooney and Alex Gerrard - were becoming a golden generation of their own.
At the time, 20-year-old Abbey was the least famous of them all, but she soon became pals with Steven Gerrard’s fiance Alex Curran.
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She already knew Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen from childhood.
Posh Spice herself and nation’s sweetheart Cheryl reportedly took Peter Crouch’s new girlfriend under their wing.
Nearly two decades later, some of these women have built empires of their own and utilised their WAG status for success.
Fabulous takes a look at how these “Golden Era” wives and girlfriends have “piggybacked” off their other halves' success, turned cheating scandals into profit and carved careers of their own…
Abbey Clancy - Podcast Extraordinaire
Only one name stands out on the list of girls from Britain’s Next Top Model in 2006 – and it isn’t the winner.
Runner-up Abbey Clancy, 38, has proved to be the talent contest’s true champ with an estimated £2.6 million net worth.
The scouser turned to modelling after a failed pop career in the musical trio Genie Queen.
She has graced the covers of men’s mags FHM and Sports Illustrated, modelled for the likes of Victoria’s Secret and released clothing ranges with Tesco.
But Abbey’s real money-maker is her venture into podcasts, which kicked off in January last year.
The mum-of-four has leveraged her husband and ex-England ace Peter Crouch’s success in the industry to carve a career of her own.
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From high profile court cases to "deadly alliances", here we take a closer look at some of the biggest spats between England's WAGs...
Lauryn Goodman has two love children with Kyle Walker... while he's married to Annie Kilner
The dad-of-six welcomed his two children with Lauryn behind wife Annie Kilner's back.
The two women have come to blows repeatedly on social media, with Lauryn even referring to Annie as a dog who needs to have a "muzzle" put on her.
'Doormat' jibe
Last year, after Man City ace Kyle Walker drunkenly flashed two women in a bar, a feud erupted between Rebekah Vardy and Annie Kilner.
Rebekah hit out at Annie in an Instagram post, where she called her a "doormat" and accused her of "playing the victim."
Wagatha Christie
After years of allegations and arguments, Jamie Vardy's wife tried and failed to sue Coleen for libel over "untrue and unjustified accusations" that she leaked false stories to the press.
The saga all kicked off after Coleen turned detective to see who was spying on her private Instagram stories and selling the intel, before publicly announcing: "It's... Rebekah Vardy's account."
A very Posh snub
Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole were close friends when they were both WAGs.
But when Cheryl suffered a public heartache in 2008 after her husband Ashley Cole was exposed for cheating, she claimed Victoria's support was nowhere to be seen.
WAG on a mission
They used to be pals, but Nicola McLean and Danielle Lloyd sensationally fell out.
It came after Nicola accused her former friend of only marrying footballer Jamie O'Hara because she wanted to be a WAG.
Peter, 43, started football show That Peter Crouch Podcast in 2018 and after bumper success, started a second show with Abbey in January 2023.
The WAG faced criticism for “piggybacking” off her husband’s post-football career when The Therapy Crouch kicked off.
But she has since squashed criticism and proved critics wrong after going it alone on her second podcast, Exhibit A, in April this year.
The series has seen the likes of Kerry Katona spill all, delved into the “truth about the pill”and received bumper reviews after speaking to the UK’s top “sex doctor” in July.
Abbey’s move into podcasting has allowed her to diversify her career and extend her reach beyond modelling. Her earnings could increase significantly
Ed Hopkins
“Abbey’s move into podcasting has allowed her to diversify her career and extend her reach beyond modelling,” celebrity PR expert Ed Hopkins comments.
“By stepping into the podcast industry, she has tapped into a growing market where she can connect more intimately with her audience.
“This shift has also allowed her to showcase her personality and views, which might not have been as visible in her modelling career.”
He said that it is unlikely “that Abbey is making as much money as Peter” from podcasts, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t making a mint of her own.
It was previously estimated by culture and brand expert Nick Ede that she might be raking in around £10,000 per episode - and that was just through The Therapy Crouch.
Her firm, Abigail Marie Clancy, had cash reserves of more than £152,000 last time accounts were filed.
Ed adds: “Abbey is still relatively new to the space.
"But with her growing audience and the right sponsorships, her earnings could increase significantly.”
Coleen Rooney - Turning Scandals into Profit
Coleen and Wayne Rooney, both 38, are childhood sweethearts who have been publicly defending their marriage for decades due to constant cheating allegations.
In 2004, the Sunday Mirror reported a teenage Rooney had paid £140 for sex with prostitute and gave her his autograph as a “souvenir”.
A month later, he was said to have slept with Gina McCarrick, then 37, at a £45-a-go brothel in Liverpool.
The football star visited the brothel 10 times, and was caught on CCTV.
Coleen’s decision to discuss Wayne’s infidelities in the documentary was a calculated move
Ed Hopkins
This didn’t stop Coleen rocking up to the 2006 World Cup with her head held high to cement herself as a Golden Era WAG.
But despite the scandals, Coleen has kept her image clean, venturing into workout DVDs, books and perfume deals.
More recently though, she’s been brave enough to discuss the scandals that have plagued her marriage - and she hasn’t done it for free.
Coleen's openness has attracted new opportunities and boosted her brand, leading to more media appearances, sponsorships and product sales - ultimately increasing her net worth.
Ed Hopkins
The mum-of-four discussed her husband’s infidelity on her family’s Amazon Prime documentary, ROONEY - something which bumped her net worth up to an estimated £14.6 million.
“Coleen’s decision to discuss Wayne’s infidelities in the documentary was a smart move,” Ed comments.
“It not only brought closure to her personal narrative, but also heightened public interest in her story.
“By addressing these issues publicly, she demonstrated vulnerability and strength, which likely increased her appeal and relatability.
“This openness has attracted new opportunities and boosted her brand, leading to more media appearances, sponsorships and product sales - ultimately increasing her net worth.”
Among the opportunities it opened were a second documentary with Disney about Coleen’s epic “Wagatha Christie” court battle against Rebekah Vardy.
This reportedly meant Coleen earned DOUBLE what ex-England ace Wayne did in 2023.
During the year, she had a bumper 12 months with her firm CWR 2021 Ltd totting up an eye-watering £534,468 in profit - compared to £117,790 the previous year.
Victoria Beckham - Entrepreneurial Spirit
During the Golden WAG era, Victoria Beckham was the most famous of them all.
She was dubbed Queen Victoria of the tournament and reportedly took 60 pairs of sunglasses with her to Germany.
A year later, Posh reprised her role in the Spice Girls - embarking on a reunion tour with the rest of the squad.
She then launched her own fashion label in 2008 and is now best known for her work as a designer.
And while she was a celebrity in her own right before shacking up with England star boy David, being a WAG has been invaluable to Victoria’s post-pop career, says Ed.
Posh and Becks have been married for over two decades and have a combined net worth of £455 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2024.
“Victoria’s success as an entrepreneur is closely tied to her status as a WAG, but it’s not solely because of it,” Ed explains.
“Her fame as Posh Spice in the Spice Girls established her as a global celebrity, and marrying David Beckham certainly amplified her profile.
Marrying David Beckham certainly amplified her profile. Victoria’s success as an entrepreneur is closely tied to her status as a WAG, but it’s not solely because of it
Ed Hopkins
“However, her transition into fashion and business was driven by her personal ambition and vision.
“While being a WAG provided her with a platform, her success in business is a result of her hard work, creativity, and business acumen.”
Among Victoria’s impressive business portfolio is a fashion line, a beauty brand and a leather goods range.
Last year, her luxury clothing brand made a profit for the first time since its launch 15 years ago.
Alex Gerrard - Get the Money and Go
Then a mum-of-two, Alex Gerrard - wife of Steven Gerrard - left the 2006 World Cup with a £25,231 hotel bill which reportedly included 60 bottles of pink champagne at £75 a pop.
The pair married in 2007 and went on to have two more children together.
At the time, Alex capitalised on her newfound fame.
In October 2007, she launched her own fragrance - named Alex - which was one of the top sellers of the year.
Moving to Bahrain for a quieter life suggests that Alex values her privacy and family’s well-being over the trappings of fame, which is a stark contrast to the more public lives led by other WAGs of her era
Ed Hopkins
She also began writing a weekly column for the Daily Mirror, titled Go Shopping With Alex Curran in 2008, and wrote a weekly column for OK Magazine from 2009 until 2013.
By 2010, she branched into fashion and launched a collection with Forever Unique, followed by her becoming the face of Lipsy’s VIP Collection 2013.
But these days, Alex keeps a low profile. She lives in a £10,000- a-month mansion on a private estate with Royal neighbours, boutiques and fancy restaurants in Bahrain, a country situated between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
“Her earlier ventures, particularly in beauty and media, were successful,” Ed comments.
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“But unlike some of her contemporaries, she chose not to maintain a public persona.
“Moving to Bahrain for a quieter life suggests that she values her privacy and family’s well-being over the trappings of fame, which is a stark contrast to the more public lives led by other WAGs of her era.”