Controversial WAG top of ITV wish list for Celebrity Big Brother with bosses hoping she’ll stir things up in the house
REBEKAH Vardy could be about to get some help paying those legal fees as Celebrity Big Brother bosses want to sign her up.
I can reveal the Wag is top of the revamped show’s wish list for when it returns next year.
Show chiefs hope she will dish some dirt on her Wagatha Christie libel trial with rival Coleen Rooney as well as stir things up in the house.
A TV insider says: “Rebekah is the show’s No1 target, there’s no getting away from it.
“Bosses know she’ll be perfect fodder for the show and that she won’t hold back on saying what she thinks.
“They also hope she won’t be slow coming forward on saying how she feels about Coleen and husband Wayne.
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“She will be TV gold”.
ITV appreciates it will have to dig deep to secure her signing.
And given how much she likes her expensive foreign holidays, on top of paying her huge legal bills for the Wagatha trial, she will be seriously tempted by the offer — as long as it’s a big one.
Rebekah is no stranger to reality TV having previously featured in the 2017 series of I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! and Dancing On Ice in 2021.
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She’s also appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside her husband, Leicester City striker Jamie.
ITV confirmed Celebrity Big Brother’s comeback last week, stating that the series will be aired on its main channel, as well as streaming service ITVX.
It follows the success of the civilian version, which returned in the autumn and saw 3.6million viewers tune in across all the broad-caster’s networks for its launch.
Fair share of Wags
The star-studded version is likely to top that, as the show’s fans have been longing for Celebrity Big Brother’s return since it last aired on Channel 5 in 2018.
The legendary show has featured its fair share of Wags — including Nicola McLean, Danielle Lloyd and former Page 3 girl Nicola Tappenden — in its previous incarnations.
But none of their show fees will get close to what Rebekah could be potentially taking home.
Jamie’s wallet will be relieved.
ANDY TO SERVE… DINNER
ANDY Murray’s Christmas turkeys are now on par with his forehand volleys after having a cooking lesson off Mary Berry.
The former Wimbledon champion is one of the star guests to feature on her BBC1 festive special.
She’ll be travelling to her mother’s homeland north of the border for Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas, where she’ll also meet famous Scots singer Emeli Sande and Love Island narrator Iain Stirling.
But it was tennis legend Andy who was most in awe of Mary, comparing the pressures of cooking alongside her to playing for a match point at Wimbledon.
He said: “Was I nervous about having a cookery lesson with Mary Berry? I’d say it was right up there with receiving serve at match point on Centre Court.
“But actually she made me feel really relaxed and I think we managed to pull off something pretty good in the kitchen at Cromlix.”
Comedian Iain added: “Not many people can say they celebrated Christmas by making a cheese fondue with Dame Mary Berry on a reindeer farm, but I am lucky enough to be able to say exactly that.”
Mark sounds like his type on paper.
KARREN Brady discussed becoming a grandmother while on Loose Women today after daughter Sophia revealed she is expecting a baby earlier this month.
The Apprentice star said: “Grandmas should be an important influence as they have done everything and only want the best for you.”
STARS NOT SURVIVORS SAYS JOEL
CELEBRITY Big Brother may be coming back, but a star-studded version of Survivor is unlikely to follow.
That’s the verdict of the show’s host Joel Dommett who believes famous faces simply won’t be able to hack it and would always favour rival show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here for an easier ride.
He says: “There’s things that celebs wouldn’t do, celebs would just throw all their toys out the pram on our show.
“That’s why I’m A Celebrity’s so great, it’s literally a thing where you give them an out, you go, ‘you can leave this if you want’.
“Say ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’, and you can get out of this.
“Whereas Survivor isn’t that. There’s no way out.
The only way out is to be voted off. It’s more brutal.”
He’s not wrong.
ED BAWLS
THE usually jaunty Ed Balls was left choked and teary as he interviewed Gareth Gates on Good Morning Britain today.
While discussing the pop star’s victory on Channel 4’s SAS Who Dares Wins, Ed admitted to Gareth that his openness about having stammer had helped him be honest about his own speech impediment.
Sitting with co-host Susanna Reid, Ed’s chin wobbled and his eyes welled up as he told Gareth: “You inspired me too – I thought if Gareth Gates can do this, I can too.
“If he can be public, I can be public too. It was really hard but I did it because you showed me how to do it.”
The Pop Idol star and former politician then had a spontaneous hug in the middle of the studio.
That’s got to go down as the most unpredictable bromance of the year, surely?
DAVINA’S HARSH REALITY
DAVINA MCCALL has launched the careers of countless reality stars as the original host of Big Brother.
But she admits it’s tough for the former housemates to nail down longevity in showbiz, purely because they struggle to be taken seriously.
Especially stars who appeared in the reality show after its golden era, when winners included Brian Belo and Craig Phillips, the first ever Big Brother champ.
Speaking to the RSHLP podcast, she explains: “Brian’s still working, but it is very hard to be taken seriously as a reality star.
“Craig got a job, but they’re all early adopters of Big Brother, I think later on it is really, really difficult.”
That won’t stop most of them trying, mind.
BBC ONE’s runaway hit The Traitors, where contestants conspire against each other, is bringing out its own card game for Christmas.
Players will secretly take on the role of a Faithful or Traitor while working together to build up a central pot of gold.
Handy stocking filler.
DOPEY CHOICES BY BBC
WE’VE had the Derry Girls, now it’s time for the Dope Girls.
The BBC have revealed the cast for the major new drama, which was announced in March.
The six-parter is based on the female gangs who ran the streets of London’s Soho in the wake of World War One.
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They owned the nightclubs and pushed drugs and moonshine “in a time history forgot”.
Mare of Easttown’s Julianne Nicholson, The Power’s Eilidh Fisher and Eliza Scanlen, star of Little Women, are among the cast for the six-parter, which will be directed by Shannon Murphy who previously worked on Killing Eve.