New Wagatha anguish for Becky Vardy as key witness is offered big money TV deals to spill beans
REBEKAH Vardy’s agent is in talks to spill the beans for a bombshell TV documentary.
Caroline Watt, 40, did not give evidence in the Wagatha Christie libel battle with Coleen Rooney.
A source said: “She knows what really happened.”
Caroline is being wooed by three streaming TV giants to give her version of events for the first time.
During Becky’s blockbuster court battle with Coleen Rooney, Miss Watt withdrew her witness statement at the 11th hour and blocked approaches from lawyers, claiming her mental health had deteriorated
The former air stewardess was ridiculed after it emerged her phone fell into the sea days after a judge ordered her to hand it over.
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Miss Watt, accused at the High Court of deliberately destroying evidence, has now been offered £300,000 to open up in an explosive one-off telly documentary.
Negotiations with Discovery, Netflix and Apple are said to be “ongoing”.
A source said: “Caroline was at the very heart of this case.
“Anything she says would be explosive and potentially very damaging for both Becky and Coleen.
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“Caroline’s mental health was hit hard by the stress of the court case.
“She never courted fame and was behind the scenes for a reason.
“To find herself at the centre of the case, the subject of ridicule and criticism, was extremely difficult to take.
“She knows what really happened and is mulling over the various approaches.
“This could provide her with the opportunity to set the record straight once and for all.”
The source said Miss Watt remains “fragile” after last month’s stinging judgement handed victory to Coleen.
Friends and family have all advised her against giving an interview for the time being.
Another source added: “Becky believes Caroline has a lot of respect for her and would never want to hurt her.”
However producers are determined to secure her involvement after Coleen, 36, signed a multi million-pound deal with Disney+ that will see her out-earn football manager husband Wayne.
Meanwhile, Becky, 40, wife of Leicester City striker Jamie, is also being targeted by TV companies.
Mum-of-four Coleen was famously dubbed Wagatha Christie in 2019 after turning detective to find out who was leaking stories about her.
The bombshell line “It’s . . . Rebekah Vardy’s account” ensured her post went viral, and left then- pregnant Becky humiliated.
Miss Watt agreed to give evidence on behalf of her furious pal, who denied any wrongdoing and sought “substantial” libel damages.
But she backed out weeks before the trial was due to begin in May, citing her deteriorating mental health.
She withdrew her witness statement, refused to testify and ceased all contact with lawyers for either side.
‘ENTIRELY DISINTEGRATED’
It followed a boat trip off the coast of Scotland days after a judge ordered her to hand her phone over for forensic examination.
She claimed she was taking a picture when it fell from her grasp into the North Sea.
In court Coleen’s lawyer David Sherborne accused Miss Watt of deliberately destroying evidence.
On the eve of the trial, Becky was forced to accept it was “likely” her friend and former agent was the source of the leaks.
Mr Sherborne said: “Her case has shrunk to almost nothing, if not entirely disintegrated.
“And we have the absence of the central figure — Caroline Watt, the claimant’s close friend, agent, conduit. Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.”
In her 76-page judgment, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled Becky and Miss Watt leaked information about Coleen for at least two years.
She said they “deliberately deleted or destroyed evidence” to cover their tracks.
The judge continued: “I am compelled to the conclusion that the primary reason Ms Watt was so very reluctant to give evidence, and has suffered adversely from the pressure to do so, was that she knew that to a large extent the evidence in her statements was untrue.”
She added: “I also draw the inference that Ms Vardy chose not to call Ms Watt because she knew that when tested in cross-examination her evidence would be shown to be untrue, and it would have been highly likely to have undermined the claimant’s case.”
Becky’s libel defeat was branded a disaster by legal experts after she turned down three offers to settle out of court.
However the mum of five maintains her innocence and insisted she would go to court again, in an interview with The Sun this month.
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She said: “I was accused of something I didn’t do and I felt really strongly about it. I still do now.
“I would do it all again tomorrow if I had to, because I’m innocent. I have no regrets.”
5 UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
- WHY might you be prepared to talk now — to the TV cameras — but were not willing to give evidence in court during the libel trial?
- DO you accept it is somewhat fishy your phone ended up at the bottom of the North Sea after a judge ordered you to hand it over?
- CAN you explain your relationship with Becky, did you leak information and, if so, was it done with her knowledge and approval?
- BECKY threw you under the bus, according to lawyer David Sherborne. What’s your relationship like now and do you agree with him?
- DO you regret messages in which you and Becky called Coleen a c*** deserving everything she gets, and appear to discuss leaks?
