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As the ‘Wagatha Christie’ saga rumbles between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, the High Court has heard how Jamie Vardy’s wife worked with the paparazzi behind the backs of fellow WAGs in Russia in 2018

Explosive WhatsApp messages reveal how Rebekah Vardy helped stage a paparazzi group photo of her fellow WAGS at the World Cup behind their backs.

The star previously claimed a photo of her and her fellow wives and girlfriends at the 2018 tournament in Russia had nothing to do with her.

But the messages between Vardy and his agent Caroline Watt on the day in question were handed over to Coleen’s legal team as part of their High Court battle.

They are part of a signed witness statement filed in the High Court on behalf of Coleen’s solicitor Paul Lunt.

The flurry of messages was exchanged between Vardy and his agent Watt during a day out in St Petersburg on June 26, 2018.

Vardy was in Russian Town with Millie Savage, Gemma Acton, Megan Davison, Annabel Peyton, Fern Hawkins, Shannon Horlock, Annie Kilner and Lucia Loi

They were partners at the time of John Stones, Gary Cahill, Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, Harry Maguire, Nick Pope, Kyle Walker and Marcus Rashford.

The trip to the restaurant took place two days before England’s first round game against Belgium.

At 2:37 p.m. Vardy messaged his agent: “We may have to walk to the restaurant from the hotel now… so this might be a good photo of us walking, it’s about 10/15 mins. “

Watt replied: “Okay I’ll let them know thanks”

At 4:12 p.m., Vardy sends a message: “Going down to the restaurant car… He is doing two races”.

Five minutes later, Watt replies, “Okay. Hope he catches you all!” Don’t forget to take a group photo”

Vardy then says: “If he is there he is hiding in bushes or behind trees lol”

Half an hour later, however, Vardy says she fears the other women will think she tipped off the photographer after spotting him outside the restaurant.

“F*** I got everyone out for a pic and the dad was there…Looks like I tipped him off now,” Vardy says

She says her fellow WAGS want her to put her own photo of the girls on her own Instagram.

“The girls asked me to put it on insta so get them out quick…they want me to put it on before dad puts his! I bought about 10 minutes.

Posting a group photo on one of WAGS’ Instagrams would render the paparazzi photo virtually worthless, as it is freely available to the media.

Watt replies a few moments later: “Okay that’s fine… 10 minutes won’t be long enough… I called the office and told them but they won’t be out in 10 minutes because he has to email them and then they have to be put it on the system… Try telling them if you put it on insta now the place will be crawling with paps and you’ll post it when you leave… They said the only good pic he has was that of group one on the steps and he sends it to be uploaded”

At 4:55 p.m., Watt asks Vardy to identify even the list of women.

She says, “They want me to try and identify all the girls I only know a few of”

To which Vardy replies: “Fern, Millie, Gemma, Annabel, Shannon, Megan, Annie”

The photo was sold to The Sun by Splash, who the photographer worked for.

Before the WhatsApp messages existed, Coleen previously accused Vardy of creating the image.

She alleged that Vardy “did not let others know that she had in fact arranged with Splash News to have a paparazzo outside to photograph them.”

Vardy denied the claims saying she didn’t “orchestrate the photograph…didn’t arrange for a photographer to be present…didn’t pass on information about the group’s location in order to” staged “a photograph…did not inform the press of the location of the dinner”.

But Lunt says in her witness statement: “”Ms Vardy has since confirmed in correspondence from her lawyers dated December 1, 2021 that her response and amended response are and were false. “

Coleen, 34, was dubbed “Wagatha Christie” when she publicly claimed Vardy’s Instagram account was leaking stories about her.

Vardy has denied leaking stories and is seeking substantial damages for defamation, saying she also suffers “serious and extreme hostility and abuse”. A two-day hearing ended this week. A trial is scheduled for later this year.