'Permanent emotional consequences' - Wayne Rooney & wife Coleen sent marriage split warning ahead of 'pressure cooker' £10m Disney documentary on Man Utd legend's home life

That message has been sounded by a prominent psychologist. The Rooneys are used to operating in the public eye - as a former England captain and runner-up on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here - but have never been so open when it comes to life behind closed doors.

TV psychologist Emma Kenny has told OK!: “So many celebrity couples break up after being on reality TV because the show doesn’t just reflect the relationship, it reshapes it. Coleen and Wayne must remember that a TV show is only temporary – but the emotional consequences can be permanent.”

Coleen is said to have pushed the documentary angle in her household, with the 39-year-old much more than just a WAG. OK’s source said: “Their Disney documentary is going to be huge and I think Coleen really wants this. She wanted to get back into television, but it had to be the right thing. This is all about her and she’s kind of proving a point. She’s sick of people saying that she’s a footballer’s wife.”

Kenny added on the potential for unwanted drama: “When big-name celebrity couples sign up for reality television, they are stepping into a pressure cooker that few relationships are built to withstand.

“Reality TV strips away privacy and replaces it with constant surveillance, manufactured conflict and public judgement. Producers are incentivised to expose fault lines, not protect intimacy, and moments that would normally be resolved quietly become content – replayed, dissected and criticised by millions.”

She went on to say: “Power dynamics shift when one partner is portrayed more favourably than the other, or when public sympathy lands unevenly. Suddenly, private grievances are validated or condemned by strangers, and that external noise seeps into the relationship.

“Shame, humiliation and perceived betrayal can take root, particularly if one partner feels exposed or undermined for entertainment. Once trust is damaged in such a public way, it’s incredibly hard to rebuild it behind closed doors, especially when media commentary continues after filming ends.

“Add exhaustion, competitive environments and separation from usual support systems, and even stable couples can find themselves emotionally dysregulated, defensive or resentful. What looks like ‘authentic access’ to viewers is often an artificial environment designed to provoke vulnerability without offering the tools to manage it.”

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The Rooneys are no strangers to reality TV, with Coleen having featured in the ‘Real Wagatha Story’ while Wayne starred in a series for Amazon Prime Video. With that in mind, they are confident that they know what lies in store.

OK’s source added: “They’ve had their ups and downs, but this [show] is doing their relationship good. Coleen has never been happier with Wayne, and it’s made Wayne look at her in a new light.

“He always knew she was a supportive wife and a great mother, but now looking at her doing all this with Disney, and after the [Wagatha] court case, he really looks at her in a fresh light and with admiration. He realises how lucky he is to have her, so their relationship is in a really good place. I think people are going to love this – and Disney knows there’s a big audience. It’s Coleen’s time and Wayne is really happy about it.”

They will not be as hands-on either as David and Victoria Beckham have been with their recent shows on Netflix. Kenny said: “There aren’t any rules and restrictions. Coleen’s not going to do the big editing that Victoria Beckham did because she thought that was very much a one-sided editorial, making them look glossy and nice and not talking about the bad stuff. Coleen wants it to be more real, and not so edited.”

Viewers will soon get a chance to see what the Rooneys have lined up, with filming well underway. Coleen has been busy filling more media and commercial commitments on the back of her I’m A Celeb appearance, while Wayne is back on punditry duty after putting his troubled managerial career on hold.