I'm A Celebrity favourite Wayne Rooney reveals he's lost three stone after giving up booze - and now his marriage to wife Coleen is in 'a much happier place'

Wayne and Coleen Rooney have made no secret that their marriage was almost ripped apart by the former England footballer’s heavy drinking.The striker, 41, who notoriously cheated on his pregnant wife with two sex workers in 2010, has said he would be dead if it wasn’t for Coleen saving him from alcoholism.He admitted it got to a point ‘where I went too far’, leaving him ‘struggling massively’.Earlier this year, The Match of the Day pundit decided to give up alcohol after Coleen grew tired of his wild partying – and since then he has lost an astonishing three stone, and has won plaudits from viewers for how well he is looking.But the biggest perk of his life-changing move? His 18-year marriage, he says, is better than ever.As he follows his wife into the jungle when this year’s I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! begins tomorrow – Coleen came second in the ITV show two years ago – he told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I have stopped drinking for six months and Coleen is happy because from a point of view of our marriage we are in a much better place and a much happier place, so that obviously makes a difference. I'm A Celebrity favourite Wayne Rooney has revealed he has lost an impressive three stone after giving up booze six months ago His 18-year marriage to wife Coleen, he says, is better than ever Speculation has swirled that Wayne was on weight-loss jabs. But he has insisted his transformation is down to simple changes‘She has said I look better, but from a mental point of view I am in a much better place as well. I think I am in a really good place, a really happy place.’It is quite the contrast to the past. Fans could see alcohol was a major bone of contention when the couple recently invited cameras into their home for a year to document the highs and lows of their marriage, family life and work endeavours.In the fly-on-the-wall documentary, The Real Rooneys, they argued over the footballer’s boozy nights out, and Coleen even considered separating from him.In one of the low points, she was furious when he left her to deal with their four sons while he nursed a hangover from a wild night out on a family holiday in Portugal. The couple’s children are Kai, 17, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and eight-year-old Cass.With that firmly in the past, Wayne’s ‘glow-up’ has been noticeable. In preparation for the jungle, he has undergone a dramatic transformation, including a nose job, a slimmed-down physique and Invisalign – clear aligners – to transform his smile.He looked in good shape as he arrived at Brisbane airport last weekend and he is likely to lose even more weight when his diet switches to the tiny jungle portions of beans and rice. And, of course, there is camel’s brain, bull’s penis, pig’s anus and fermented duck eggs to negotiate in the Bushtucker Trials.Speculation has swirled that Wayne was on weight-loss jabs. But he has insisted his transformation is down to simple changes. Improving his diet and cutting out the booze had done wonders for his skin, he told the MoS.‘Not drinking helps in terms of the food you are eating. I am probably eating the healthiest I have ever eaten and getting back into a routine of training, so it all ties in. Just losing weight helps with your skin and not drinking helps from a health point of view as well.’Wayne – capped 120 times for England – is counting down the days until he is reunited with Coleen. She is preparing to fly to Australia with their two youngest sons in time for the start of voting. The older boys will stay at home because, as their father explains, they are ‘embarrassed’ by him taking part.Coleen, 40, was runner-up to McFly singer Danny Jones in 2024. Understanding the ups and downs means she has been able to offer advice ahead of Wayne’s jungle debut. She told him simply to be himself. The striker, 41, who notoriously cheated on his pregnant wife with two sex workers in 2010, has said he would be dead if it wasn’t for Coleen saving him from alcoholism The couple’s children are Kai, 17, Klay, 13, Kit, ten, and eight-year-old CassBut Wayne - who has managed Derby County, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle - has his own ambitions, cheekily admitting he’s hoping to go one better than his wife and take home the crown.‘I was really proud of Coleen and her time in the jungle,’ he said, adding: ‘There’s no competition between us, but I would like to do a little bit better than there. So let’s see!’Wayne has lived away from his wife and sons previously for work, notably when he managed DC United in Washington. He is used to being separated from them, but he says it is already taking a toll.‘I’ll miss them,’ he said, adding: ‘I’ve lived away from them before but having no contact like this week is strange. That will be tough. I have to get through that and it is not too long in terms of your life span. But emotionally you don’t know how that will affect you in there.’When Coleen was in the jungle in 2024, Wayne famously encouraged fans to vote for her to do the trials, so I ask if he thinks she’s planning to get her revenge. ‘I’m sure she will,’ he laughs. ‘But I want to do trials. I’m scared of a lot of things. That is a big part of the experience but I’m not sure how I’ll cope.’Wayne confesses his biggest fear is heights. He says that in the past he has booked to jump out of a helicopter on three separate occasions, and each time has cancelled at the last minute. But he has finally conquered his phobia after taking on a terrifying skydive as part of his first I’m A Celebrity challenge, which was filmed on yesterday (SAT). With a huge beaming smile, hetouched down on a beach on Australia’s Gold Coast.He is the latest in a long line of footballers who have appeared on the ITV show, including his England players Joe Cole, Ian Wright, and Dennis Wise. So what do his former team mates make of his decision to jet out to the jungle?‘I think they’ll all be intrigued,’ he said. ‘Even when we were in football, it’s one we spoke about saying, “Would you go in and how do you feel you’ll do?’’ I’m just pleased I’m in a position where I’m going in to experience it.Perhaps unsurprisingly, he is the runaway favourite to be crowned king of the jungle, with odds of 2/1. He smiled: ‘When you do something you want to win. So it’d be great and obviously different to anything else I’ve done. If you win it, it means you’ve come across relatable and people who are watching have liked watching you when you’re in there.‘You don’t know how you’re going to be portrayed or how people are going to think about you. I suppose when you’re in there for that amount of time, cameras on you 24/7 - that persona of yourself will show. It is an opportunity for people to see me in that light.’When Coleen was in the jungle in 2024, Wayne famously encouraged fans to vote for her to do the trials. Will she get her revenge? ‘I’m sure she will,’ he laughsWayne has already struck up a friendship with Love Island’s Chloe Burrows after they both played at Soccer Aid earlier this year. He’s looking forward to bonding with his other celebrity campmates.Joining him in camp will be Paralympian Ade Adepitan, actress Joanna Page, Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson, You Tuber Sharky, TV presenter AJ Odudu, broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, model Leomie Anderson, actress Claire Sweeney, comedian Leigh Francis and comic Jack Skipper.Known for his love of karaoke, Wayne is already preparing for a trip to the Jungle Arms. ‘I will definitely be getting involved. That is for sure.’As our interview came to an end, I couldn’t resist asking Wayne who his dream celebrity campmate would be. He could have picked any of his famous footballing friends or celebrity idols, but without hesitation, his answer was his very own Queen of the Jungle - wife Coleen. It was a telling choice.