Coleen Rooney could be crowned the new Queen of the Jungle in tonight's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! final, but her famous husband Wayne won't be there to greet her in Australia.
The TV personality was the headline signing for the latest series of the hit ITV show and has won the support of viewers over the last three weeks, making it all the way to the final. Sunday's show will see either her, McFly singer Danny Jones or Reverend Richard Coles be crowned as the winner and succeed Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson as the new King or Queen of the Jungle.
As is tradition on the show, those eliminated are met by their friends and family on the famous bridge in the Australian jungle, but Coleen will not be reunited with Wayne just yet.
The Manchester United and England legend - who is now manager of Plymouth Argyle - has been at home in the UK during the show's latest run, as he tries to turn around his side's fortunes in the Championship. Since Coleen has been in the jungle, Argyle have suffered two heavy defeats and drawn with Watford, leaving them in the relegation zone.
Ahead of the final, Wayne recorded a touching video tribute to his wife alongside his sons Kai, 15, and Kit, 8, and urged fans to vote for her to be crowned Queen of the Jungle. "Hi Col, we just want to wish you all the best in the final tonight, we've all been so proud of you," said the former striker. "You've shown everyone who you really are and your character. No matter what you'll be our queen, no matter what happens we're all really excited to see you. All the best, we love you."
In Wayne's absence, the couple's other two sons - Klay, 11, and Cass, six - will meet Coleen after the show, alongside her mother Colette. They made an appearance on Friday's episode, as they surprised the TV personality in the middle of the jungle, leaving her in tears.
Coleen is expected to stay in Australia for a few more days to record the show's 'Coming Out' episode, before flying home to be reunited with Wayne and the rest of her family.
The couple have been married since 2008, having first met when Coleen was just 12. They started their romance at the tender age of 16 and she was by Wayne's side as he became a teenage global superstar with his performances for Man United and England. However,
However, their relationship has been far from smooth sailing with the couple rocked by several scandals and allegations over the footballer's infidelity over the years.
Before they were married, Wayne reportedly paid for sex with a prostitute at a brothel on more than one occasion, but this behaviour is alleged to have continued even after they tied the knot. The ex-Everton and Derby County player also reportedly slept with another prostitute while Coleen was pregnant with Kai, leading her to move out of the family home.
Coleen then forgave her husband, only for more cheating allegations to emerge later in his career. In 2017, Wayne was arrested for drink driving, having been caught behind the wheel of a car belonging to office worker Laura Simpson, who he had met at a bar earlier that night
The mum-of-one later revealed that her and Wayne had a "kiss and cuddle" and claimed they would have "ended up sh****** no doubt," leaving Coleen "heartbroken" and leading her to temporarily move out of the house again.
Coleen has opened up about the difficulties her marriage has faced during her time in the jungle, telling fellow campmate Oti Mabuse: "Since the first mistake he’s made, that’s been in the public, people have not forgiven.
“When things have happened, the public have wanted it to just go oh, split, you know, that’s it, split them up. But the fact is, there’s always been love still there. It has been difficult, but we’re happy now, after all those years… we’re a team.”
Those comments echoed the ones she previously made on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, when she explained why she kept forgiving her husband.
"You could draw a line under it but, with me and Wayne, I've always said, there was always love still there," she said on the podcast. "So why throw it away when you can work at it?
"If you work at it, and it doesn't work, then forget about it and go your own separate ways. But, there's always been love... we never wanted to part."
"There's no point on keeping it in," she added. "That's when you get yourself all worked up. I've seen that happen to so many people. Even with the kids, I say 'get it out, deal with it, get your punishment done and move on.'"
