Coleen Rooney has revealed that experiencing two miscarriages left her questioning whether she was physically unable to carry a baby girl.
The 40-year-old television personality and author reflected on her pregnancy losses during an interview with host Paul C Brunson on the We Need To Talk podcast.
Rooney first suffered a miscarriage in 2008, just months after marrying her husband Wayne Rooney. She later experienced a second miscarriage in 2014, following the births of her first two children, details she previously shared in her 2023 autobiography My Account.
Speaking to Brunson, Rooney explained that her immediate concern after her first loss focused on her ability to become a mother. "That was the first thought that came into my head: 'Will I be able to have children? Will I be able to carry a child?'" she said.
Rooney said the emotional weight of both losses left her wondering about the gender of the unborn babies. "With the two miscarriages, it always does play in the back of my mind: were they girls? Were they female? Am I not able to carry girls? And I do wonder that," she told the podcast. "But they don't investigate until you have three."
Family support and parental history
During the interview, Rooney explained how she sought comfort from her parents, Colette and Tony, who had endured seven years of fertility treatments before conceiving her.
Rooney's parents spent years attempting to start a family before welcoming Coleen. Rooney said her mother offered perspective based on her own lengthy struggle with fertility.
Rooney recalled her mother pointing out that conceiving, even briefly, was a step further than her own experience. "The one thing that was positive out of it was my mum never conceived. She never actually got pregnant for that seven years," Rooney said. "So my mum said 'that's a one step further than what I ever got in that seven years.'"
Rooney added: "So that to me, you know, was that a little bit of a positive to take on board, but obviously it's a situation that you would not want anyone to be in."
Impact on husband Wayne Rooney
Rooney also spoke about the emotional impact the miscarriages had on her husband, former England footballer Wayne Rooney, noting that he was deeply affected by the losses.
Wayne Rooney, also 40, is one of English football's highest-profile figures, having played for Manchester United and the England national team. The couple married in 2008 and have raised four sons: Kai, 16, Klay, 13, Kit, 10, and Cass, eight.
Rooney said her husband was "probably more affected by it than I was" during the aftermath of the miscarriages. "I always remember him saying 'I do feel it too, you know, because it's our baby,'" she remembered.
"No one really thinks about the partners, you know, you do, but it's always about the woman and them losing the baby and supporting," Rooney said. "Whereas it's both of the parents."
The Real Rooneys reality series
The couple's four sons were recently described as "the stars of the show" following the premiere of their family reality television series, The Real Rooneys, on Disney+ last week.
The £10 million fly-on-the-wall show, which was filmed last year, provides viewers with an intimate look inside the family's daily life. Disney+ is the global streaming service operated by The Walt Disney Company.
While Coleen Rooney previously won praise from viewers for her appearance in the Australian jungle on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, the new docuseries with her husband has drawn mixed reactions from television critics.
Critical reception and reviews
Writing for The Daily Mail, television critic Christopher Stevens awarded the series a one-star rating in a scathing review. "The extent to which I find this offensive, and the anger of my reaction, surprises even me," Stevens wrote.
Stevens took issue with the program omitting past controversies involving Wayne Rooney, including past cheating allegations and alcohol issues. "To call it The Real Rooneys, however, and then make no mention, is simply deceitful," he wrote.
"Why anyone would want to be portrayed as vacuous, self-obsessed, intellectually numb, absurdly insulated from reality and just spectacularly tacky, is beyond me," Stevens added. He compared the show to "an endless Instagram loop devised to convince us that life with the Rooneys is all a great boisterous lark, where everyone laughs and frolics until they fall into bed with exhausted happy smiles, excited about what tomorrow will bring - a Scouse version of The Waltons, with a hideous gilded brick barn instead of a wooden house."
In contrast, Mark Jefferies of The Mirror gave the series a four-star review, singling out the four children as the highlights of the broadcast. "Their personalities are not tamed by years of media training so when they speak about their parents what they say is how they feel - I liked one saying Coleen had thrown high heels at Wayne in a row, it's a real shame that wasn't caught on camera!" Jefferies wrote.
Jefferies noted that the program appeared designed to present Wayne Rooney in a softer light and highlight his role as a devoted father.
Jack Seale of The Guardian offered a three-star rating, describing the show as middle-of-the-road. While agreeing that the family's portrayal was not entirely authentic, Seale noted that "their self-deprecation is hard to not enjoy."
Support for baby loss
For individuals and families affected by pregnancy loss, support is available through Tommy's, a national pregnancy and baby charity offering guidance and resources.
Tommy's provides information and helpline support for anyone dealing with baby loss. Assistance can be accessed via their website at www.tommys.org or by calling their free helpline on 0800 0147 800.
