Category News

The Mirror uncovers what Rebekah Vardy has been up to since her husband Jamie signed to an Italian club as she relocates to the country with her family, a task she is undertaking with ‘gusto’

She has had a rough few years but it seems like Rebekah Vardy is now having the last laugh…as the family begins to live La Dolce Vita.

Following husband Jamie’s signing to Italian top flight newcomers Cremonese – the club from the picturesque historic city of Cremona – the Vardys have been hard at work trying to find the perfect new home for them and their brood as they start their European adventure.

Amongst the options the family are considering are lavish homes in Milan, Bergamo and the stunningly beautiful Lake Garda – all just an hour away – as well as in Cremona itself, a city dating back to Roman times that is famous worldwide for its culture and particularly its musical heritage.

Whichever home they do eventually chose, the Italian villa they opt for will also offer some well-deserved calm. To say it’s been a whirlwind month or so for the family has been an understatement. Jamie’s decision to move to Serie A amid a flurry of interest from clubs around the world has seen Rebekah fly over to Italy several times to oversee the logistics of the move.

READ MORE: Identity of David Bowie’s Major Tom is revealed for the first time after 56 years

This week she posted a picture of herself at London’s City Airport at 6am as she geared up for another trip. As well as house-hunting for the entire family – bar her eldest who is at University in the UK – Rebekah has also been a regular fixture at the Italian embassy sorting out visas.

A source said: “It’s been pretty relentless – particularly as the kids are all being enrolled into international schools as well – but there is a real sense of excitement at immersing themselves into a new culture, and way of life.”

In fact the pair are very much embracing Italian life.The whole family have been “thoroughly enjoying” the northern city of Cremona, in Lombardy, where Jamie’s new team is based. With narrow, cobbled streets, and a plethora of medieval buildings, it’s very different to life in Leicester, and their home just outside Grantham, in Lincolnshire.

And the pair have been busy posting pictures of themselves enjoying its many offerings. “In Italy we always feel at home,” Rebekah wrote – in Italian – alongside one snap. The decision to sign for Cremonese on a one-year deal was a “total no-brainer”, say friends of the couple

“Jamie could have got more money going to the Middle East, but money is not the most important thing. He’s playing in a great, competitive league,in the twilight of his career, with an exciting newly-promoted team and living in Italy. What’s not to like,” says a pal.

Jamie was not short of offers when it came to life after Leicester, who were relegated last season.He departed as the club’s greatest-ever player after he scored 24 goals in their 2015/16 Premier League title-winning season under Claudio Ranieri and lifted the FA Cup in 2021 with Brendan Rodgers in charge.

“I’ve had 13 unbelievable years at this club with lots of success, some downs but a majority, all highs, but it’s finally time to call it a day, which I’m devastated about but I think the timing is right,” Vardy said in April. Since then a whole host of clubs from around the world inquired after him, including Dutch giants Feyenoord who tried to sabotage the Cremonese deal at the very last.

But in the end the 38-year-old decided to sign a one-year contract with the Italian club, with a further year on offer should the newly-promoted club avoid relegation. And his new club have made a flying start to the new season. The team are currently joint top of the league – flying high after winning both of their opening Serie A matches, against Sassuolo and European football giants AC Milan. And Jamie could now make his Cremonese debut on Monday, 15 September, away at Hellas Verona.

A source said: “He is relishing the chance to prove himself in a different league. He has seen the likes of Scott McTominay doing so well at Napoli, which has caught everyone’s imagination.

“A lot of players towards the end of the career just go off to the MLS or the Middle East just to pick up a pay cheque, but Jamie – despite his age – is still keen to play at an established league, and Rebekah is fully behind him, and is up for the adventure.”

The move to Italy comes after a torrid couple of years for the couple whose lives were turned upside down by the Wagatha Christie scandal. Rebekah was famously accused by Coleen Rooney of leaking information to The Sun newspaper from her private Instagram account.Rebekah sued for libel and lost. And earlier this year Rebekah paid the final instalment of the cool £1.27m of Coleen’s legal costs following their High Court battle.

The judge said at the time that he hoped the costs settlement would represent the “end of a long and unhappy road.” A pal said: “There’s no doubt it was a tough time for Rebekah. But she is made of strong stuff and has drawn a line under the whole affair. And now she is throwing herself into the move with gusto.”

The Italian adventure, though, is not her only focus. It emerged in May that she was filming a new Netflix show – after she was seen with a Netflix film crew mingling with fans in a pub before one of Jamie’s last appearance ro Leicester. The friend added: “With the Netflix show – and now the move to Italy, things are really on the up for Rebekah. It seems she and the family really are living La Dolce Vita.

The iconic Italian phrase translates as ’the good life.’ And as for Jamie, there is no doubting his thoughts when it comes to how important a role his wife plays in the family’s new life. In a video posted to his social media on September 2, him and Rebekah are seen exploring a museum in Cremona dedicated to violins, which the city is famed for.

Prince Harry and King Charles’ 55-minute reunion at Clarence House has fuelled hopes of a full reconciliation – but that can only happen under one condition, according to Jennie Bond

While Prince Harry was in the UK for a rare trip, he met with his estranged father King Charles for a 55-minute private tea , calling a truce and having a face-to-face conversation for the first time since February 2024.

Since their meeting, many royal watchers have hoped that their conversation at Clarence House on Wednesday afternoon could be the first step in paving the way to a full reconciliation between the Sussex camp and the royal family.

However, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes that in order for the Firm at large to mend the rift with Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex must do one thing – ensure that the details of their meeting remain private.

READ MORE: Prince Harry statement reveals true feelings on UK trip visit but has glaring omissionREAD MORE: Kate Middleton to play major role in Donald Trump state visit that has big change

She told the Mirror that their meeting, which lasted less than an hour, would’ve been emotional, due to the years of estrangement between the father and son.

But added: “It must, by any measure, have been a highly charged meeting. After all the hurt, the anger, the accusations and the long silences, father and son were together again in the London house which was once Harry’s home too. It wasn’t a long reunion – it lasted less than an hour – but it was a significant first step.”

While their meeting in Clarence House on Wednesday was a positive step in the right direction to mend their rift, Jennie said that for a full reconciliation to be reached, the onus is on Harry to not go public with the private details of their meeting.

“The question now is…what next?” Jennie said. “First, there must be discretion. The Palace were evidently not unhappy for the fact of the meeting to be made public knowledge.

But now it’s essential that the details must remain private, unless both sides agree to say what happened, which is extremely unlikely. Can Harry and Meghan now let private family matters remain private?”

After Prince Harry left Clarence House, he attended an engagement at the Gherkin in central London, where he was asked by a reporter how his father was. Diplomatically, Harry simply answered: “He is great, thank you.”

According to Jennie Bond, this comment is a sign that Harry is keen to keep the details of their meeting behind closed doors in an attempt to rebuild trust with his family.

She said: “Harry made just one comment after the meeting when asked about it and that was that the King was ‘great’. An innocuous comment which shouldn’t cause any problems with the Palace and suggests that his reunion with his dad went well.”

The reconciliation between Prince Harry and King Charles comes after the pair have been at odds with each other for several years, with their relationship fracturing after Harry, alongside his wife Meghan Markle, quit their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California.

Since then, Harry and Meghan have taken several public jabs at the royal family in their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, their documentary series on Netflix in 2022, and Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare in 2023.

The dozens of accusations levelled at the Firm only further drove a wedge between the Sussexes and the royal family, with speculation mounting that Prince Harry and King Charles were not on speaking terms.

However, during an interview with the BBC in May, Harry expressed his wish to reconcile with his father, especially in light of his cancer diagnosis.

Former One Direction singer Niall Horan is an avid golfer, and has described the emotional response he had 10 years ago when the iconic Rory McIlroy asked him to be his caddie at the Masters

Musician and former One Direction star Niall Horan joked he nearly burst into tears when Rory McIlroy asked him to carry his bag at the Masters. The Irish singer is renowned for his passion for golf and holds membership at Wentworth, the host of the BMW PGA Championship.

Competing at the Surrey venue this week, where Horan has participated in Pro-Am events on multiple occasions, has been none other than reigning Masters champion McIlroy.

The pair have met previously, and during Horan’s peak years with One Direction, a message from McIlroy asking whether he’d serve as the Northern Irishman’s caddie at the Masters’ annual Par-3 contest nearly moved him to tears.

READ MORE: Rory McIlroy’s Ryder Cup plans don’t include Florida return after UK move for wifeREAD MORE: Rory McIlroy lets Team USA know what he thinks after they make major Ryder Cup blunder

Speaking on the Fore Play podcast in 2023, Horan revealed details about McIlroy’s request, which arrived almost a decade earlier. Horan said: “He just texted me like a week before. He said do you fancy carrying the bag for the Par-3.

“I was like, let me start crying. The old Irish thing has this connection. I guess, sure, and we have got a lot of mutual friends beforehand and we knew each other quite well.”

Sadly for Horan, the experience concluded in relative catastrophe. After serving as McIlroy’s caddie for the majority of the round, he was permitted a shot on the ninth and final hole, but dragged it into the water.

To compound his troubles, he then dramatically toppled over on the same hole. He told reporters at the time: “My right arm got stuck on my chest and I pulled it across and it wound up in the drink on the very left. Any other day I would have found the green but there’s a lot of pressure out there.

“It’s very different,” added a 21-year-old Horan. “I do perform to a lot of people but I’m performing to their parents today. It’s a very different crowd.”

Horan has returned to the legendary Augusta National numerous times since this mishap, even playing the course occasionally. Earlier this year, speaking before the competition that McIlroy went on to win, Horan revealed his passion for golf and the Masters.

“When I was very young. Watching Tiger [Woods] win here [at Augusta] multiple times was a big help, Sunday red here at Augusta with those big roars through the TV,” he told The Masters Tournament.

“Being from Ireland was a big help with some great players with [Paul] McGinley and [Padraig] Harrington. Once you’re in, you’re in,” he continued.

“I have fortunately played this course on multiple occasions. I have birdied 13 a couple of times, which is exactly what you want to do when you’re down there. When I’m here I don’t really care how I play, but just happy to walk around and take in the history.

“I always say do you remember when Bubba [Watson] hit that shot from the trees on 10 or Phil [Mickelson] hit that crazy shot from the trees on 13. That never gets old. But there was a moment that was unreal one day. We were coming up No. 8. Me and a friend of mine had hit the second shot left into the trees there.