Coleen Rooney’s fears over ‘nightmare’ family rift in repeat of Beckham feud

Coleen Rooney is famously proud of her brood of boys – and a source claims a feud the likes of which Victoria Beckham and her family are experiencing would be her ‘worst nightmare’

A source claims the Beckham feud has been food for thought for Coleen(Image: Getty Images)

As Kai Rooney steps into the spotlight with a promising football career and a girlfriend by his side, a source has claimed that mum Coleen is worried that he could grow apart from her – like Victoria Beckham and her eldest son Brooklyn. Coleen has always worn her heart on her sleeve when it comes to her boys, but the source tells OK! that the I’m A Celebrity star is fearing what every mother dreads – falling out with one of her children and losing that close bond, as it appears designer Victoria has.

WAG-turned-wellness entrepreneur Coleen, 39, who has four sons with former England captain Wayne Rooney, also 39, is said to be feeling “emotional” about eldest son Kai, 15, carving out his own path. And, according to our source, recent headlines about the Beckhams’ strained relationship with Brooklyn and a family “feud” have struck a chord with Coleen – also a devoted mother from a footballing dynasty.

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Coleen Rooney and family
Coleen is famously tight with her children

Anyone who saw Coleen speak fondly of her children around the jungle campfire – and witnessed her tearful reunion with her boys down under, will know how much their bond means to her.

“Coleen’s life is her family, she’s made no secret of how much she adores all her boys. She has been following the Beckhams’ feud and wants to make sure nothing like that ever happens to her family. It’s only natural for a mother to worry, especially as her kids get older and their circle widens,” says the source.

“She loves Victoria – who has been her role model and inspiration. It would be Coleen’s worst nightmare if this happened to her with one of her children. Seeing it happen to Victoria is utterly heartbreaking for her. Her boys are her world. She was a young mum and they’re all very close. Kai is the eldest and she’ll surely have thought about him and be fearful about the future.”

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Kai is following in his dad’s footsteps both on and off the pitch. Not only is he a rising football star, playing as a striker like Wayne, but he’s also got his first girlfriend and is clearly growing up fast.

Just last month, proud parents Coleen and Wayne watched their teenage son score the winning goal in a youth tournament final at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium. Sharing the moment on social media, they wrote, “Winning goal!!” and “An extra time winner always special” – but behind the scenes, we’re told the milestone was bittersweet.

Beckhams on stairs
A source claims the Beckham feud has had Coleen worrying about the prospect of a fallout with one of her sons(Image: INSTAGRAM)

For Coleen, the idea of one of her sons drifting away would be a “nightmare”, claims the source. As well as Kai, she’s mum to Klay, 12, Kit, nine, and Cass, seven, and has always put family first – often juggling her own career around the boys’ school runs, sports matches and holidays.

Our source goes on to say, “It’s the worry of being in the public eye – having that stardom where everyone knows who you are. Girls that perhaps want to be with you for the wrong reasons. “Boys are very close to their mums – but if they meet a girl that steals their heart, they can be as dedicated to that person, and it’s a mother’s worst nightmare to be caught in any feud with her son because of it. Coleen’s really feeling for Victoria at the moment – it really is food for thought.”

And while that inevitable “flying the nest” moment looms, as it does with every mum, Coleen will be doing her best to cherish every second she still has with her eldest at home.

It’s no surprise that Coleen’s concerns have been heightened by the ongoing speculation surrounding Victoria and David Beckham’s relationship with son Brooklyn – they grew up in similar worlds after all. Ever since Brooklyn, 26, tied the knot with American actress and heiress Nicola Peltz, 30, in April 2022, fans have noticed a distance between him and his famous family.

coleen rooney in i'm a celeb
Coleen spoke glowingly about her family in the Im A Celeb jungle(Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutters​tock)

While the Beckhams have remained tight-lipped about the reported rift, there’s been speculation about tension, especially between Nicola and Victoria. And while Brooklyn now lives in the US full time, fans have pointed out he’s been absent from key Beckham family events, including David’s 50th birthday last month.

Brooklyn remained silent on social media on both his mother Victoria’s birthday in April and dad David’s. In fact, he skipped Victoria’s birthday entirely to be at Coachella with Nicola.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Romeo, 22, are allegedly no longer on speaking terms over Romeo’s romantic involvement with Kim Turnbull, which is now said to be over. DJ Kim was linked to Brooklyn a few years ago – but apparently this isn’t the source of their feud.

The brothers, once extremely close and known for doting on their younger siblings Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13, have grown apart, the source added. “Things have been terrible for a long time. It has upset their mum and dad so much. All they ever wanted was a big, happy family.”

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Marks & Spencer’s ‘stylish’ £50 bubble hem dress garners ‘so many compliments’

With occasionwear season officially here, we’ve found the perfect stylish and subtle midaxi dress that will take you through the summer from Marks & Spencer

The perfect spring/summer dress(Image: M&S)

Marks & Spencer is back taking online orders after the cyber attack, and as always, their current spring/summer collection is filled with stylish and elevated pieces that will really up your fashion game. One dress in particular that caught our eye was the Pure Cotton Bubble Hem Midaxi Dress.

With summer basically here, plus the races and weddings looming, finding the perfect dress you can wear to these different occasions is no mean feat, but we think this midaxi is the versatile summer dress to get your hands one. And at £49.50, this dress definitely isn’t breaking the bank.

Combining two trends in one, this black dress features a stylish bubble hem detail, as well as a flattering drop waist. Despite featuring more micro-trendy elements, the sleek black colour and classic silhouette mean this dress will last in your wardrobe for years to come.

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M&S bubble hem dress
Dress up or down depending on the occasion(Image: M&S)

To style this midaxi, we suggest keeping it simple with a pair of gold or silver mules (depending on which you prefer), and a matching clutch or grab bag, and minimalist jewellery. Additionally, if you’re more of a maximalist, you could team leopard or zebra print accessories to make the look pop.

We’re not the only ones who are loving this versatile dress, shoppers are already leaving their reviews, praising the piece for its high quality and flattering fit. One shopper wrote: “Couldn’t resist this dress despite having to try on several sizes before finding best fit (it’s on the small side). The design quality becomes apparent once on with a drop waist, great if you are tall and long in the body, and the bubble hem. It’s also nicely lined and the cut out back still enables you to wear a bra. Please continue to provide such design quality please M&S.”

While a second shared how the dress got them heaps of compliments when they wore it. They added: “So many compliments wearing this dress. The dress is beautiful, I felt really nice in it, and lots and lots of women asked me where it was from.”

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As briefly mentioned above, a few people criticised the sizing of the dress, claiming it runs rather small, so we suggest sizing up from your usual size, especially if you are in between.

Victoria Beckham breaks cover with Harper as Brooklyn’s cold snub plunges new depths

Brooklyn Beckham has failed to publicly congratulate his dad on his knighthood after saying he ‘chooses’ his wife Nicola amid the family feud

Brooklyn Beckham with his little sister Harper Seven(Image: Lodovico Colli di Felizzano/WWD via Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham has been seen for the first time since her husband was knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours. The former Spice Girl singer turned fashion designer, 51, took daughter Harper on a girls’ night at the ballet.

Victoria, who is now Lady Beckham, attended the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ballet in London with her Harper. The mum described their trip as a ‘special night’ as she and Harper, 13, took photos in the their box at the Royal Ballet & Opera house.

The sweet mother and daughter trip came hours after dad David was made a Sir for his services to sport and charity.

Victoria Beckham and daughter Harper enjoy a girls' night out at the ballet
Victoria Beckham and daughter Harper enjoy a girls’ night out at the ballet (Image: Instagram/victoriabeckham)

In a post shared on Saturday on Instagram, Lady Beckham said: “You’ve always been my knight in shining armour, but now it’s official. Sir @davidbeckham!!! What an honour, I couldn’t be prouder of you. Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. The way you’ve touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday.

“But above all else, I’m so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much xxxx.”

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The football star, who was formerly appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003, responded to the post by expressing his love for his family, mentioning each of his children and adding “I love you all”.

David has since been inundated with congratulations from his famous friends and former teammates from Gordon Ramsey to Gary Neville. But one person notably absent from the celebrations has been his eldest son Brooklyn.

Victoria plants a kiss on David's cheek
Lady Victoria shared a gushing post about her husband calling him her ‘knight in shining armour’ (Image: victoriabeckham/Instagram)

While brothers Cruz and Romeo were quick to share how proud they were of their footballer dad, big bro Brooklyn remained silent on the matter alongside his wife Nicola Peltz.

Brooklyn is said to be embroiled in a feud with his family after marrying and moving to Los Angeles with billionaire heiress Nicola. He was also not seen at his dad’s 50th birthday celebrations last month.

The eldest of the Beckham boys alarmed fans when he posted that he was ‘choosing wife Nicola’ and described her as his ‘whole world’. It has since been reported that Brooklyn has ‘cut all ties’ with the Beckhams and only learned of his dad’s knighthood when he read about it in the press.

Despite the fallout, David appeared to offer an olive branch to his son when he said he wanted to share the emotional moment with his family.

In a statement to the PA News Agency, Sir David said: “Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour.

“To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true.

“Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation.

Instagram images posted by Brooklyn Beckham as him and wife Nicola Peltz Beckham
Brooklyn shocked fans when he said ‘I choose Nicola’

“I’m so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I’m grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment.

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Gemma Atkinson’s devastating real reason for not marrying fiancé Gorka Marquez

Gemma Atkinson has revealed that she believes one of the reasons she hasn’t walked down the aisle yet is because her dad won’t be there – and getting married means losing the ‘last tie to him’

Gemma Atkinson has opened up about why she is yet to marry her Spanish fiancé, Strictly professional dancer Gorka Marquez, with whom she shares children, Mia and Thiago. Opening up in a deeply moving open letter to mark Father’s Day, to her beloved das David, who tragically died of a heart attack at just 52, when Gemma, now xx, was just 17.

As she markes her 24th Father’s Day without the man she thinks of ‘every day’, Gemma, in support of the palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, admits that the thought of tying the knot without him by her side is almost too much to bare – and his painful absence is one of the reasons it hasn’t happened yet.

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Gemma admits she sobbed when she discovered she was expecting Mia – because she couldn’t tel dad David(Image: SUPPLIED)

She said: “I’m getting married, Dad! One day, anyway. I think one of the reasons we’ve not done it yet is because of you. We’ve come close many times, but something stops me. I’m now the last Atkinson in the family line and if I give up my name, there’s no more of us. I don’t want to lose that remaining tie to you. Not having you walk me down the aisle… maybe I’ll just stay engaged for a bit longer.

Speaking of her future husband, Gemma also said poignantly that she felt her late father would be a huge fan – as well as of the two beautiful children they have welcomed, children she reflects, sadly, it breaks her heart he will never see . “I think you’d be really happy with my choice of fiancé. You’d get such a kick out of Gorka being a professional dancer – you loved to dance – and I know you’d adore your grandchildren. Just like you adored me.

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She continued emotionally: “I wish you’d got to meet him. There have been many times where he would have benefitted from your advice. You travelled so much for work and Gorka needs to be away a lot too. I remember when Mia was born, he had to leave for a tour when she was three days old. It broke his heart but I know you’d have helped him. I can hear your voice, saying, “I get it pal, I had to do the same. You’ll get through it.” I often feel sad that he never got to shake your hand. You only ever met my high school boyfriend. That’s hard for me.”

Gorka Márquez and Gemma Atkinson in a selfie on holiday.
The mum-of-two thinks her dad would have loved Gorka(Image: instagram.com/gorka_marquez)

But the former Strictly star and radio host admits, she keeps her dad’s memory very much alive, when it comes to her little family. “I talk to Thiago and Mia about you all the time. They call you GanGan David. We’ve got a picture of you in the house and Mia thinks GanGan David lives on the moon and you can’t get out. She always asks us how we can rescue you. When our dogs died it was devastating, but Mia took comfort in the fact you were looking after them somewhere. I really believe you are.

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Back in January, Gorka issued a wedding update, reassuring fans that his and Gemma’s big day would happen, when little Thiago was more independent. “We will do it, it’s just not at the moment. We are very good like this, especially with having the kids. Thiago is not independent yet so we don’t want to go into the wedding and be carrying him or halfway through the wedding he starts screaming that he only wants mummy, you know?!”

Palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder offers a range of grief support. Visit sueryder.org/GriefDeservesBetter. Gemma Atkinson is the host of the Hits Drivetime show, airing weekdays at 4pm

Gemma Atkinson’s tearjerking Father’s Day letter to late dad after heart attack at 52

This Father’s Day. TV star and radio host Gemma Atkinson shares precious memories of her father and the pain of his passing in this heartbreakingly beautiful tribute, in her own words

Gemma Atkinson was just 17 when her beloved dad David died of a heart attack at just 52. Here, as she marks her 24th Father’s Day without him, Gemma, in support of the palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, pens an incredibly moving open letter to him in which she tells him just how much he meant to her and how she and fiancé, Strictly professional dancer Gorka Marquez and their children, Mia and Thiago, continue to keep his memory alive…

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Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

I’ve lived through so many of them without you now, but it never really gets easier.

It’s been so long since I last saw your face and I still think about you every single day. But I know you’d be proud of me and the things I’ve achieved. I think you’d be really happy with my choice of fiancé, too. You’d get such a kick out of Gorka being a professional dancer – you loved to dance – and I know you’d adore your grandchildren. Just like you adored me.

Gemma says her late father was ‘born to be a dad of girls’(Image: SUPPLIED)
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Gemma Atkinson's dad in pool with black rubber ring
The radio host says she was ‘angry’ with her dad for a long time for leaving her(Image: SUPPLIED)

You were born to be a dad of girls. You were very tuned in emotionally and right from the off you taught me and (my sister) Nina how to be tough and stand up for ourselves. You were the first to tell me, “If someone hits you, you hit them back harder,” but also the first to let me know that when I needed a cuddle, you’d be there. We were so lucky to have a dad with both a hard and soft side.

I remember the last time I saw you. April 27th, 2002. You were sitting in your hospital bed and you asked me to get you a Mars bar from the vending machine. It was four days since you were taken in after being found slumped at your desk. You’d been experiencing chest pain for days, but brushed it off as indigestion, blaming the dodgy burger you’d eaten at the Caterham Super Seven race we’d all gone to.

It was so typically you: your leg would have to have been hanging off for you to go to the doctor. It’s something I see in myself now. I’m a “get on with things” person, but how I wish you’d had it checked out.

You were in the hospital because you’d had a stress-induced heart attack. You collapsed on Friday and I visited the following Tuesday. I told you off for wanting the Mars bar, but you really craved one, so I got it and sat on the end of your bed as we shared half and half. “It’s bloody lovely, that,” you said. And then it was time for me to leave. You winked at me, smiled that irresistible smile, and that was the last time I ever saw you.

A young Gemma with her dad and stepmum, Jane
A young Gemma with her dad and stepmum, Jane(Image: SUPPLIED)

Even though you should’ve been coming home the next day, you’d had another heart attack in the night. I remember Mum, in the early hours, coming up to my bedroom and standing in the doorway. I could only see her silhouette. And she just burst into tears. You guys were no longer married – she’d moved on and married Peter years before and you were with Janet – but you’d co-parented brilliantly and her pain was palpable. “I’m so sorry, Gemma,” she sobbed. “Your dad’s gone.”

For a long time I was angry. I was angry at you for dying. Angry at the doctors for telling me you’d be able to come home when you never did. Angry at myself for not staying longer. I’d cry myself to sleep at night.

Anger turned to heartache around my 18th birthday. I’d thrown myself into work at Hollyoaks – pretending to be someone else for 12 hours a day was a way to escape the pain – then we had a big party. All the family were there, everyone but you. I looked at Grandma and remember thinking it was so strange that she was there while you weren’t, how that just wasn’t the natural order of things.

But she kept smiling, trying to keep it nice for me on my big day. Now, looking back through the eyes of a mother, my heart breaks for her – the thought of my kids going before me petrifies me. For Grandma, she was living that nightmare. She buried her child and yet I never really understood it back then.

Gemma Atkinson in family photo on holiday in white
Gemma and Gorka’s chdren think ‘Gan Gan’ is on the moon – and they need to go and rescue him(Image: Instagram)

I really think you’d be proud of the mother I’ve become. I sobbed when I found out I was expecting Mia. Not because I wasn’t ecstatic – I was – but because you weren’t there to share our joy.

I talk to Thiago and Mia about you all the time. They call you GanGan David. We’ve got a picture of you in the house and Mia thinks GanGan David lives on the moon and you can’t get out. She always asks us how we can rescue you. When our dogs died it was devastating, but Mia took comfort in the fact you were looking after them somewhere. I really believe you are.

It’s funny how kids pick up on things. When Gorka’s away, working on Strictly , Mia asks me when Papa’s coming home. I tell her he’ll be back but twice now she’s said to me, “But your papa didn’t come home.”

I explain that her daddy is much fitter. That we have FaceTime and mobiles now. I let her know she can get hold of her papa anytime she wants. We often visit your grave but we always keep it positive. I don’t want to give her a fear of death. You wouldn’t want that.

You’d adore Thiago too. He looks exactly like you did as a baby. That’s the first thing everyone said when he was born. People joke that Gorka has no genetics in our children whatsoever. It’s because both of them are so like me and you.

A young Gemma Atkinson with her sister and dad at a harbour
Gemma, pictured here with her sister and dad, wishes Gorka could have met him(Image: SUPPLIED)

Speaking of Gorka, I wish you’d got to meet him. There have been many times where he would have benefitted from your advice. You travelled so much for work and Gorka needs to be away a lot too. I remember when Mia was born, he had to leave for a tour when she was three days old. It broke his heart but I know you’d have helped him. I can hear your voice, saying, “I get it pal, I had to do the same. You’ll get through it.” I often feel sad that he never got to shake your hand. You only ever met my high school boyfriend. That’s hard for me.

But I’m getting married, Dad! One day, anyway. I think one of the reasons we’ve not done it yet is because of you. We’ve come close many times, but something stops me. I’m now the last Atkinson in the family line and if I give up my name, there’s no more of us. I don’t want to lose that remaining tie to you. Not having you walk me down the aisle… maybe I’ll just stay engaged for a bit longer.

Finally, I want to remind you of the pact you made with Tyler, Nina’s son and your second grandchild. When he was gravely ill with meningitis as a baby we went to visit him in intensive care after doctors warned us he would likely die. I remember so vividly how you pressed your nose to his, tubes coming out of him, his little face blown up like a puffa fish, and you said, “If anyone’s listening, if there is a god, please take me and save Tyler.”

You were gone just a couple of months later. Tyler made a complete recovery and is now healthy and thriving. You left this earth so he could stay. That was how selfless you were, 100% always a family first man. I know you live on through him, through all of us.

I wish you were still here, Dad, but while I’ll never truly get over losing you, I’ve learnt to live without you. It’s my new “normal”.

And I really do believe I will see you again. Until then…

Gemma. x

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Palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder offers a range of grief support. Visit sueryder.org/GriefDeservesBetter. Gemma Atkinson is the host of the Hits Drivetime show, airing weekdays at 4pm

‘Labubu-mania’ continues as viral toy charms get turned into gift bouquets

The Labubu craze continues with the rise of toy charm bouquets. Dubbed “Labubu mania,” one witness reports a fights breaking out in Pop Mart store over sold-out plushie

Labubu mania continues with a bigger and better way to gift the collectables: a Labubu bouquet

The viral Labubu craze has reached new heights with a student receiving a Labubu-themed bouquet in a heart-warming display of support during exam season.

In a video posted on X, a mother welcomed back her daughter after a university entrance exam with a bouquet of six Labubu toys and dried pampas, leaving us to wonder whether this is now the next step-up to congratulatory flowers, made simple by the toy charms.

Situated in the Jiangsu province, China, one happy student spoke to a crowd as she was filmed holding her huge selection of the sold-out toy, standing outside what appears to be the exam hall where the testing had taken place.

Surrounded by waiting parents holding various floral arrangements, the girl held her pastel bouquet and additional Labubu box labelled “Big into Energy,” her post-exam presents being all the more impressive considering how Pop Mart continues to stay out of stock of the quirky soft toys.

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READ MORE: Labubu alternatives to add to your shopping haul before they sell out too

According to Times Higher Education, the annual Chinese national college entrance exam, Gaokao, is considered one of the hardest school exams of the world and includes “Chinese Literature, Mathematics and a foreign language (usually English)”. There are also additions for liberal art and science students.

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The mother’s response to her daughters exams is currently trending on Baidu, a search engine, for her supporting comment, as well as the outlandish Labubu gift. She said: “Gaokao is just one exam in life,” and insisted that the state of her daughter’s happiness was her priority at that moment, not her performance.

With celebrities like Dua Lipa, Rihanna and BLACKPINK’s Lisa spotted with the ‘love or hate’ collectibles, conversation around the iconic Labubu has reached an all-time peak. Social listening platform, Sprout Social, conducted research on “Labubu Mania” on social media apps and found that the viral dolls had accumulated a total of 235,984 mentions in 2025 alone.

Image of the Labubu bouquet and additional Labubu gift box that says
Labubu bag-charms are now celebratory gifts as mother greets her daughter with a bouquet of the collectables (Image: yicaichina/X)

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Struggling to satisfy the enormous demand of crazed shoppers, Pop Mart took to Instagram on May 19 to warn fans: “Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we’ve seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days – with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops. To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we will temporarily pause all in-store and roboshop sales of THE MONSTERS plush toys until further notice”.

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