Coleen McLoughlin
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Coleen Mary McLoughlin (born 3 April 1986 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is the fiancée of Manchester United F.C. and England football star, Wayne Rooney. The media interest in Rooney has enabled Coleen to become a celebrity in her own right. She regularly appears in the English tabloids amidst accusations of doing nothing but shopping all day and frequently holidaying in sunny locations. She is therefore viewed by some as a quintessential "footballer's wife". She was also one of the more prominent WAGs during the 2006 World Cup.
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[edit] Early life
Coleen Mary McLoughlin was born to Tony, who was a bricklayer and ran a boxing club, and Colette, who was a nursery nurse. She is one of four children. Coleen is the oldest, followed by her brothers Joe and Anthony and then little sister Rosie, who has been diagnosed with Rett's Syndrome. She met Wayne Rooney when she was 12 and when they lived in the same Liverpool suburb of Croxteth. His mother, Jeanette, worked as a part-time cleaner at St John Bosco, the Catholic school, Coleen attended. [1]
Rooney famously took McLoughlin to the cinema to see Austin Powers 2 on their first date. [2]
McLoughlin left school with 11 GCSEs, including an A* for Performing Arts. [3] She has long harboured dreams of becoming an actress, having starred in high school productions of Bugsy Malone and Grease. [4]
[edit] Life with Wayne
Wayne proposed to 'childhood sweetheart' McLoughlin on the forecourt of a BP garage when she was 17 with a £46,500 diamond engagment ring. [5]
Later that year she left school and landed a small part in Hollyoaks, the Merseyside television soap. “I was getting offered acting parts and I couldn’t take them because of my school work,” she said. The dream couple, dubbed Wayleen, moved into a new £1.3m mansion in nearby Formby. They now live in a £3.5 million mansion in Cheshire complete with a pink-tiled swimming pool, a Dallas-themed living room, cinema, gym and games room and American diner-themed kitchen.[6] It also has seven plasma screen TVs and a £30,000 state-of-the-art security system. [7] It was reported that Wayne and Coleen are going to get married in 2008 after Euro 2008. [8] However Coleen later denied this, stating that she was currently too busy planning her 21st birthday party to think about a wedding. [9] According to The Sun, Coleen will not ask Wayne for a prenup. [10]
McLoughlin has always been very supportive of Wayne, even when he was found visiting prostitutes.[11] Many have said, however, that this may be because she realises that she owes her celebrity status and career to her association with him.
[edit] Charity work
In 2004 McLoughlin officially launched the countdown to the national Jeans for Genes Day in celebration of the appeal's 10th birthday. She said: "I can't wait to wear my jeans on Friday. My little sister Rosie has Rett syndrome, so I know how important research is. Please join in!"
McLoughlin's sister (aged seven) suffers from the genetic condition. The Rett Syndrome Association is one of the benefiting charities of Jeans for Genes Day 2005.[12]
[edit] Media work
McLoughlin has her own column in the celebrity magazine Closer entitled "Welcome to My World", for which she earns up to £100,000.[13] Since her decision to write the column it has boosted the magazine sales. She has decided to take this job up as it combines her passions of fashion and journalism.
McLoughlin tried her hand at presenting, when in May 2006, she assisted Sir Trevor McDonald on his show Tonight with Trevor McDonald in a programme about genetic Rett syndrome.
She won the Ariel high street fashion award (as voted for by the public) for 'Best Dressed Female', turning up to the event in a Topshop dress. [14] She presented awards at the Elle Style awards, Television awards and also presented an award to Best Dressed Female at Aintree in which she handed out the prizes, of which included a shopping bag from McLoughlin's favourite store, Liverpool boutique Cricket. [15]
Coleen was paid £500,000 to be the face of the LG Chocolate mobile phone advertising campaign. She has a £1.5 million deal with Nike Women Sportswear, a £2 million arrangement with Harper Collins to write a style bible and a £1.5 million deal to be the face of Asda. She was also been paid £150,000 to make a documentary about her upbringing called Coleen's Secrets. [16]
McLoughlin has an exercise DVD on sale in the UK, entitled Coleen McLoughlin's Brand New Body Workout, which became a bestseller.[17] For the DVD she was paid £250,000. [18]
She was paid £3 million to front the George at Asda campaign. [19]
Coleen's autobiography, Welcome to my World, is due to be released in March. [20] She now has a wealth of over £6 million. [21]
[edit] Shopping Habits
A famed shopaholic, McLoughlin's keen eye for her colourful, eye-catching ensembles have marked her out as a style icon in some quarters, although in other circles she is seen as a fashion victim. Coleen caused some controversy by being chosen to appear in British Vogue. Some people felt that she was unworthy of such a celebrity status.[22] Editor Alexandra Shulman defended the magazine's decision, calling McLoughlin "beautiful" and praising her "brilliant sense of style". [23] Many Fashion insiders are still critical of her sense of style to date and still see her as a "chav" and not an icon of style, despite the parse by the English tabloids in which she regularly appears . .One of McLoughlin's most vocal detractors has been fellow Liverpudlian Paul O'Grady, who has denounced her as being famous for doing nothing and has told her to "go and get a bloody job". [24]
