Reality TV Comeback Fails to Captivate Audience
Rebekah Vardy’s highly anticipated return to reality television has been met with a disappointing audience turnout. The debut episode of her new series, “The Vardys,” garnered a mere 670,000 viewers on Tuesday night, failing to secure a significant share of the prime-time audience on ITV.
Disappointing Debut Figures Amidst Strong Competition
The program, which aired in a 9 pm slot, achieved only a 6.7 percent audience share. It was significantly outperformed by other programs scheduled concurrently. For comparison, BBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” attracted nearly three times the number of viewers, averaging 1.9 million. Even a repeat broadcast of “QI” on BBC2 proved more popular than “The Vardys.” Additionally, Channel 5’s new drama, “The Fortune,” also attracted a larger audience, with close to one million viewers tuning in.
Industry insiders have expressed surprise at the low figures, given the extensive promotion and effort invested in the series. One source commented, “You’d expect the first episode to be the most popular too after all the advertising and promotion around it, so there’s every likelihood it will only get worse from here. There’s a bit of head scratching over why anyone thought someone with Becky’s reputation would attract viewers.”
Series Focuses on Family Relocation Amidst Legal Fallout
The three-part series chronicles the lives of Rebekah Vardy, 44, and her husband, former England footballer Jamie Vardy, 39. The program follows their family’s relocation to Italy after Jamie signed for Serie A club Cremonese. The move came after Jamie’s departure from Leicester City, marking a significant transition in his career.
However, the show has faced criticism from both viewers and television critics. One prominent TV critic described the series as “very bad, very boring and devastating for Wagatha Christie fans,” awarding it a single star. Another reviewer humorously labeled it “deeply dull,” a nod to the high-profile legal battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney.
Lingering Impact of Legal Battle
Sources close to Rebekah Vardy suggest she continues to grapple with the repercussions of her legal defeat against Coleen Rooney in 2022. The High Court ruling found Coleen’s accusations to be “substantially true,” and Vardy was ordered to pay £1.19 million towards Rooney’s legal costs.
Despite the outcome of the legal proceedings, Rebekah Vardy has maintained her stance, expressing no intention to apologize or admit guilt. In previous episodes of the show, she stated, “I’m living with the judgment the judge made but, still to this day, I believe she was wrong. People constantly go: ‘Well, it’s not going to change anything unless you apologise.’ But I’m not apologising for something I didn’t do… it’s never going to happen. Hell will freeze over before I do that.”
Viewer Frustration and Future Plans
Online reactions from viewers indicate a growing disinterest in the scandal that dominated headlines in 2022. Many have urged Vardy to move on from the subject. Comments on social media included sentiments such as, “I mean, Coleen Rooney wiped the floor with her in court, so why is ITV even giving Rebekah Vardy air time?” and simply, “BORING!!!”
Some viewers have also noted that the series heavily features Rebekah, despite Jamie’s high-profile football career being a significant draw for the show. The couple has three children together: Sofia, 12, Finlay, 9, and Olivia Grace, 6. Rebekah also has two children from previous relationships, Megan, 23, and Taylor, 15, and is stepmother to Jamie’s daughter, Ella, 11.
With the recent announcement of Cremonese’s relegation from Serie A, the family is reportedly planning a return to the UK. Sources suggest Jamie Vardy is keen to have “one final hurrah” in English football before retiring. A family friend confirmed, “They are definitely coming back to Britain.”
