Frank Lampard’s ex urges Coleen Rooney and Becky Vardy to end feud and give legal battle cash to the NHS
THE ex-fiancee of Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is urging her pals Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy to end their feud, saying: “This would never have happened in my day.”
Elen Rivas — one of England’s iconic wags in 2006 which included Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Tweedy — is “stunned” the former friends are gearing up for a high-profile court battle over alleged leaked stories.
Today Elen, 45, begs them not to waste hundreds of thousands of pounds on a taxing legal battle — saying the money could be put to a better use.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, the businesswoman and mum-of-two said: “It is a nightmare for them both and has been a big shock for everyone.”
Former I’m A Celebrity contestant Rebekah, 38, launched libel proceedings against Coleen, 34, for accusing her of leaking secrets divulged on her private Instagram account.
Coleen — dubbed Wagatha Christie for her detective work that led to the accusation — refuses to back down.
Elen says: “It’s such a shame they are going to court because the wives and girlfriends that follow the England football team have always been like one big, happy family.
“Also, all the money they are going to spend in court could easily go to the NHS or key workers.
“Half a million pounds on lawyers seems such a waste when they could just sit down and talk.
“I hope they sort it out between them. But if they can’t they should just forget about it and move on.”
Elen was at the World Cup with Wayne’s wife Coleen in Germany in 2006 and knows Rebekah too.
She stressed: “I know both girls so I don’t want to take sides. I can’t comment on who is right and who is wrong.
“But this would never have happened in my day. Coleen is still a friend and if I saw her tomorrow we would go for a drink, for sure.
“I met Rebekah Vardy at a football game and she is a friend too.”
Elen, who has two daughters with former England ace Frank, 42, also revealed she and Frank are back on amicable terms following the acrimonious end to their six-year relationship in 2008.
She added: “I know how difficult it is when you fall out with someone given what happened with me and Frank, but I wish him all the best.”
For Barcelona-born Elen, who left school at 15 to work for her alcoholic mother Elena, a butcher, at the Spanish city’s central food market, the glamorous wag lifestyle was a huge change of pace.
She met Frank at the Wellington Club in London’s Knightsbridge in 2002.
At the time she worked in the cloakroom at the exclusive Chinawhites club, having left Spain aged 20 to start a new life in England.
Although she stopped following the England team after she and Frank split, she kept in touch with Coleen and met Becky through mutual pals after the former party planner began dating Jamie in 2014.
Speaking from her home in London, Elen said: “It was a very different time when I first met Coleen. We were all much more innocent and naïve and there was no social media.
“Everyone was nice to everyone including me, the only foreigner. We watched every game and we would not gossip when England played because we wanted them to win.
5 ways to settle Coleen and Becky's feud
COLEEN and Rebekah could avoid court and do one of these instead to decide who wins . . .
- A penalty shootout in sky-scraping Louboutin heels
- Keepy uppy dressed in Gucci followed by a dribbling race around Louis Vuitton suitcases
- Chanel handbags at dawn
- Extra time with a golden (necklace) goal
- 100m dash to Harrods
“It was very important for the players, so it was important for us too. There were never any problems. We were united.”
Elen was one of the gang of Baden-Baden wags — led by Victoria — who caused a stir during the World Cup in Germany in 2006.
The group, which also included Cheryl, who was dating Ashley Cole, Peter Crouch’s now wife Abbey Clancy and Coleen — blew tens of thousands of pounds on designer clothes during wild days out that became the talk of the tournament.
She now concedes: “Maybe we should have toned it down a little bit at the World Cup, but we were so young and having fun.
“We were so free with no cares. It was great. We would wake up and say to each other, ‘Let’s go for breakfast’. Then we would have lunch. We were in and out of each other’s rooms all day like teenagers.”
At the following World Cup, in 2010 in South Africa, wags were banned.
The change was said to be a direct result of the girls’ antics in Baden-Baden when England’s highly-rated team crashed out in the quarter-finals, losing to Portugal on penalties.
Elen said: “I don’t know if we were distracting for the players in Germany. I think it was good for them to have their families around.”
Elen now runs her own La Organiser lifestyle-organising business and is currently working on the London home of model Imogen Thomas, who used to date England striker Jemaine Defoe.
She is also helping reorganise the Essex pad of Towie star Amy Childs.
Elen said: “I do spaces from wardrobes to kitchens and bathrooms.
“If someone doesn’t know how to organise, we can help them.
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“I have partnered with Abels, which is the removal company of the Royal Family.”
On Frank and their daughters Luna, 14, and Isla, 13, she said: “He is happy and my girls are happy and they have a good relationship, which is all that matters.
“I want my girls to grow up with happy parents, so I want him to do well with Chelsea.”
- For more on Elen’s business see laorganiser.com
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