Wayne Rooney has revealed that he has not drunk alcohol for almost six months, a decision he credits with improving his mental health, restoring his fitness and placing his marriage to Coleen Rooney in a “much better place”. The former England captain, now 41, made the disclosure ahead of his appearance on ITV's I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, where he will live on basic rations in the Australian jungle.
The honesty is more interesting than the weight loss. A public figure who spent two decades under an unforgiving spotlight, and who has previously spoken about his relationship with alcohol, has chosen not to minimise but to explain. In a culture that treats drinking as a social obligation and sobriety as an eccentricity, that candour carries a civic weight of its own.
What Rooney actually said
According to the Daily Record, Rooney said the change had affected “everything… just in day to day living”. His account was specific and free of miracle claims. He has been eating “probably as healthy as I've ever eaten”, training regularly, and has lost more than 20 kilograms, a figure he was careful to situate over several years rather than the past six months alone.
“From a point of view of our marriage, it's in a better place, in a much happier place. And so that obviously makes a difference… also from a mental point of view, I'm in such a better place as well.”
The Mirror reported that quitting alcohol almost six months ago has transformed his physical and mental health and helped bring the couple closer together. The Brit Brief likewise noted the weight loss and the improvement in his mental health as connected consequences of the same decision. There is no suggestion of weight-loss drugs or shortcuts; the Yahoo Life UK account points instead to plain habits, sobriety, diet and exercise, and to a motivation rooted in family rather than vanity. Rooney says staying healthy matters so he can make the most of time with his four sons, who range in age from eight to 16.
Why the jungle sharpened his resolve
Rooney did not pretend the decision was purely philosophical. Preparing for the jungle, with its meagre rations and gruelling Bushtucker Trials, was, he admitted, “a big part of it”.
“I think I got to a stage where I probably needed to, regardless anyway. But knowing that I was going into the jungle was a big part of it, and also I was preparing well for this in terms of cutting down on food and making sure I'm in the best possible place to handle what's thrown at me in here.”
He was equally frank about the emotional cost of the programme. Living without any contact with Coleen and their four sons, Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass, will, he said, be “quite strange” and potentially difficult.
“Of course you miss them… But I know what that is. I have to get through that, and it's not too long in terms of your lifespan to spend away. But emotionally, you don't know how that will affect you once you're in there.”
He joked that Coleen, who finished runner-up on the show in 2024, would surely return the favour after he once urged his followers to vote her into trials. “Yes, I am sure she will,” he laughed.
The wider point about drink, fame and personal responsibility
It would be easy to file this under celebrity trivia. That would be a mistake. Rooney's account arrives at a moment when Britain's relationship with alcohol is under renewed scrutiny, and when public figures who speak plainly about dependence, recovery and mental health still perform a valuable service. The former Manchester United forward has previously discussed his drinking openly; his latest remarks extend that record rather than contradict it.
The liberal case for such candour is straightforward. Individuals flourish when they can make informed choices about their own lives, and informed choices require honest testimony. Rooney attributes his improved condition not to a product, a programme or a guru, but to the unglamorous business of stopping drinking, eating well and training. In an age saturated with quick fixes and monetised wellness, the plainly told story of a man taking control of his own habits is worth more than a hundred endorsed detoxes.
There is also something to be said for the absence of self-pity. A couple who have been together since their teenage years, and who have endured years of public scrutiny, are described by the husband as being in a “much happier place”. No blame is allocated; no third party is invoked. The improvement is presented as the joint consequence of one person's discipline and a marriage's resilience.
What happens next
Rooney now faces weeks of rice, beans and insects, sustained by the fitness he has built and, by his own account, a clearer head. Whether he wins the programme is trivial. What he has already demonstrated, in a small but genuine way, is that changing one's habits can change one's health, one's marriage and one's outlook, and that saying so publicly does more good than silence ever could.
Frequently asked questions
How long has Wayne Rooney been sober?
Almost six months, according to his own account given ahead of his appearance on I'm A Celebrity.
How much weight has Wayne Rooney lost?
More than 20 kilograms, though Rooney clarified the loss occurred over several years, not solely since he stopped drinking.
What did Rooney say about his marriage?
He said his marriage to Coleen Rooney is in a “much better place” and a “much happier place” since he changed his lifestyle.