Coleen celebrated her 40th with a lavish party at the £20m Cheshire mansion she shares with husband Wayne over the Easter weekend – but only a select few were invited
Coleen celebrated her 40th over the Easter weekend with a lavish bash(Image: Philip Coburn /Daily Mirror)
After finding herself embroiled in one of the biggest showbiz scandals of recent times, it’s little wonder Coleen Rooney prefers to keep her cards close to her chest.
Last weekend, the mum-of-four made sure to invite only her nearest and dearest to her lavish 40th birthday bash held at the £20m Cheshire mansion she shares with husband Wayne.
Amongst those on the guestlist were her WAG pals, Annie Kilner, Abbey Clancy, Leanne Brown, Tanya Bardsley and Kaya Hall, as well as Wayne’s footballer friends Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher. And sources say Coleen’s exclusive list of invitees is a telling sign of who she trusts and considers part of her inner circle.
Coleen Rooney and Annie Kilner’s friendship goes back years(Image: Getty Images)
Coleen pictured in 2025 with Real Housewives stars Tanya Bardsley and Seema Malhotra(Image: Getty Images)
“Coleen has been in the spotlight since the age of 16 and along the way has learned who her friends are, and who aren’t,” an insider tells new magazine.
“It’s been very hard for her to trust – she’s been burnt many times. But these girls are the special few who she knows have her back and supported her and Wayne through it all, without judgement.”
Indeed, Coleen has found herself at the centre of several media storms over the years. Not only has her 17-year marriage to Wayne, 40, been under constant scrutiny – earlier this year she was pictured without her wedding ring after Wayne was spotted partying with two mystery women – but the star was forced to face her former friend, Rebekah Vardy, in court over claims she’d sold stories on Coleen to the press.
Leanne Brown is another good pal(Image: Internet Unknown)
But throughout it all, there have been a handful of women who have remained by her side. Annie Kilner, wife of England ace Kyle Walker, and Coleen regularly attend the same events and in March 2025, were seen catching up over lunch. Their meet up came amid rumours Annie, 33, and Kyle’s marriage was in trouble – something Coleen can relate to all too well.
“Coleen felt for Annie’s situation and they’ve grown close,” reveals our source. “They’ve both had similar experiences with the papers and Annie has felt like she can confide in her.”
Just hours after the glitzy occasion, Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley took to social media to say she had the “best time” celebrating her friend. Their friendship goes back years, with Coleen supposedly siding with both Tanya, 44, and Leanne Brown, 47 – who also attended the party – amid their fall-out with co-star Dawn Ward.
Despite their reality TV background, our source says Coleen trusts the girls whole-heartedly. “Coleen knows they love to court the press, but she’s got a big heart and they’ve been through a lot. Coleen went through her own heartbreak after losing her sister and she’ll always reach out if someone is going through a tough time. They’ve got common ground with what they’ve all been through.”
Coleen and Abbey have a lot in common and have grown close
Another good friend who joined Coleen on her special day was Abbey Clancy, who attended the party with husband Peter Crouch. The couple has bonded with Coleen and Wayne over the years, and Abbey, 40, supported Coleen throughout her high-profile libel case with Rebekah in 2022.
“They’ve been at the World Cups together and of course have a natural connection, given they’re both from Liverpool and the same age,” explains our source. “Abbey is very upfront, like Coleen, but genuine. During the trial, Coleen was at her lowest ebb – it had a massive impact on her health. But her friends really helped her through the dark times.”
Coleen may prefer to keep her friendship group small – but it’s thought those who are lucky enough to call her a friend can expect to have a genuine ally in return.
“She’s very loyal to those who have stuck by her,” says our insider. “She’s generous, kind and will always have their back. If you show loyalty to Coleen, she’ll show it back tenfold.”
