The Real Rooneys review: Rows take the headlines but the kids are stars of the show

The Real Rooneys review: Rows take the headlines but the kids are stars of the show It would be great to spend more time at the family home in The Real Rooneys as that is where a lot of the fun and insight comes from. The theme of change is everywhere you look in the Disney+ series The Real Rooneys. At the start Wayne has been sacked as a football manager and is changing careers into broadcasting. Coleen is going back to work which is a big difference from her normally being on call 24/7 to help their four sons. It also strikes me that the Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford hopes the series will also change people’s opinion of Wayne, showing him as a decent dad and more thoughtful on some subjects like Auschwitz and fame than you would possibly expect. It is arguably the Rooney kids who are the stars of the show. Their personalties are not tamed by years of media training so when they speak about their parents what they say is how they feel - I liked one saying Coleen had thrown high heels at Wayne in a row, it's a real shame that wasn't caught on camera! The kids get many of the best lines in this series and also are more ‘real’ to watch than a lot of the meetings and scheduled work the parents have, which feels a little bit dull by comparison to the stuff filmed at home. Eldest Kai jokes “bro’s up for the cameras” on a rare morning when Wayne is up before 8am and Kit and Cass trade cheeky jibes and give insight into family life before they slug it out in the ring under the watchful eyes of grandad Tony. If they do a second series I would push for more filming time at the home. The first four episodes we got to preview focus on the future and the changes of the last 12 months, so there are no mentions of Wayne’s past bad behaviour, which for most would have meant divorce. However he still manages some new mistakes, sleeping in when he is meant to be doing the school run and then drinking in a golf clubhouse and keeping Coleen waiting for two hours when they are meant to be driving to Scotland for a romantic weekend. The insight into their row and then making up in the car is refreshing and what happens with most couples to be honest. At one point after another drinking session Coleen tells him: “It is only you that can fix it because no one else is doing it. I am just hoping that things change.” And possibly after filming finished, it seems some changes have already happened. At the London premiere of the series Wayne looked in good shape and has reportedly now stopped drinking alcohol, so perhaps Wayne the reality TV star is here to stay. Overall it is a fairly polished reality series, with nice family insights but with an emphasis on fun rather than huge shocks and raw emotions. There is the odd tear and raised voice but it is a family friendly series to watch. One of my main takeaways was that Coleen is a saint for putting up with everything she has done down the years and also what a brilliant and organised mum she is. She is the glue holding the family together and if anyone has put the hours in and deserves to be happy, it is her. I feel tired just watching her organise everything in her beloved diary. At the premiere she mentioned some of the footage Disney have captured is a great keepsake for her to see her boys growing up. Presuming the kids enjoyed it, I wouldn’t be surprised if a second series is on the cards next year to give her some more keepsakes and Disney some more reality TV that is easy to watch. VERDICT: FOUR STARS **** * Stream The Real Rooneys on Disney+ from September 24. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.