The stars of Footballers’ Wives showed off very different looks as they returned to screens for a TV reunion, 19 years on from the scandalous series’ last ever episode.
The scandal-filled drama about fictional Premier League football club Earls Park FC, its players and their wives was first broadcast in 2002 – and quickly became hugely popular, running for five series until 2006.
Some of its stars reunited on the sofa on today’s episode of This Morning, for a nostalgic interview 23 years after the salacious drama first hit our screens.
And despite a cheeky, knowing joke from co-host Ben Shepherd, 50, that the celebrities had ‘not changed, not remotely’, the celebs showed off their very different looks on the ITV daytime chat show today.
Joining Ben and his co-presenter Cat Deeley, 48, were Laila Rouᴀss, 53, and Susie Amy, 44, who played WAGs Amber Gates and Chardonnay Lane-Pascoe.
They were accompanied by Gary Lucy, 43, who played footballer and Chardonnay’s husband Kyle Pascoe, as well as Alison Newman, 57, who was sports agent Hazel Bailey.
Some of its stars reunited on the sofa (pictured) on today’s episode of This Morning, for a nostalgic interview 23 years after the salacious drama first hit our screens
The drama (pictured) about fictional Premier League football club Earls Park FC, its players and their wives was first broadcast in 2002. Pictured: Susie as Chardonnay, middle right, and Gary as Kyle, front
Fespite a cheeky, knowing joke from co-host Ben Shepherd, 50, that the celebrities had ‘not changed, not remotely’, the celebs showed off their very different looks on the ITV daytime chat show today. Pictured: Gary and Susie as Kyle and Chardonnay
Laila’s character Amber was one of the most memorable late additions to the series, coming in during season three.
A particularly infamous scene of hers saw the WAG crash a party with a sH๏τgun and try to kill football player Bruno Milligan (Ben Richards) who accidentally sH๏τ her husband in the previous series.
The actress looked glamorous in a dark suit on This Morning today, still sporting the same signature long dark locks she had in the show.
Ruthless sports agent and later club chair Hazel Bailey, played by Alison, was known on the show as a bright redhead, with a sharp, fiery pixie cut.
But on the daytime chat show today, she sported longer hair, now in an elegant, grey, shoulder-length bob.
Her character left the show in series four to be the agent for her tennis player girlfriend – who Alison revealed on the sofa today was played by English actress Hannah Waddingham.
Hannah is now best-known for also playing a football club owner – Rebecca Welton, in hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lᴀsso, a not dissimilar comedy-drama about fictional club AFC Richmond, first released in 2020 and still airing.
Ben and Cat were amazed by the connection, when they asked about the similarities between Ted Lᴀsso and Footballers’ Wives, with Alison saying: ‘There we go!’
Laila (pictured), who played Amber, looked glamorous in a dark suit on This Morning today, still sporting the same signature long dark locks she had in the show
Susie (pictured) was smiley and smartly dressed on the sofa today, in white tailored trousers and a yellow sweater vest
Gary (pictured) was looking potentially the most different out of the entire cast, with his short hair gone and replaced by long, flowing locks
On the daytime chat show today, Alison (right) sported longer hair, now in an elegant, grey, shoulder-length bob
Footballers’ Wives (pictured) has become popular again in recent times after it was picked up by streaming platform BritBox in 2021 and added back on to ITVX in 2023
Hannah is now best-known for also playing a football club owner – Rebecca Welton (pictured), in hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lᴀsso, a not dissimilar comedy-drama about fictional club AFC Richmond, first released in 2020 and still airing
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Susie played glamour model Chardonnay, whose breast implants notoriously caught on fire at her hen do before marrying footballer Kyle, played by Gary, sat next to her on the sofa today.
But the actress was smiley and smartly dressed on the sofa today, in white tailored trousers and a yellow sweater vest, her put-together look rather unlike the chaotic character she used to play.
Chardonnay’s bright pink wedding dress – not dissimilar in uniqueness of hue to real WAG Victoria Beckham’s deep purple wedding get-up in 1999 – was par for the course on Footballers’ Wives, with its stars no stranger to a wacky outfit.
But the cast appeared in rather more day-to-day ensembles on the sofa today, in neat tailored trousers, jeans, T-shirts and jumpers respectively.
Susie and Gary have possibly spent more time on set together than any of the other cast members.
After playing a couple on-screen in Footballers’ Wives, the actors started playing exes Luke and Scarlett on Hollyoaks in 2018.
Gary was looking potentially the most different out of the entire cast, with his short hair gone and replaced by long, flowing locks.
He also boasted a little bit of scruff which he did not have as a cleanly shaven football star on the WAG drama series.
Chardonnay’s bright pink wedding dress (pictured), was par for the course on Footballers’ Wives, with its stars no stranger to a wacky outfit
It was not dissimilar in uniqueness of hue to real WAG Victoria Beckham’s deep purple wedding get-up in 1999 (pictured)
When asked by Ben about the possibility of a reboot, Gary said: ‘I think it would go down a storm to be honest’. Pictured: Laila as Amber, second right
He said: ‘I think they might have to, there’s compliance, getting it out there on-screen might take another ten years, you know what it’s like now but I think it would just be something refreshing’. Pictured: Susie as Chardonnay, left
The cast of Footballers’ Wives in 2003, with Susie as Chardonnay (back)
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Footballers’ Wives has become popular again in recent times after it was picked up by streaming platform BritBox in 2021 and added back on to ITVX in 2023.
And when asked by Ben about the possibility of a reboot, Gary said: ‘I think it would go down a storm to be honest.
‘I think they might have to, there’s compliance, getting it out there on-screen might take another ten years, you know what it’s like now but I think it would just be something refreshing.’
But he did also point out his own different look, in the more than 20 years since the show first aired: ‘I mean, obviously I wouldn’t be able to play a footballer sadly.
‘Coach maybe, yeah but those days [of playing a footballer] are behind me now unfortunately.’
Another humorous moment came when Ben and Cat pointed out that Ken, the pH๏τographer on This Morning, who takes pictures of all the stars that sit on the sofa, actually appeared in Footballers’ Wives himself too.
He played pH๏τographer to the football and WAG stars in the show, with everyone on-set at the daytime chat show cackling at a throwback clip of Ken in the series.
The nostalgic interview segment came in the same episode as Ben and Cat’s divisive return as co-hosts of the show.
The nostalgic interview segment came in the same episode as Ben and Cat’s (pictured) divisive return as co-hosts of the show
Today’s instalment of the ITV daytime programme (pictured) welcomed back the two presenters after they took a break over the bank holiday weekend
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Today’s instalment of the ITV daytime programme welcomed back the two presenters after they took a break over the bank holiday weekend.
Ben and Cat opened the programme with a quick catch-up about their time off before delving into the H๏τ topics of the day.
Cat wore a taupe two-piece outfit which featured a sleeveless top and smart trousers.
Ben, meanwhile, sported dark jeans and a white denim jacket over a black T-shirt.
But some viewers were not impressed with the duo’s return and took to social media to air their opinions.
One posted on X: ‘I was hoping for Rylan or Craig and Emma today #ThisMorning.’
‘#ThisMorning Surely they could have done their weekend catch up before coming on air. Who gives a t*** whether they were cycle riding or flat pack making,’ someone else commented.
‘Please get rid of these two I beg of you… they’re soooo boring… oh and Deeley stop that awful fake laugh… #ThisMorning.’
‘Is Ben alright?? #ThisMorning.’
Footballers’ Wives is available to stream on ITVX.
