HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

LEGAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA
CHRISTIE TRIAL
CONCLUDES
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1BV6-G1AD-GN93

1 Warm up

Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you enjoy reading about the lives of celebrities? Why/why not?

2. Would you like to be famous? Can you think of any drawbacks to being a celebrity?
3. Why do you think some people are fascinated with celebrities?
4. If somebody said something unpleasant about you that wasn’t true, would you want to take them
to court?
5. Have you ever posted a comment online that you later regretted?
6. Do you think that, in the Digital Age, the world has changed faster than the law can adapt?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

2 Vocabulary focus

Part A: Match words with the correct definitions.

Group 1

1. proceeding (n) a. the clever or humorous use of a word that has more than one
meaning, or of words that have different meanings but sound
the same
2. libel (n) b. a name or nickname

3. moniker (n) c. confused and anxious because you are unable to understand
something
4. pun (n) d. the act of printing a statement about somebody that is not
true and that gives people a bad opinion of them
5. perplexed (adj.) e. (usually plural) the process of using a court to settle an
argument or to deal with a complaint
6. feud (n) f. an angry argument between two people or groups of people
that continues over a long period of time

Group 2

1. attest (v) a. comments or actions that are intended to make

somebody/something seem silly
2. mockery (n) b. describing an attempt to find a solution to a problem between
two people or groups who disagree
3. mediated (adj.) c. not having the necessary equipment or skills

4. farcical (adj.) d. say officially that something is true or accurate

5. ill-equipped (adj.) e. describing something that is very silly, unlikely or

unreasonable, often in a way that is humorous
6. unsavoury (adj.) f. unpleasant or offensive; not considered morally acceptable

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

Part B: Complete the sentences with the missing words from Part A. You may need to change the
form of the word.

1. I had to wear special shoes at school, and as such I was subject to from my
classmates.

2. James found that he was for the job, having lied on his CV about his experience.

3. The between the two countries has lasted for centuries, with no end in sight.

4. Children should be taught about at school, to avoid legal trouble through comments
they may post online.

5. The fans were absolutely that the referee did not award a penalty - it seemed like
a clear foul.

6. Some people consider to be one of the lowest forms of humour, but I think they’re
hilarious.

7. Jane that she was asleep in her bedroom when the burglary took place.

8. First the judge was ill and then the jury had to be reselected due to a conflict of interest. The
entire trial has become rather .

9. During my legal training, I took part in a resolution that ensured a fair outcome
for both parties.

10. Some people post jokes in the aftermath of tragic events that most of us would find .

11. Criminal have begun against the former prime minister.

12. The press gave the politician a somewhat cruel based on his weight.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

3 Listening for specific information

Read the text below and listen to the report about a trial that took place in the UK. Then on the next
page write down what the items mentioned relate to.

In 2019, someone had been leaking stories to the British newspaper The Sun
about Coleen Rooney, the wife of English footballer Wayne Rooney. Over five
months, Rooney carried out her own private Instagram investigation to find out
who the mystery person was. She described what she did in a Tweet that went
viral:

Following that tweet, Coleen became known as Wagatha Christie, a pun on the
word "Wag" (Wives and Girlfriends of football players) and Agatha Christie, a
famous writer renowned for her detective stories.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

Video

1. The London High Court

2. David Sherborne

3. The North Sea

Audio

Now, listen again and answer the questions true, false or not given.

1. A verdict has been reached at the trial.

2. The feud began when Coleen Rooney leaked Rebekah Vardy’s tweets to tabloid newspapers.

3. A judge had already ruled in favour of Vardy at a preliminary hearing in 2020.

4. According to Rooney’s lawyer, Rebekah Vardy refused offers to come to an agreement, instead
insisting on taking Rooney to court.

5. The trial has involved comical and ridiculous elements, such as a debate on the meanings of various
emojis and potentially important evidence being lost in strange circumstances.

4 Post-listening: extended vocabulary

Complete the definitions of the words and phrases below by filling in the gaps with the correct words
from the list.

badly damaged giving proof not directly think carefully

1. allege (v): to state something as a fact but without

2. knock-on effect (n): an event or situation that causes other events or situations, but

3. mull over (v): to about something for a long time

4. in tatters (n): or completely spoiled

Now, work in pairs and discuss these questions.

• Can you think of a famous actor whose reputation has been left in tatters because of scandals?
• Has anyone ever alleged something about you, or somebody you know?
• What kinds of knock-on effects has the pandemic had on business?
• Are you mulling over any big decisions, such as changing jobs or moving house at the moment?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

5 Reading: general vocabulary

Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. My wife is suing her former boss for defamation after he publicly stated that she had stolen money
from the company.

2. In my country, male police officers have been caught using information collected for cases to
contact women privately, which is a flagrant abuse of power.

3. Some people create anonymous profiles to avoid the attention of online trolls when using the
internet.

4. At the height of the pandemic, the situation seemed to be unrelenting, with no end in sight.

a. the act of damaging somebody’s reputation by saying or writing bad or false things about them

b. people who post messages or comments online in order to deliberately make other people angry

c. describing an unpleasant situation that doesn’t stop or become less severe

d. describing an action that shocks you because it is done in a very obvious way and shows no respect
for people, laws etc.

II

1. The prime minister has trumpeted personal successes that many consider to be minor distractions.

2. In order to succeed in business, it is said that you have to be ruthless.

3. As it was released during the Black Lives Matter protests, the film’s all-white cast and praise of the
police led to accusations that it was tone-deaf.

4. The ramifications of the report are yet to be seen, but many are expecting key government officials
to resign in response to the findings.

a. talk about something publicly in an enthusiastic way

b. one of a number of complicated and unexpected results that follow an action or a decision

c. describing people or behaviour that is hard and cruel

d. not understanding how people feel about something, or what is needed in a particular situation

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

Part B: Complete the short text with the correct words from Part A. You may need to change the form
of the words.

Why do people read gossip magazines? Well, as a former writer for one of the big ones, I
believe I can answer. People love it when a celebrity is caught doing something naughty –
it’s a guilty pleasure, like eating chocolate ice cream at midnight. It’s also a wonderful escape
1
from the misery of the real world. In the world of celebrity,
2
there are rarely far-reaching for the minor sins of the rich and
3
famous. We would always keep our stories light and trivial: cases
were the most serious thing we reported on. This was in the early 2000s, when a politician in
4
breach of the law would be forced to resign and have his career
ruined. Meanwhile, actors and the like were untouchable. How things have changed! These
5
days, a single tweet can be used to destroy even the most minor
6
celebrity by an increasingly public. Previously distant, celebrities
7
now attempt to engage with regular people, exposing them to nasty
8
and online abuse. Meanwhile, politicians their crimes to a
growing fanbase, seemingly immune to the laws the rest of us have to follow. I think I prefer
the way things used to be.

Now, discuss these questions in pairs.

1. In order to succeed in business, do you need to be ruthless?

2. Do you think that following celebrity gossip is a good way of escaping unrelenting bad news?
3. Will defamation cases increase in the future, or will the law change to accommodate the differences
between publishing something in print and online?

6 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text about the cult of celebrity. Scan the text quickly and match the paragraph
headings with the correct paragraphs. One heading cannot be matched to any of the paragraphs and
should be marked ‘Not given’.

a. Open to both online and offline abuse

b. Our fascination with the world of glitz and glamour

c. The rise of the influencer

d. The pleasure from humiliation

e. An era of obsession

f. A welcome distraction

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.

ADVANCED (C1-C2)
WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES
The age of celebrity
Why are we still obsessed with fame?
1. We’re living in the age of celebrity. Fame is a currency
of sorts, one that many of us are desperate to acquire.
From the early days of Hollywood to the peak of
gossip – the 90s – and beyond, we have become
obsessed with the rich and the famous, and the idea
of becoming so ourselves. As with all obsessions,
this can only ever be unhealthy for all involved. The
death of the celebrity has been trumpeted in recent
years, especially during the pandemic as we watched
the tone-deaf attempts of wealthy actors and singers
to tap into the mood of the world with glitzy TikTok
videos showcasing marble mansions, and yet, as high-
profile trials show, our obsession is far from over.
2. The defamation case brought to London’s High Court
by Rebekah Vardy has shown that, despite the
pandemic and war in Europe, regular Britons are still
fascinated by celebrities. Vardy, whose fame stems
from her marriage to record-breaking Leicester City
football player Jamie Vardy, has, like many minor
celebrities, appeared on the television circuit, and
has, to her credit, used her position to support a
number of charities. In the media, however, she
has been painted as a social climber, fame-hungry
and ruthless. During her trial, she was accused of
throwing her agent under the bus to save her skin.
3. There is an element of *schadenfreude in the
many social media posts about the trial, with users
apparently delighting in the savaging of Rebekah
Vardy by Coleen Rooney’s defence lawyer. Tabloids
chose to focus on the way in which the two
women dressed, rating their outfits and – somewhat
sadistically – comparing their marriages, with a focus
on Rooney’s marital problems with her husband,
Wayne. All of this begs the question: why would
anyone voluntarily subject themselves to such public
scrutiny and ridicule? Is any amount of money or
fame worth this level of contempt from every level
of society? Why are so many of us so eager to
Glossary:
schadenfreude: pleasure that comes from witnessing another person’s troubles
FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting!
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
become well-known to the point of losing all privacy
and becoming fair game for all manner of trolls?
4. Perhaps the obsession with celebrities and the
flagrant enjoyment in their public shaming comes
from the same place. A mixture of jealousy,
admiration and, crucially, a recognition of the triviality
of it all, that, despite the legal ramifications that
the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial may have, gossip is still
merely gossip, a fluffy distraction from more serious
matters. Many of us are exhausted, fed up of
unrelenting bad news, and dealing with our own
problems. Celebrities, omnipresent on our television
screens and newsfeeds, aren’t seen as individuals,
but as brands that can be criticised or idolised with
no consequence. We own them, because they have
chosen to be in the public eye, to be ever-present and
to make a living from simply being known.
5. This attitude can, of course, lead to dark places.
Countless celebrities have been forced to abandon
their social media accounts after being harassed by
members of the public, often under the shroud of
anonymity. Some have been killed by their stalkers,
such as John Lennon and Jill Dando. Once we
depersonalise a person because they have chosen a
life of fame, it’s easy to cross a line, to say things
that no human being should say to another. They
can take it, after all – they’re celebrities. Social
media platforms such as Twitter have come under
fire for their failure to tackle this kind of targeted
abuse, but perhaps we need, as a society, to tackle
the root of the problem. If the media focused on
the achievements of scientists, nurses, engineers and
teachers, if newspapers told human stories and used
their power and reach to inspire regular people, the
cult of celebrity may well come to an end.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Independent
8/10
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

7 Reading comprehension

Read the article again. Complete the sentences with between ONE to THREE words from the article.

1. Our obsession with celebrity culture began in the of Hollywood.

2. Even in difficult times, celebrities appear to be targets of fascination for

Britons.

3. Although accused of being ruthless and desiring fame, Rebekah Vardy supports a
.

4. Perhaps the primary appeal of gossip is that it serves as a from

unrelenting bad news.

5. Instead of seeing celebrities as individuals, we tend to regard them as , opening

them up to consequence-free criticism.

6. Many celebrities have had to their accounts on platforms such as

Twitter after being harassed.

7. In order the root of the problem, the media should focus on the
achievements of regular people, rather than obsessing over celebrities.

8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think that the term ‘Wag’ is insulting? Why/why not?

2. Was Rebekah Vardy right to take Coleen Rooney to court over the allegations? Why/why not?
3. Do you think gossip is a harmless distraction, or a harmful obsession?
4. Are tabloid newspapers partially responsible for the online abuse that celebrities often suffer? If
so, what can be done about this?
5. Have our technological inventions, such as the internet, evolved faster than we have as a species?
6. Does everyone secretly wish to be famous?
7. Should everyone have the right to have ‘their day in court’ or should some cases be thrown out if
they are too trivial?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 9/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ADVANCED (C1-C2)

WAGATHA CHRISTIE TRIAL CONCLUDES

9 Extended activity: post-reading

Part A: Look at the text on page seven. Find a word or phrase that means the following. The tense
may be different in the text.

a. present the good qualities of something/someone in an attractive way (para.

1)
b. try to avoid death, punishment etc. especially by leaving others in a difficult
situation (para. 2)
c. in a way that takes pleasure from hurting others or seeing them suffer (para.
3)
d. everywhere at once (para. 4)

e. well-known to many people through television, newspapers, the Internet etc.

(para. 4)
f. continue to annoy or upset someone over time (para. 5)

g. be criticised (para. 5)

h. unfair, cruel or violent treatment of somebody (para. 5)

Part B: Complete the dialogue below with the words and phrases from the above exercise. You may
need to change the tense of the word or phrase.

Julie: Have you seen that new reality TV show, Celebrity Scandals? I watched an episode
last night.
1
Dustin: I’ve heard of it, the TV station for encouraging online
2
of celebrities, didn’t it?
Julie: I can see why. They really depersonalise some of them, focusing on their bodies and
outfits, but not much else.
Dustin: I can’t understand why anyone would choose to go on a programme like that.

Julie: Well, I get it – if you’re used to being idolised by everyone, you might think that you
3
have to be all the time in case they forget about you.
Maybe some of them think that they’re more popular than they really are. They think
4
they’re just their talents, but actually, they’re embarrassing
themselves.
5
Dustin: I heard the narrator just comments on how awful these
celebrities are, even as the camera is following them around the house.
Julie: To be fair, some of them are awful. One of the stars of the show is this actor who’s
6
been in so many things he’s practically . Anyway, during
the episode I watched, he made up a lie about another person on the show just to
7
. She got voted off by the public, but then people on
Twitter realised he was lying about the whole thing. It was too late for the woman,
8
though. She was outside the studio by angry fans!

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 10/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in JM chMireia's lessons.