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Wayne and Coleen Rooney filmed visiting Auschwitz with sons in new TV show
The couple are filmed with two of their sons at the Nazi death camp as part of new Disney X reality TV series
Wayne and Coleen Rooney have revealed that a visit to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp featured in their new documentary series was prompted by their son interest in the Second World War, which he was studying at school.
The celebrity couple appear in a new reality television series aired by DisneyX, offering an insight into their lives that often contrasts with lurid newspaper headlines.
One of the more unexpected moments of The Real Rooneys is the family’s visit to Auschwitz, accompanied by two of their children.
When asked if the scenes in Poland were staged for the documentary, Coleen clarified: “No, that was us. Kit really wanted to go.”
In a Guardian interview Wayne added: “It was part of his education. He was doing World War II at school.” In the show, the family is seen passing Auschwitz and stopping to look at the cattle cars the Nazis used to transport people to their deaths.
Wayne, now a pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day, had previously visited Auschwitz in 2012 with fellow England squad members, after hearing the testimony of the late Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper.
Supporting his 10-year-old son Kit’s decision to visit the camp, Wayne reflects: “It’s really important to learn about history, good and bad. Sometimes with your kids, you only want to tell them good stuff, and I don’t think that’s good for them.”
During the documentary, the family is shown passing Auschwitz and pausing to look at the cattle cars used by the Nazis to transport victims to their deaths.
Coleen explained, “We knew we’d be passing Auschwitz, and we wanted to stop.”
She looks at her husband and asks, “You’ve been before, haven’t you?”
He replies: “I went at the Euros in 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. The FA asked us who wanted to go, and four or five of us went. It put a lot of things into perspective to see what had gone on there.”
Polish fans were surprised to catch a brief glimpse of Kraków’s Main Market Square as Wayne stopped for selfies while wearing sunglasses and a cap.
The Real Rooneys is available on Disney+ from 24 September
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