The woman at the centre of Wayne Rooney’s latest marital problems received a real grilling on the This Morning sofa.
Hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby put Laura Simpson on the spot, asking her to justify her behaviour the night she got in a car with the married footballer.
Phillip pulled no punches form the off, starting the interview by asking Laura, “Why are you here?”
And Holly went on to question why she had got in a car late at night with a married man, saying that was something she would never do.
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Laura admitted that she was “obviously” aware of Wayne’s status, but the incident has been “blown out of proportion”.
“Basically we just got a cab, it’s a bit of a whirlwind really, there was no conversation. We ended at the car after getting out of the cab,” she said.
“But that takes it to the next stage,” argued Holly.
“He’s not looking for a new friend, you’re in the car with a man that’s married.
“My thing would be that as a female, as a sisterhood, I wouldn’t get in the car with a married man,” Holly explained.
Laura attempted to justify her actions, by saying: “But I was a couple of drinks down.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. If it was just a general person I don’t think it would have been portrayed as this.”
Phillip also chimed in, saying: “But you got in a cab with a married man, you got in a car with a married man!”
“If I was in the car I wouldn’t be all over the papers, I mean if it was any general married man it wouldn’t be an issue,” Laura added.
But Holly argued: “Publicly it wouldn’t be an issue but morally it still would be.”
And Phillip made it clear that his wife would not be happy if Laura had got in a car late at night alone with him.
The pair had met at a bar in Alderley Edge where they had chatted and drunk together and then ended up in her car at 1am, when dad of three Wayne was arrested for drink driving.
Quotes from lettings agent Laura, 31, later appeared in the papers, saying they had had “a kiss and a cuddle” and would definitely have gone on to have sex if the police hadn’t stopped them.
Wayne’s wife Rooney was on holiday at the time with their three sons, after recently revealing she was pregnant for a fourth time.
But when she appeared on the daytime show, Laura backtracked on what had been published, saying nothing happened between her and the former England captain.
She claimed she was just “going home” and denied the reports.
“For one I had a t-shirt on, a baggy t-shirt, for two I’ve not kissed and cuddled him,” she said.
“I think if that happened there would have been a lot more coverage of him as we were in a bar.
“I just feel like I’ve been thrown under the bus. With all the quotes that have been published, anything I say further is fuelling the fire really.
“It’s been blown out of proportion what was about to happen, or apparently going to happen.”
She also explained that she had gone on the chat show to give her version of events, saying: “Basically to make sure what I’ve said in the paper isn’t actually what I’ve said. Things in the papers are very inaccurate.”
Laura also said she had spoken to Wayne’s wife Coleen on the phone.
“Basically I asked her to give me a call,” she said. “I’ve said everything I told you.
“I said nothing happened and that I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong apart from getting into the car.
“I wish it hadn’t happened but it was just impulse.”
Laura admitted the situation was “not ideal and not what anybody needs” with Coleen being pregnant, but claims she has no feelings towards Wayne.
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Asked whether she regretted what happened, she replied: “Regret is a bit of a strong word for a situation where I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. I can’t see much wrong with getting in a car.
“I regret the damage it’s caused.”
Holly asked what she would do in Coleen’s position – would she “forgive and forget”?
Laura said with a pause, then carried on: “It’s my opinion, I wouldn’t do that to my partner.”
Viewers were clamouring to voice their opinions on Twitter:
A lot of people felt that Laura had done herself no favours doing the interview at all…
Others were confused about why she wouldn’t forgive Wayne if she were Coleen – despite saying nothing happened…
Others were sceptical about her motives.
We don’t think this story’s ready to die just yet.