EXTRAVAGANT, self-seeking, vacuous. All adjectives that have at some time or other been attached to WAGs. Lizzie Cundy, wife of former Chelsea star Jason, reckons that's all a bit unfair. And she once made a television programme called WAGs World for some insignificant listing on the satellite bouquet to reinforce the point.

In her own words, the programme "aimed to show a different side to WAGs – that they're not all empty-headed shoppers but a lot of them are successful businesswomen and have some great ideas."

Mrs Cundy clearly had herself in mind. You see, the self-styled television presenter is full of great ideas. Like the one that almost cost her husband his latest job.

As you might expect the idea involved another footballer's spouse – the current WAG du jour, Cheryl Cole, husband of Ashley, the former £55,000 a week "Arsenal slave".

And it was quite a stunt; Lizzie having apparently used her WAG connections to persuade the X-Factor star to give Jason an exclusive phone interview for his weekend show on talkSport radio.

It proved quite a scoop for the commercial station whose PR department immediately went into overdrive. In the interview, "Cheryl" revealed how she'd tried but failed to persuade Simon Cowell to change his hairstyle and that she probably wouldn't be going to South Africa next summer to watch her husband play at the World Cup.

Press releases were circulated, advertisers tapped up and so delighted were the talkSport management with Jason's work that they replayed highlights of the interview on subsequent shows. Jason, in turn, rewarded his sharp operator wife by showering her with gifts of flowers and bling.

For ambitious Jason it was another leg up in the competitive world of talk radio.

His wife, though, was hiding an embarrassing secret – the voice on the end of the line hadn't been the former Girls Aloud star's at all.

This had been a stunt that went a little too far.

Mrs Cundy came up with the idea of the interview at a WAG bash where she got talking to former Generation Game hostess and impressionist Francine Lewis who said that her latest "voice" was Cheryl's.

Ms Lewis happily agreed to play her part in the set-up.

In the radio interview, "Cheryl" told Jason how she'd bumped into his wife at a recent party before seamlessly turning the conversation to Simon Cowell's hair. "I've told him that he needs to change his hairstyle. I've told him time and time again, he just doesn't listen to anyone. He thinks he's gorgeous, you know what he's like."

The original plan had been for Mrs Cundy to come clean immediately after the interview but so swift and successful was the stunt and the media circus it prompted that, in the words of a friend, she "bottled it".

The truth was only revealed some time later when Ms Lewis's agent called the station to ask for a copy of the interview.

And now, finally, Mrs Cundy has confessed her role in the plot.

"This was a light-hearted joke that went wrong," she said.