Wayne Rooney Lands New BBC Show Following Viral Erling Haaland Hudson River Challenge

Can you beat Wayne Rooney?

Former England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is launching a new weekly BBC visualised podcast titled Can You Beat Wayne Rooney?.

• The Format: Hosted by comedian Alex Brooker, famous guests from sport, entertainment, and pop culture will battle Rooney in a test of football trivia and nostalgia.
• Where to Watch/Listen: The series debuts this autumn on BBC Sounds, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport’s Football YouTube channel, and major podcast platforms.
• The Production: Produced in Manchester by Persephonica, the team behind Games Gone: The Steve Bracknall Podcast.

Fresh from answering Erling Haaland’s challenge to fulfil his World Cup rowing pledge on New York’s Hudson River following Norway’s dramatic World Cup victory over Brazil, Wayne Rooney is tackling a whole new arena. The former England captain is returning to the BBC this autumn to put his legendary footballing brain against a fresh lineup of celebrity contenders every week.

Part trivia battle, part deep-dive interview, Can You Beat Wayne Rooney? pairs fierce competition with behind-the-scenes storytelling. As famous guests attempt to outsmart the striker, each question serves as a gateway to iconic dressing room anecdotes, international tournament memories, and title race secrets straight from one of the greatest careers in football history.

Wayne Rooney said: “Anyone who knows me knows I’m competitive, whether it’s on a football pitch, playing paddle or on a golf course and even rowing on the Hudson River. When Erling called me out to honour my challenge after Norway beat Brazil, there was no way I was backing out. That’s probably why I know I’m going to enjoy this series so much. We’ve evolved the podcast to lean into that competitive side of my personality, because I know that’s something the people love to see. Every guest will turn up thinking they can beat me and, honestly, I don’t like losing. A single question can take you straight back to a dressing room, a match or a moment you haven’t thought about in years. We’ve got some great guests lined up, plenty of laughs and some fantastic football conversations”.

Co-host Alex Brooker said: “Wayne is an absolute winner, he hates losing. I can’t wait to see every guest arrive trying to take him down and Wayne determined not to let it happen! Add in the incredible stories that come from the questions and you’ve got something football fans are going to love. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The new show comes at a busy time for Rooney, he’s about to launch his new Disney+ reality series and he’s also fronting his own podcasts.

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