Wayne Rooney’s hair dye disaster at Euro 2024
Gary Lineker has shared an amusing tale about Wayne Rooney’s hair dye disaster during the former striker’s stint as a BBC pundit at Euro 2024 in Germany, reports BritPanorama.
The incident occurred while Rooney was working alongside Lineker and the BBC Sport team at the tournament, which took place two years prior. It became a notable blunder just before one of the channel’s evening programmes, resulting in an unintended transformation that left the ex-England captain looking significantly different.
This mishap followed a day of socialising in Berlin that commenced with lunch and extended into the night. Lineker recounted how Rooney had remained out late with his agent, Paul Stretford, before later reaching out to see if Lineker’s son, Harry, wanted to continue the night.
After a prolonged evening, Rooney returned to his hotel, showered, and applied a hair product he had purchased in Dubai. “Oh I’ve had a nightmare. I had this stuff, I got it in Dubai, I couldn’t read the instructions because they were all in Arabic,” Rooney explained to Lineker, resulting in noticeably darker hair and beard.
Lineker’s son, who works as a producer, was the first to notice Rooney’s predicament. He called Lineker, saying, “Wayne needs to talk to you, he’s got a problem. He’s had a shower and dyed his beard and his hair.” With a broadcast scheduled for the following evening, the matter required prompt attention.
Upon entering the studio, the BBC’s makeup team quickly took action, using various shades to balance out the overly dark appearance. Lineker commended their efficiency, noting they managed to significantly mitigate the visible change before the cameras went live.
Shortly before going on air, Rooney proposed whether they should acknowledge the hair situation to viewers. Lineker suggested two options: to make light of it with a quip about Italy changing colours “as has someone on our panel,” or simply to overlook it and monitor social media reactions. Ultimately, they chose the latter approach, with Lineker stating, “Nobody really noticed. Makeup did a great job!”
The incident is believed to have occurred just before the Italy versus Croatia group stage match, which concluded dramatically with Mattia Zaccagni equalising in the 98th minute after Luka Modric had earlier given Croatia the lead. Rooney continues his role as a pundit for the BBC and frequently appears on Match of the Day.
This light-hearted incident serves as a reminder of how even seemingly trivial moments can become memorable in the high-pressure world of sports broadcasting, illustrating that sometimes the unexpected missteps make for the most entertaining stories.
