Celeb vs Superfan Wondery

Every summer for the past seven decades, 50 high school seniors—one from every state—descend on Mobile, Alabama to take part in one of the country’s most lucrative scholarship competitions for teen girls. 




The Competition takes you behind the scenes of the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) program, and follows seven girls as they experience the highs and lows of competing for two weeks, away from home and under the most high-stress circumstances. Some girls enter for the money, some for prestige. All of them are used to being the best and the brightest. But only one will walk away with the top prize.




Host Shima Oliaee (Dolly Parton’s America, Pink Card) was Nevada’s contestant in 2001. More than 20 years later, she returns to Alabama as a judge. What can two weeks with 50 of the country’s most ambitious teens tell us about girlhood in America?




Listen to The Competition on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting Wondery.fm/The_Competition now.

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A two-time winner of the Teen Choice Award, Jacob has reached the Hot 100 charts in the United States and Canada, performed his own music on a world tour, has a casual 10 MILLION followers on Instagram... and he’s just 19 years old. This teen superstar is completely charming, and in this episode, he meets his biggest fan, Juli. 

The question is, does Juli know more about Jacob than he knows about himself? Host Taylor Tomlinson takes us through an emotional rollercoaster diving into Jacob’s life before fame, his life now, and his latest work.

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You might know Ben Higgins as one of America’s top heartthrobs from his time on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but did you know that he is also a podcast host and an entrepreneur, with a new coffee company that donates all proceeds to charity?

In this episode, Taylor introduces Ben to his No. 1 fan, Amber, who is dialing in from Phoenix. Amber identifies with Ben because of his Christian background and down-to-earth mentality. She knows everything there is to know about Ben, but will she bring her A-game to beat Ben in a quiz about his own life?

Is it really true Ben met his fiancée by sliding into her DM’s? With the perfect dose of hilarity, Taylor takes us through Ben’s life before fame, his time as America’s most eligible bachelor, and brings us up to date on his current projects through a light-hearted quiz between celeb and superfan.

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You may know Tinashe as the talented R&B singer who shot to fame after covering Lil Wayne’s song How To Love… but did you know that she’s such a Britney stan that Baby One More Time was the first album she ever owned? No? Well, Tinashe’s No.1 fan Denise sure does. Joining us from Florida, Denise knows all there is to know about Tinashe. But can she keep her cool in a quiz showdown against her celebrity hero? Comedian Taylor Tomlinson takes on a journey that’s all about Tinashe’s life.

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You may know Baby Ariel as a Disney actress, a singer, and a social media star with a casual 50 million people around the world following her every move… but do you know what the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for her is? No? Well, you’ll find out in this episode of Celeb vs. Superfan! Superfan Rodrigo joins Ariel all the way from Peru, and impresses with a ridiculous amount of knowledge about his heroine. But will he know enough to beat her? Comedian Taylor Tomlinson leads this unlikely pair through a fun quiz about Baby Ariel’s life.

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You may know Bob The Drag Queen as the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8. But did you know she’s a superfan of Whoopi Goldberg, or that she was once stopped by TSA because they thought her wig looked suss? Bob’s No. 1 fan Joia does. Joining us from upstate New York, Joia has been a fan of Bob for years. She knows everything anyone could possibly know about Bob’s life, but can she withstand the pressure of going head-to-head with her idol in a quiz battle? Host Taylor Tomlinson takes us on a trivia journey through Bob’s life before fame, from her first drag name to being cast in the hit Netflix series, Lucifer.