If you’re still looking for definitive proof that the internet can make anyone famous, meet Ernie Brown Jr, a.k.a. – The Turtleman. He’s from Lebanon, KY, and has gone from a backwoods turtle wrangler, to internet sensation, to getting his own show on Animal Planet. Now he can say he sat next to Eddie Murphy on Jay Leno.
Here’s the videos in case you missed the show last night. I don’t think I could pick anyone better to sit next to the Turtleman than Eddie Murphy.
How did a man go from getting his teeth knocked out by a chainsaw, to sitting in the chair that’s had the likes of Ashton Kutcher, William Shatner, and Justin Bieber sitting in it? The answer is simple, YouTube. The video originated on a local show called: Kentucky Afield. Due to the sheer hilarity of a grown man mucking around in algae infested ponds, Turtleman became a hit.
The rest as they say is history. His Animal Planet show is “Call of the Wildman“, and premieres this Sunday, November 6th, at 10pm.