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What is Mike Finnegan of “Roadkill” doing today?

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Social media personality and former technical staff editor of Hot Rod Magazine, Mike Finnegan, gained a sizeable audience through the web series called “Roadkill”, launched by Motor Trend Group. This diverse, informative and fun series was made for gearheads, and it made him one of the most recognized automotive technicians and fabricators on the Internet. The series uploaded on YouTube ended in 2018 but continued in Motor Trend on Demand app, and is accessible on the Discovery Channel streaming platform. He was also involved with other auto-related web series, including some “Roadkill” spin-offs.

Get to know Mike Finnegan

For a person whose popularity started in social media apps, it was refreshing that there was too little information about his private life. Mike Finnegan hailed from Southern California but chose a university in New York to earn a bachelor’s degree in Arts. He went back home after college, and with his passion for the automotive industry, applied to several auto-related magazines. He initially ended up working for Trucking Magazine, saying that he got the job primarily because he drove into the company’s garage in a mini truck that he customized during the interview. His prospective employer was impressed and immediately saw the potential in him. If he could be that innovative, then it would be quite easy for them to show him the ropes in writing articles and taking photos.

After being exposed to the world of magazines, Mike resigned, and bounced from one magazine to another as he developed his brand by learning from his experiences with them until he stumbled on his dream magazine job. It was in Hot Rod Magazine that he put down his roots, and it was David Freiburger who hired him. While he was excited about his new job, he never thought that it was there that he would experience something life-changing.

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His foray into the world of reality web series

Reality television and the Internet have been an integral part of the entertainment culture since the late-20th century. Today, it’s normal for people to share their journey, a house makeover, a dangerous job, or building a machine, by uploading them to a video-sharing platform such as YouTube. It was this scenario for the web series “Roadkill.”

How did “Roadkill” start?

If Mike would be asked about the show’s origins, he humbly would say that it was all due togood  timing and luck. It happened when he was just starting at Hot Rod Magazine, and took a road trip with David Freiburger which they filmed. When they got back, they edited it and uploaded the video online. It attracted viewers little by little, as more gearheads talked about it online. It was then that they decided that they would turn it into a web series with a reality TV format. MotorTrend’s International Bureau Chief, Angus McKenzie, recalled that when YouTube was being launched as a primary platform for online videos, saying ‘I decided that the MotorTrend Channel would be like a proper automotive TV channel, something I’d dreamed about doing for decades.’ He chose not to have any pretty boys as presenters, but to let the staff members who were experts in the automotive industry do their thing. One of the shows that was chosen to be part of the programming was “Roadkill.”

Angus asked David if he could build a show about hot rods, classic American muscle cars, and drag racing, focusing on how-to tutorials that had been the foundation of the Hot Rod Magazine. It was like creating a video version of the magazine, but not filmed inside an auto shop. David had previously filmed and uploaded fun-to-watch auto-related short videos online, and Angus encouraged him to do something close to those videos, seeing that David was quite interested in the idea. Angus also remembered that he saw a special edition of a Hot Rod Magazine that featured rat rods, and pointed out that they could name the show “Roadkill.”

What was Roadkill all about?

The reality web series was about two gearheads, David and Mike, getting extremely adventurous in turning classic hot rods, luxury cars, and other vehicles into something entirely out of this world. It could be about the exterior of the vehicle, putting so much horsepower under the hood, or creating far-fetched scenarios that would truly test the limits of the vehicle. “The Ten: The Enthusiast Network” publisher even commented that it was about ‘guys behaving badly with cars.’ The huge difference from other auto-related shows was that in the craziness of it all, viewers learned something new about cars while having fun watching them. In its first episode alone, the audience already knew that the series was spontaneous and as real as it could get. For instance, Mike threw a dart on a US map to decide where their first adventure would be, which involved buying a car there without going over the budget of $1,500 and driving it back to Los Angeles.

Top four unforgettable moments in “Roadkill”

One of the things that Mike Finnegan was adamant about was the authenticity of “Roadkill.” Jaded TV producers from Discovery Channel were astounded to learn that it was really an all-improvisation show from one episode to another, when they had the chance to be up close and personal after MotorTrend had joined forces with the cable channel. Here are some of the memorable moments in the show:

The Roadkill Project cars in a drag race

To celebrate the web series’ 25th episode, Mike and David chose some of the cars that they’d modified to participate in their own Roadkill Drag Race. They invited a few people from MotorTrend to join in the mayhem. Everything was doing great until the finale, when Mike, who was driving the Crusher Camaro, spun out of control after it hit a dirt patch on the dragstrip. No one was hurt, and Mike with his co-pilot claimed that they had a great time. Apparently, the Crusher Camaro was on 700 horsepower at the time and it didn’t adapt well during abrupt changes in the road. Out of the nine project cars that participated in the race, two failed to finish the race. Failures like these weren’t edited out, and the audience loved it.

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A race car modified into road-course racing

About four years before they filmed the 46th episode of “Roadkill,” Mike and David found a paved-oval stock car racer, which they wanted to use on one of their road trips. However, before the dynamic duo could drive the car out of the garage, they were advised by MotorTrend lawyers not to ever think of doing that, because it didn’t have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Race cars were built for speed and mainly used for competitions on the oval track; their safety measures weren’t as meticulously placed on them as compared to the way regular vehicles were built, and because of this, those race cars weren’t eligible to licensed for road use. The car went into the warehouse, collecting dust from that day, but had been always in the back of their minds.

David eventually thought of replacing the top part of the tube chassis with a registerable body, such as the 1970 Monte Carlo. They had help from a former staff editor of their magazine, who provided a solution on how to shorten the body to fit the wheelbase of the car. They drove the now modified car they aptly called NASCARlo to the Perris Raceway in California. Everything was going great with David on the helm, until something in the lower right part of the car broke, and threw him backward.

The Stubby Bob, a wheelieing Roadkill legendary monster

“Roadkill” fans fell in love with Stubby Bob, a 1950 Ford F6 2-ton dump-truck chassis cab. When Mike purchased it in the 44th episode, he was quite nervous that David wouldn’t like it but his partner-in-crime absolutely loved it. They immediately shortened the back so they could turn it into a bobber rat rod. They changed many more things in the truck, including the front-mounted Ford Flathead V-8 into a rear-mounted Chevy Big Block V-8 as well as installing a Supercharger and a four-speed automatic transmission. They even used a beer keg as its new gasoline tank. It was funny that the two worked on shortening the back before even testing if the engine was working, as it was towed there by the previous owner. They didn’t make it run during that episode, but the custom fabrication was great.

In the 52nd episode, Stubby Bob made a comeback as David and Mike were highly committed to making it work. With a few modifications, they were successful in moving the trailer hitch up. Initially, it was David who tried it first on the desert road with Mike in the passenger seat – the truck did go up but not that much. The real “wheelieing” was left to Mike, and to make the truck a bit lighter at the front, no one should be in the passenger seat.  David didn’t have a choice but to watch his partner successfully put it up close to 10 feet. They were ecstatic, and Mike said, ‘Victory hurts.’ He placed a stack of plastic bubble wrap to act as a cushion under his bum, but it didn’t help at all. It might be one of their dumbest projects, but they said at that time that they were extremely satisfied, and didn’t think that it would be topped by another car buildup.

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The Madzarati was stolen

Mike was surprised by David with a modified pickup that the latter christened, the “Madzarati.” The previous owner said that he used the truck in drag racing, and that it could run 10s or a quarter mile in 10.9 seconds or less. This was the standard benchmark in modifying cars for drag racing. The two were excited, and immediately drove it around the streets – someone even asked them in traffic if it was legal. They just laughed it off, and were excited to see the flaws of the car during the test drive so they could modify them. They made certain changes to get it race-ready. Initially, they thought they had it going, but in the end, something bad would always crop up; there was one time that they even covered the entire drag strip with oil as it leaked from the truck. While it ‘never failed to fail’ each time they attempted to run 10s, fans loved how Mike and David never gave up. Their last attempt in California ended with a busted half shaft and a broken transmission pan. The worst part was when they left it secured in a trailer at a hotel parking lot – someone stole it when the crew was sleeping.

Mike Finnegan’s dream car project

In “Roadkill,” the dynamic duo had so many fascinating builds, and one of them was Mike Finnegan’s dream car, which he called “Blasphemi.” It was initially just a shell of a 1955 Chevy Bel Air, which he and David purchased for $2,000, and transformed into a Chevy Gasser with a two-lane blacktop. They traveled to Oregon, where they found a tube chassis gasser for the car from Jim Meyer Racing. Mike installed a supercharged Hemi of 528 cubic inches, Fast XFI fuel injection along with a manual transmission and homemade headers. It took them both a year to finish, and the highlight of it all was when they went to participate in the Hot Rod Power Tour and took home more wins than any of their other car projects in the show.

His other automotive reality shows

As “Roadkill” became successful, Motor Trend didn’t want to stop there. Initially, it was David who was given a spin-off series, “Roadkill Garage,” which was co-hosted by other gearheads. Fans thought that something went wrong between the two, but later found out that Mike also hosted another spin-off series called “Faster with Finnegan.” It was launched in January 2020, and he was joined by his other friends, David Newbern and Mike Cotton. It followed the same format as the original series, but this time Mike and his friends would be challenged by transforming regular slow cars, which they usually described as junk, to go faster with a limited budget. Its first episode featured a GMC S15 pickup truck, which they modified with interesting upgrades that made it race-ready for his battle with a professional race car driver, Randy Pobst, who brought his 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350 to the race.

With a huge number of viewers at his disposal, Mike also opened up a YouTube channel on which he launched a web series called “Finnegan’s Garage,” which now has almost a million subscribers, and has generated close to 120 million views. His first episode was uploaded in April 2016, and was well received with more than 850,000 views. The series featured everything that he did in his personal time in his garage. He didn’t only work on cars and trucks but also with boats, along with tutorials and tips for those who love to DIY their own automotive issues and upgrades.

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Mike Finnegan 2023 updates

The former auto magazine writer/editor was embroiled in controversy this year, as he reportedly left “Faster with Finnegan.” It was quite intriguing since his name was in the title of the show. The fans immediately speculated that Mike had a falling out with the producers of the show or that he was sick or struggling with a family problem. Gearheads then discussed online all the possible reasons behind it.

Mike, having learned about the controversy, uploaded a video on 23 April 2023 onto his YouTube channel, explaining the reason why he left the show and why it would continue airing new episodes even without him. He said, ‘Long story short, I was burnt out, like pretty bad. I was really stressed out.’ He also shared that it took a toll on his family, as he wasn’t spending much time with them as he wanted. While “Faster with Finnegan” was filmed mostly in his garage at home, it didn’t mean that he was always there. His working schedule was so tight that he would travel to a race at the start of the filming and then by the end of an episode, he would find himself traveling to another race.

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During the car build-up process, it involved too much work that he mostly stayed in the garage instead of being with his family, especially his kids. Mike said that it was getting harder and harder to explain to his 8- and 11-year-old that he couldn’t read them a story at bedtime. Apparently, David Newburn also quit ahead of him because the filming was eating ito his time with his family too. Mike ultimately knew that he had to give up something, and made an assessment that “Faster with Finnegan” was the one that drained his energy and time immensely. While he enjoyed most of the filming, especially the racing part where everyone in the crew was happy, it meant working every single day. The web series continued in March 2023 with the other two guys and Mike’s blessings; there was no bad blood or conflict between them.

Mike chose to continue with just “Roadkill”, as it was easier to film along with his own YouTube series, “Finnegan’s Garage”, but promising that the fans would continue to see him modify, build, and race in the automotive industry.

As the Managing Editor at The Legit, I direct a dynamic team dedicated to creating rich content that profiles the lives and accomplishments of influential figures. My commitment to detail and storytelling drives the production of biographies that truly engage our audience. I manage all aspects of the editorial process, from conducting thorough research to crafting vivid narratives, all while ensuring the accuracy and quality of our work. At The Legit, our goal is to offer our readers comprehensive profiles that provide deep insights into the realms of business, entertainment, and more. Through diligent research and engaging storytelling, we highlight the exceptional journeys and achievements of those who both inspire and intrigue us.

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How Drew Pritchard Turns Junk into Money

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Turning forgotten, seemingly valueless pieces of anything into valuable, beautiful-looking items is not an art easily mastered by anyone, except if your name is Drew Pritchard. Ever since the premiere of his show “Salvage Hunters”, Drew has continued to find and recover some of the most beautiful artifacts in the UK and the rest of Europe, whether these are centuries-old or modern ones.

There’s a lot of work behind Drew’s treasure-hunting escapades, but how exactly does everything become possible? Stay here to take a look into the processes and detailed work which have turned Drew into one of the most popular antique traders around the world, from his beginnings, how he became a dealer, his businesses, methods, and current and future projects and TV shows.

Drew’s Beginnings

Before getting into the details about Drew Pritchard’s current career as an antique and decorative items trader, it’s mandatory to know how he started in the industry.

Drew’s love for everything old was inherited from his father, an antique collector who owned everything from old cars to musical instruments, all of it stored in the family’s house in Glan Conwy, in North Wales. This set an example for the young Drew, who at only 11 years old was completely convinced that he wanted to be an antique dealer, as he confessed in an article for Homes & Antiques in 2022.

Nonetheless, the value of antiquities didn’t attract Drew right away; it was the thrill of finding broken and scattered items and bringing them to life what motivated him to go on item-hunting trips into the countryside with his best friend John Tee, nowadays known by the “Salvage Hunters” audience as Tee. The kids would collect as many items as they could to sell them for pennies, then spending their earliest earnings on sweets.

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Learning & Business

Having found his path in life at such an early age, after finishing school, Drew didn’t hesitate in taking an apprenticeship in glass restoration. Growing used to this field was a great career start for him, who later started a small business which received everything from old window glasses to doors, and other items people would waste away otherwise.

As Drew wrote in a 2022 column, back in the day his business depended purely on an ad he put in a local newspaper, his old VW Beetle, and the solidarity of his parents for letting him set up his office in their front yard.

His knowledge of glass restoration helped Drew in identifying the good items brought to his shop, making a living out of it by selling them for around £4 to a trader. Surprisingly, it was that same trader who later advised Drew to take his glass windows to art fairs in other cities, and sell each for £10, resulting in Drew making so much more money than he had ever earned so far, by closing deals totslling thousands of pounds in only one morning.

From then on, Drew learned the art of trading all types of decorative items, with both local and international art traders.

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How Does He Know What He Wants?

Improving a skill is usually the combination of experience, hard work, and a bit of luck. It’s the same case for Drew Pritchard, whose beginnings in the art and antiquity trading industry were a matter of being in the right place at the right time, but also putting lots of effort into it, to get where he wanted.

Nowadays, Drew’s treasure-searching adventures are driven by the knowledge he’s acquired over decades, and his developed sense of simply knowing what is right: ‘I just have to have something. It’s a Christmas-morning feeling. I have an imaginary house in my head, and when I see things, I put them in it,’ he said in an interview with Homes & Antiques in 2023.

Given that Drew isn’t very strict regarding the object’s age or value, he doesn’t consider himself an antique trader per se. Nevertheless, some details such as the patina, the proven authenticity of an item, and whether these are sold in a complete set or individually also play a huge role in Drew’s purchase choices. It’s a mix of passion and experiences what makes him so great at what he does.

Difficulties Of The Job

While there’s no doubt that antiquity hunting is a visibly exciting career for those involved with it, there’s also a certain degree of uncertainty when it comes to it.

Drew’s early years in the business were spent sleeping in his van, after traveling for hours or days, just to be the first one to enter an antiquity fair, or visit a private collection.

Though the effort was always compensated by the amazing feeling of finding something that no one else could, it was also enduring at times, leading Drew to refrain from putting his safety at risk 13 years into the business: ‘I only stopped when, at 36 years old, I awoke one morning to find that a leak from the roof had frozen on my head in a solid ice drip’, he recalled in a 2022 article, explaining the reason he stopped sleeping in his van.

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Though nowadays Drew takes his job more slowly and so with more care, that doesn’t stop him from going to great lengths in his job. Some of his wildest treasure-hunting adventures include a days-long boat trip to buy a couple of lamps which left him stranded on an unknown island, or unearthing a rare Volkswagen pick-up truck from his friend’s backyard.

All in all, no one can say Drew’s job is easy, but it’s also visibly entertaining.

Cars & Design

Though “Salvage Hunters” audiences are used to seeing Drew going anywhere he needs to find furniture, glasses, or antique rugs, he’s deeply interested in a wide variety of other items.

One of Drew’s biggest passions is cars, to the point where started a second business around it. Founded in 1987, DP Classics is an automotive dealership centered on classic or exotic vehicles, which takes Drew’s hobby of turning so-called junk into functional and valuable everyday items to another level.

Drew now owns an extensive classic car collection, his favorites being 1950s and 1960s Volkswagens. His passion comes from his childhood in North Wales, when he was driven around by his parents in barely functional cars, and started shaping into something else by the time he bought his first car at 15 years old. So far he’s owned around 100 cars, some of which he regrets ever selling.

Another one of Drew’s biggest loves is industrial design, a field he grew to admire from the day he was an intern at the glass window restoration shop. Some of Drew’s biggest influences are Bauhaus designer Christian Dell, and English furniture and lighting pieces from the Industrial Revolution and early 20th century, which he restores and sells to interior designers

Drew’s passion for cars and design is deeply explored in “Salvage Hunters” spin-offs “Classic Cars” and “Design Classics”.

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Path On TV

Drew Pritchard’s debut on TV was the result of an accidental event. Back in 2010, Drew was casually reading the Antiques Trade Gazette when came upon an advertisement which immediately caught his attention. As he recalled in a 2017 interview with Telegraph UK, the ad posted by a local production company stated that they were looking for a van-owning man who ‘wanders around the country to demolition sites’.

Knowing right away he was the man they were looking for, Drew contacted the company and a year later his show “Salvage Hunters” had a premiere date set, and was ready to film.

Premiered in November 2011 with a 10-episodes per season format, the show became a total success in no time, and even won a National Reality TV Award in 2017 in the category of Best Business Show.

So far, “Salvage Hunters” has premiered 17th seasons on Discovery UK and internationally, and spawning several spin-off series, such as “The Restorers”, “Bitesize” and “Best Buys”.

While “Salvage Hunters” impressive feats aren’t a surprise for those who enjoy seeing the adventure trips of Drew, his best friend Tee, and the work done by the shop’s staff, all of that success was unexpected by Drew. Nevertheless, even if it becomes overwhelming at times, appearing on TV is a motivator for him to improve his job every day, as he said in the same interview.

New Store & Future

Drew Pritchard Conwy-based antiquity shop is famous for many reasons, but in recent years things changed a little for the treasure hunter and his work team.

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As Drew announced on the business’s social media in May 2022, he shut down his old showroom to move to ‘new pastures’, but no new location was ever announced afterwards, and all the sales have remained online since then. Drew’s business move doesn’t seem to have affected the show negatively, as seen during the 17th season released in 2023.

As well, Home & Antiquity reported in 2023 that Drew had sold the Conwy home he bought and renovated by himself in 1995, but whether he’ll be moving out of town or is planning on staying is unclear.

While the reason behind these changes in Drew’s life is unknown, he’s been working non-stop on other projects. In early 2022, he launched an English Regency-inspired furniture line with the brand Barker and Stonehouse, on top of releasing his book “How Not to Be an Antiques Dealer” in 2023.

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All in all, it’s great to see how Drew Pritchard passed from being a kid fascinated with fixing-up old items to becoming a renowned person in the antiquity business worldwide, along with overcoming all the difficulties and challenges that the job demanded from him.

Regardless of where these new pastures take Drew in the future, it’s great to see how he’s left such an important mark in his field.

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Darci Lynne’s Journey from Pageants to “America’s Got Talent”

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There’s no shortage of talented people in the entertainment industry, but Darci Lynne is called a prodigy for a rightful season. Ever since she achieved international fame through the stage of “America’s Got Talent”, the young Darci hasn’t stopped conquering the hearts of millions with her ventriloquism skills and other-worldly singing voice.

While there’s not much that the vastly talented Darci can’t do, there are many questions about her journey such as her beginnings in a pageant, where her interest in puppets came from, what she did before becoming an entertainer, and what are her musical and artistic influences.

Are you also interested in knowing who she is and how far she has come? Stay here to know all about Darci Lynne’s path to stardom-ship!

Darci’s Beginnings

Born in Oklahoma, USA, on 12 October 2004, Darci Lynne Farmer always had a knack for music, turning her family into her first audience during her early childhood. Nevertheless, Darci’s overwhelming shyness held her back from performing in public, leading her to participate in no-make-up-using talent-centered pageants, following her mother’s suggestion, on top of training in gymnastics.

Darci’s discipline and talents turned out to be a great combination, as from the age of six she won several Cinderella Scholarship Programs contests. As recalled by her mother Misty during an interview with The Oklahoman, Darci cried at her first pageant and couldn’t participate, but was ultimately convinced to try again next time after seeing her cousin on stage.

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Joining pageants got the shyness out of Darci, on top of changing her life in different ways. As it happened, it was during the 2014’s International Mini Miss contest that Darci met fellow titleholder Laryssa Bonacquisti, who had also mastered the art of ventriloquism for her talent performances in pageants: ‘I just watched and watched her. I was just super fascinated because I really wanted to learn how to do it’, as Darci also told The Oklahoman. The encounter would inspire Darci to follow the path which ultimately took her to stardom.

Ventriloquism & TV Debut

Inspired by Bonacquisti’s influence, Darci practiced ventriloquism by herself for a month, before joining Edmond’s Got Talent. By combining her yodeling skills and the sympathy of her cowgirl-themed puppet Katie, Darci won her first non-pageant competition.

Noticing Darci’s incredible talent and potential, she was contacted by local ventriloquist Gary Owen, who subsequently taught her everything she had to know about the art. At the same time, she was also trained by Tiana Plemons, in the art of singing through clenched teeth.

Despite taking a while to learn ventriloquism and increase her puppet collection, it was all worth it when she won several contests all around the country, and ultimately made her TV debut in mid-2016. First, she appeared in the show “Little Big Shots” by performing Patsy Montana’s “I Wanna Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” with Katie.

That one performance gained Darci a show in the legendary ventriloquism museum Vent Haven during the International Ventriloquist Convention, becoming the first child to do so in decades. Also in early 2017, Darci reprised her yodeling performance with Katie at the British “Little Big Shots” show, effectively gaining international fame and enough confidence to audition for “America’s Got Talent” later that year.

“America’s Got Talent”

Darci Lynne’s audition in “America’s Got Talent” took place in early 2017 in Austin, Texas, during the private local talent show. Impressed with her outstanding talent, Darci was told to audition for the main show’s 12th season filmed in Los Angeles, where she gained a standing ovation for her rendition of “Summertime” by George Gershwin, with her puppet Petunia.

The best part of that first performance was receiving a Golden Buzzer from Mel B, gaining a direct pass to the quarterfinals. For her second performance, Darci introduced the audience to her puppet Oscar, and sang “Who’s Lovin’ You” by The Jackson 5, once again attracting a standing ovations, and so a spot in the semi-finals.

Darci’s third “America’s Got Talent” appearance saw her performing “You Make Me Feel Like” by Aretha Franklin with her elderly-looking puppet Edna, advancing to the semi-finals where she sang “With a Little Help from My Friends” by The Beatles. For the show’s grand finale, Darci performed “Anything You Can Do” from the movie “Annie Get Your Gun”, successfully defeating her competitors, and becoming the youngest “America’s Got Talent” winner at 12 years of age.

Besides receiving a record-breaking number of votes in her favor, Darci’s performances were warmly received on the internet, becoming an online sensation by amassing over 200 million views on her audition video.

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Early Years in Stardom

Darci Lynne’s “America’s Got Talent” victory brought only great things for her career. As early as November 2017, Darci set foot on the stage of Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas as part of her headlining tour prize from the show.

Her sold-out Las Vegas shows were followed by appearances in “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and in Jeff Dunham’s “The Haunted House on Dunham Hill”. She performed as a guest in shows by Pentatonix and Terry Fator, before announcing her solo tour, Darci Lynne and Friends Live in early 2018, starting with five dates only, but later expanding her performances to 52 dates around the country in response to high demand. Due to her busy schedule and growing fame, Darci was home-schooled from eighth grade onwards.

In late 2017 Darci kicked off her holidays with the Rocking Around the Christmas Tree tour, and closed the year with performances for charity events at Madison Square Garden and Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace. Some of Darci’s most remarkable performances during her first year as a winner include a cameo during the 2018’s Kids Choice Awards, a “Today” interview, and her comeback to the stages of “Little Big Shots” and “America’s Got Talent” as a guest.

In late 2018, Darci starred in her NBC show “Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas”, including appearances by violinist and singer Lindsey Stirling and country singer Toby Keith.

“The Champions” and More

Almost two years after her “America’s Got Talent” victory, Darci Lynne returned to the show’s stage to compete in the spin-off “The Champions”, showcasing her and several other previous winners from the show’s franchise.

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For her preliminary audition, Darci performed with her puppet Oscar the songs “Proud Mary” and “Nutbush City Limits” by Tina Turner. Despite the standing ovation she received from Simon Cowell and fellow judges, Darci couldn’t beat opera singer Cristina Ramos during the voting round. She was eliminated, but returned as a wildcard for the finals, in which she sang “Mio Babbino Caro” along with her iconic puppet Petunia, once again receiving standing ovations.

Then in the grand finale, Darci performed Barry Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You” along with two puppets. The votes received by Darci for her performance defeated international star Susan Boyle out of the top five spots, but wasn’t enough to win her the competition. Magician Shin Lim was the ultimate winner, leaving Darci in second place in the first season of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions”.

Darci kicked off early 2019, with her tour Fresh Out of the Box, and appeared in several TV shows such as the comedy “All That”, and “The Kelly Clarkson Show”.

Acting Projects

Becoming an “America’s Got Talent” winner and finalist opened many professional doors for Darci Lynne. Following showcasing her acting and comedic skills in her ventriloquism performance, in 2018 she had her first official acting role, by voicing the character Daisy in the show “Fancy Nancy”.

Later in 2020, Darci voiced her puppet Petunia for an episode of the animated series “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?”, on top of being a panelist in “Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered”; the next year, she voiced The Wombat for an episode of Nickelodeon’s “Side Hustle”.

Darci’s first chance on the big screen came with the film “A Cowgirl’s Song”, in which she played the character Brooke Mays, starring alongside Savannah Lee May and Cheryl Ladd. The movie also featured three original songs by Darci featuring the Oklahoma-based band The Imaginaries.

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While Darci’s TV and movie roles might come as a surprise for those following her from her ventriloquist days, she had always wanted to give acting a try, as her big dream is to make it to Broadway someday: ‘I love musical theater, singing, acting and dancing all in one,’ as she once told to Best Of Las Vegas, shortly after her “America’s Got Talent” win in late 2017.

Current Projects & Future

Although ventriloquism has been a big part of Darci Lynne’s career, her future projects could take her away from that puppet-performing arts to other aspects of the entertainment world.

As she said in an interview with Hollywood Life in 2022, releasing original music is a dream Darci plans on accomplishing soon: ‘I just got into writing music in quarantine. Once that started happening, I’ve just come to love it so much,’ she said, affirming that ‘putting out an album’ is one of her goals.

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While Darci hasn’t released any music on her own yet, besides the track-list of “A Cowgirl’s Son”, she’s been exploring her musical side recently, and has posted several of her songs covers on social media, along with music sessions with friends on YouTube.

Regarding the acting side, in 2023 she’s set to appear in the biographical movie “Reagan”. She has also become rather popular on social media, accumulating over a million subscribers on her YouTube channel, thanks to her ventriloquist sketches, and almost five million on TikTok.

All in all, Darci has had quite an amazing career so far, starting from her days as a shy kid participating in pageants to becoming a ventriloquist, debuting on TV, to turning into an “America’s Got Talent” winner. Whether life takes her to accomplish her musical and acting dreams, at this point there’s no doubt that Darci is an unstoppable talent.

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What happened to Georgie on “Heartland”?

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Georgie Fleming-Morris, played by Sally Bishop at a young age and Alisha Newton as a young adult, was one of the main characters in “Heartland.” She captured the viewers’ hearts with how she overcame her childhood traumas from a foster family and bonded with her adoptive parents, Lou Fleming and Peter Morris, and their young daughter Katie.

She found refuge at the Heartland Ranch after Jack Bartlett took her in, becoming a talented horserider and a brave and respectful young woman. However, she disappeared in the 15th season, worrying many fans, but returned in the last few episodes of the 16th season before they could create petitions. We covered Georgie’s journey from the introduction to the last episode in early 2023.

Georgie has had a difficult journey

After the showrunners introduced Georgie to viewers in the sixth season, the fans learned about her tragic backstory. After she lost her parents, the child service organization put her into one foster family after another. However, Georgie never felt at home in those families, and ran away several times. After one such escape, Jack, who inherited his grandfather’s 600-acre Heartland Ranch, found her in the loft above his barn and took her in.

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She quickly realized that her heart told her that the ranch was where she belonged. Thankfully, she could stay and ride horses thanks to her adoption by the Fleming-Morris family. Georgie quickly befriended several people, including Mallory, Jade and Stephen, dated several, such as Adam, Wyatt and Quinn, and even made an enemy in Olivia Wheaton. Her relationships and acceptance from Jack and her adoptive parents turned her into a passionate horserider and animal lover who wanted to win the Olympics in show-jumping.

Her biological parents died

Most problems in Georgie’s life can be traced to her biological parents. In the same season she debuted, the storyline explained that she was the younger daughter of Mary and Matthew Crawley, but that they died when she was three. Although she does not remember them, her full birth name, Georgina Crawley, is a remnant, and she could learn about their lives through her older brother, Jeff Crawley. He is the only biological family member whom Georgie keeps in touch with, although the showrunners revealed that they have a maternal aunt, Crystal Norwood – their maternal grandparents, Michael and Silvia Norwood, are deceased.

Jeff is the bad-boy type with a noble heart, who rides motorcycles and can afford expensive things because he works for an oil company. However, the two are close, and he doesn’t hesitate to work part-time for Jack whenever he visits Heartland Ranch. Additionally, he developed a romantic interest in Mallory and Cassandra, and even kissed Georgie’s best friend, Jade, in the eighth season. Although Katie is much younger in the show, Jeff likes spending time with her, giving the siblings another reason to be together.

Most importantly, Jeff admires Ty Borden, who had a hard life and worked on the ranch during the probation period after assaulting his stepfather Wade, who abused him. Georgie enjoys seeing him have a close male friend, which deepens their bond.

Her adoptive parents always supported her

Although Jack offered to foster her, then become her permanent assistant, the arm of the law would have taken Georgie away and put her in yet another two-parent foster family, as they would likely find a more suitable and less busy couple than Jack.

Luckily, Peter and Lou stepped in and fostered her before adopting her. Lou was the older sister of Amy Fleming and Jack’s granddaughter, and owned Maggie’s Diner and Heartland’s Equestrian Connection. However, she was perhaps best known as the jam-maker for the ranch. Peter was a former Bedford Oil executive who Lou’s family initially disliked, but he managed to warm their hearts. He invited Lou for a date in the second season, and the two started dating in the early third season before he proposed in the 12th episode. Georgie also has a young adoptive sister, Katie, who was five years old when introduced in the ninth season.

Unfortunately, Georgie’s parents started having issues in their marriage in the eighth season, culminating within roughly two and a half seasons. Regardless of their problems, they agreed to co-parent Georgie and Katie. Lou begins to date Mitch afterward; they buy a ranch in the 13th season, and their relationship almost ends in marriage. However, Peter and Lou realized that they had feelings for each other during the 14th and 15th seasons.

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Georgie focused on horse-riding and nurturing her friendships during the discord between her parents, so she felt little tension. Additionally, her parents were rekindling the flame before the end of the 15th season; hence, the viewers couldn’t see Georgie’s reaction. Her return focused on her lack of passion for show-jumping and romantic relationship, robbing them of another opportunity to see Georgie’s response. Still, her adoptive parents were always by her and her sister’s side, and approved of her relationship with her biological brother.

Georgie’s rival later became her friend

Midway through the sixth season, the screenwriters decided to explore Georgie’s response to bullying, unfairness, and competition in her favorite activities. Thus, they introduced Olivia Wheaton, who made fun of George for two seasons, making Georgie punch her in the face and get in trouble.

Also, Olivia annoyed her by doing the same things, such as trick-riding Extreme Team. That wouldn’t be an issue if Olivia indicated that she was interested in that activity with the horse; instead, she did it out of jealousy; Georgie excelled at it. Additionally, Olivia begins to make moves on Adam while he’s dating Georgie, and has dated him in seasons 10 and 11 after Georgie breaks up with him. Unfortunately for Adam, Olivia bid him farewell at the end of season 12. Nonetheless, fans got the impression that she wanted Adam so that she could prove that she could steal him from Georgie, then keep him interested.

However, Georgie and Olivia developed a friendship and learned to work together in the middle of the 10th season. In one episode, Extreme Team’s coach Natalie chose Olivia to headline the end-of-season event by performing a difficult trick, tail drag. After she fails, the coach chooses Georgie, but she too has trouble, and decides that it’s too dangerous. Natalie eventually apologizes and chooses Sam, the rider who initially performed the trick, and Georgie proposes a joint trick performance with Olivia, followed by their taking turns at the hippodrome. Offering a helping hand when Olivia was down showed the camaraderie, and had a massive positive effect, making the two much closer afterward.

Georgie had an unclear relationship with Stephen

Soap operas are known for keeping fans in suspense, especially regarding will-they-won’t-they relationships. Stephen fulfilled that role; Georgie defended him from a group of boys attacking him near a school bus, and their relationship blossomed in the eighth season.

In the 13th episode, Georgie asks him to a Sadie Hawkins dance, but ultimately has to stay home after contracting chickenpox. Stephen cared for her since he was immune, which let them get to know each other, including Georgie learning that Stephen’s parents were divorcing. Thus, he unknowingly helped prepare Georgie for her adoptive parent’s down the road.

Moreover, although she was confused when Stephen called their lunch at Maggie’s Diner ‘a date,’ she realized shortly after that he had a crush on her. Unfortunately, his mom landed a job in Manitoba, and he had to leave with her. Luckily, Georgie saw his mom beforehand, and she told her about the departure before Stephen. She longingly responded, ‘Just when I was thinking of having a boyfriend…’ indicating that she was developing feelings and considering the relationship with him. To the dismay of fans who thought they would be a great couple, Stephen left the show in the middle of the ninth season and never returned. However, they had a passionate hug before he got on the bus.

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She had three boyfriends

Fans disappointed with Stephen’s disappearance didn’t have long to wait for a new romance. Adam Parker became her math tutor in the ninth season, but she initially disliked him. However, after they partnered up to do some work at the wildlife reserve, her opinion of him changed, and she developed a crush. Adam made the first move and attempted to kiss her, but her focus was elsewhere. Luckily, she redeemed herself later by kissing him because she didn’t want to regret not trying. Things initially looked great for the young couple, especially when she didn’t mind that Adam had diabetes, and saved him from a winter storm. Sadly, he started snooping through her smartphone, and his insecurity made her break up with him in the 10th season.

Georgie quickly moved on; several episodes later, she met Wyatt McMurtry, Casey McMurtry’s nephew and Clay McMurtry’s cousin. Although the first time he tried to kiss her was awkward, they soon got cozy during a barbecue at Heartland Ranch and started kissing. However, her illusion shattered when Wyatt admitted that he was dating a girl in his hometown. Although he claimed that his emotions were gone and that he wasn’t sure how to tell her, his confession cooled Georgie off, and she severed all ties with him.

She later developed a crush on Dylan Westfield, and the two had a lot of positive tension and playful conflicts, but nothing happened in terms of romance. That was until season 13, when she met Quinn McGregor, a jumping coach. Although he taught at Hillhurst, he was born and spent much time in Florida with his father. After they began dating, Quinn developed a rivalry with Wyatt over Georgie. However, that was his only somewhat negative trait; Quinn was sweet, supportive, and mature, and they were together when Georgie disappeared from the show.

Georgie didn’t return for the 15th season

Soap opera viewers know that any character could leave the show. In most cases, the writers choose to take the script in another direction because of a plot change, problems with the actor’s contract, or the actor’s decision to leave. Moreover, viewers already mourned the departure of Ty Borden; he died in the 10th episode of the 13th season; while saving Amy from a poacher shooting at a wolf, he was shot and died from a blood clot. In reality, the actor Graham Wardle decided to quit the show and accept other acting gigs, so writers abruptly changed the storyline.

However, nothing could prepare viewers for Georgie vanishing. Her relationship with Quinn was heading toward marriage, and she planned to compete in the Olympics with his professional help and motivation as a boyfriend. Moreover, her parents got their romantic spark back after being apart for five seasons, and fans expected her to be there. Therefore, rumors started circulating that Alisha had had enough of portraying the character. That was understandable; the actress appeared in the flick “We’re All in This Together” in 2021 before landing the lead role of Helen in the “Devil in Ohio” horror movie in 2022.

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Georgie returned two years later

Luckily, Georgie wasn’t written out of the show; she appeared unannounced in the 14th episode of the 16th season, “After the Ever After,” on 29 January 2023. She returned to Heartland Ranch, walking behind Phoenix, her horse. After meeting others, she explained that she had been on a ranch in Florida with Quinn, practicing showjumping for the Olympics.

However, she broke the bad news to them afterward; she quit showjumping, gave up on her dreams of competing, and was back home to decide what to do next.

With some convincing from her mother, she rode Phoenix and quickly saw how much the horse loved jumping, making her realize that she still finds joy in show-jumping, too. However, she refused to watch her old rival, Peyton Westfield, compete at the Winter Fair, suggesting she didn’t plan on competing.

The following day, Georgie admitted to Amy and Lyndy that Eleanor Hinchcliff emailed her an offer to relocate to Brussels, Belgium, to train with her. Eleanor was a world-class coach who helped riders get back into jumping after injuries or training gaps, making this an extraordinary opportunity.

Unfortunately, accepting the offer meant that Georgie would have to break up with Quinn, take him to Brussels, or maintain a long-distance relationship. After Quinn heard about it, she refused his marriage proposal, telling him that they didn’t need a ring to keep their love alive. Consequently, Georgie and Quinn decided to stay together but physically apart, ending the 16th season on a cliffhanger about the upcoming struggles.

Fans love her new personality and appearance

Although individual events invoked a full spectrum of feelings in her, Georgie’s story is ultimately one of change. She overcame her tragic childhood, constantly escaped foster families, and found family at Heartland Ranch while maintaining a tight-knit bond with her biological brother.

She also changed from a social outcast, tomboy-looking girl who never became attached, to a caring and loving young woman. She was also persistent about not pursuing ballet, something her adoptive mother wanted, and diving headfirst into horse-riding with Trouble, Phoenix and Checkers. She demonstrated her decisiveness again when she chose jumping instead of trick riding.

Georgie also showed a kind heart for other animals when she adopted a lost dog named Remi, who she rescued from a deep well. Her fashion sense also showed a personality and confidence shift. She went from wearing hand-me-down clothing from Lou and Amy and a professional ponytail, to sporting feminine clothing and letting her hair down.

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Georgie should come back for the 17th season

CBC hasn’t renewed the longest-running family drama in Canada for a 17th season, as of early May 2023. However, if they do, it would likely air in the fall of this year. Judging by the steady viewership and popularity, the chances of cancellation are slim to none. Moreover, the showrunners have evidently mapped out Georgie’s upcoming story in Brussels and Heartland Ranch, meaning that the actress cleared her schedule. Therefore, Georgie’s fans will almost certainly see her on-screen again, towards the end of the year.

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