Hotdog eater wows on Tonight Show
A USU student was featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, wearing a Utah State University T-shirt and performing a talent that had the audience gasping.
As a participant in the game “Meal or No Meal,” James Stephens, an undeclared sophomore, swallowed 8 hotdogs whole and was applauded after completing the task in 30 seconds.
“I think Steve was the producer, and he told me not to swallow them so fast or it would be boring,” Stephens said.
He timed his talent perfectly and shoved the last hot dog into his mouth in the last second.
A talent coordinator from The Tonight Show contacted Stephens’ friend, who posted a YouTube video of the eye-watering challenge. Stephens was on an LDS mission at the time, but replied when he returned home. The Tonight Show contacted him two weeks ago and he found himself with a free plane ticket to Burbank, Calif., with his long-time friend Jaron Dunford. He received $300 as a thank you for being a guest on the show.
A panel of three guest judges decided whether Stephens’ talent was worth a restaurant gift certificate, and each approved of his swallowing skill, which earned him dinner for eight at Benihana.
“Meal or No Meal” was followed by an interview with Matthew Mcconaughey who asked if Stephens was OK before beginning his interview and said his talent was “impressive,” Stephens said.
“Usually when I get up to six or seven hot dogs they get backed up a little bit,” he said, “but I’m not stuffed afterward. I still ate a bag of chips and some veggies after the show.”
Stephens first learned he could swallow a hot dog whole after swallowing a whole cherry easily. His high school friends dared him to try a hot dog, then 10 hot dogs.
Dunford, a sophomore majoring in public relations, accompanied Stephens onto the show and was one of the original people to watch Stephens discover this talent in high school. He said when they got to the set of the show there was a private room for them to wait in with food and “James Stephens” posted on the door.
“I thought ‘this is not supposed to be for us,'” Dunford said. “We’re just some college kids. Then during the rehearsal, all of a sudden, Jay Leno just walks up and shakes our hands. It was the weirdest feeling.”
After stepping into the high life for a few days with limo services and a lot of free food, Stephens said he definitely never thought a high school dare would lead him to be the star of a viral YouTube video and later air on an internationally recognized television show.
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu