10 people from Dayton who have made it big with national TV spots

Taylor Pegg, ‘The Bachelorette’

Credit: FACEBOOK PHOTO

Credit: FACEBOOK PHOTO

A Beavercreek bachelor may be accepting a rose as a cast member of the 20th season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”

Taylor Pegg, 32, was one of 29 men announced via the show’s Facebook page to be potential contestants on Charity Lawson’s season, slated to air this summer. Pegg is a mortgage loan originator at PrimeLending in Beavercreek.

“EARLY LOOK ALERT,” the post said. “We’re giving you a sneak peek at the men who may be on this season of #TheBachelorette!”

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Rhea Adkins, ‘Top Vegan’

Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

Dayton native Rhea Adkins, who owns Vegan It IZ Eats at 2nd Street Market, will appear on an all new vegan, competitive cooking series called “Top Vegan.”

“We’re trying to make something that I think is severely lacking in the competitive cooking reality series as a whole,” said the show’s director Logan Solana, in a release. “We want to show the world that going vegan is possible in 2023, and you don’t have to give up the things you love on an all vegan diet.”

According to the release, eight contestants compete at Mitchell Hall, Columbus State’s culinary facility, completing challenges. At the end of each episode, one contestant will be eliminated. The show is hosted by Chad Goodwin, a vegan restaurateur and actor from Columbus who owns 4th & State and Eden Burger.

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Michael Williams, ‘American Idol’

After a promising string of successes on “American Idol,” particularly capturing the heart of judge Katy Perry in his original audition and advancing to top 20, Michael Williams of Mason failed to make Top 12 on the April 24 episode.

On the April 23 episode, sporting a handsome new hairstyle, he made his bid for top 12 by performing Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me,” but he didn’t secure enough votes to advance into top 10. Perry and fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie had the power to save two contestants to complete the top 12.

Trying out for “American Idol” isn’t Williams’ first run with reality TV or auditioning in front of celebrities.

At 17, he auditioned for “The Voice” by singing Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” The then-teen was picked and mentored by judge Nick Jonas and made it to the Top 10 before being knocked out in a Wildcard Instant Save Sing-off.

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Matt Brown, ‘Moonshiners: Master Distiller’

Credit: Submitted Photo

Credit: Submitted Photo

Springfield resident Matt Brown recently competed on Season 4 of Discovery’s “Moonshiners: Master Distiller” and went head-to-head with fellow combat veterans.

“Overall, it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” Brown said. “I think the thing that I liked most about it is that I was with two other veterans, and it wasn’t even like a competition at all. We all instantly became best friends.”

Brown, an Urbana native and U.S. Army veteran, was featured in the Jan. 25 episode titled “Armed Forces Face Off.” He competed against Justin Rivera of Hawaii and Joe Jackson of Pennsylvania. The show was filmed in October 2022.

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Jesse Bray, ‘Love Island USA’

A Springfield native and his now-girlfriend placed third on this season of “Love Island USA.”

Jesse Bray, 27, was one of the 10 initial people on the dating competition show, which aired on Peacock. The 35-episode season ran from July 19 to Aug. 28, and had a total of 34 islanders throughout the show.

“I’m blessed to be on the show and share the experience with fellow islanders. Everyone was so dope as a person. It’s crazy to be there,” said Bray.

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Kramer Sell, ‘America’s Got Talent’

Credit: Patrick Holman

Credit: Patrick Holman

From practicing in his parents’ basement during high school to getting a chance to compete for a $1 million prize on one of the biggest reality TV shows, Xenia native Kramer Sell, a Nashville-based drummer, is encouraging young musicians to follow their dreams.

“Dream big and dream outside the box,” said Sell. “There is no road map to do this. Once you have all that positive energy in the gas tank, buckle down and put in the work.”

Sell followed his own advice to make it on the big stage. He was a part of Drake Milligan’s band during the audition round on Season 17 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. The episode aired June 7, 2022.

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Lucas Terry, ‘Forged in Fire’

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

University of Dayton student Lucas Terry, a blacksmith/bladesmith from Stuebenville, appeared Oct. 26 on the History Channel competition show “Forged in Fire.”

The show involved four contestants going through three rounds forging bladed weapons with the winner receiving $10,000.

Blacksmithing is working with iron and steel while bladesmithing is forging knives, swords and other blades. Terry started by asking the blacksmith at the Historic Fort Steuben for advice. He eventually learned the art on his own.

The judges on “Forged in Fire” were impressed with Terry’s craftsmanship and his young age. Terry didn’t win but the experience of participating in the competition was inspiring.

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Dr. Joya Griffin, ‘Pop Goes the Vet with Dr. Joya’

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Dayton native and veterinary dermatologist Dr. Joya Griffin, a Dayton Christian High School graduate, stars in the new Nat Geo WILD series “Pop Goes the Vet with Dr. Joya,” which premiered Jan. 1, 2022.

After interviewing with a producer and sharing her story and the cases she treated, the production company compiled the footage and pitched it to Nat Geo WILD.

“It’s a dream,” she said. “I feel so fortunate and honored to be a little girl from Dayton, Ohio who was given this grand opportunity.

The personable, eye-opening series chronicles Griffin through dermatologic explorations of animal care at the Animal Dermatology Clinic in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky as well as Evansville, Indiana. In the series premiere, titled “I’m All Ear Worms,” the focus centered on five special canines. Among those featured were rescued Maltese Johnny B Good diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an attack on the thyroid gland, and labradoodle Cooper coping with a woolly worm, a giant mat of hair that blocks the ear canal.

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Oliver Zak and Selom Agbitor, ‘Shark Tank’

The high-profile business duo of recent Miami University grads who made a big splash on TV’s popular “Shark Tank” show in front of a national viewing audience.

Oliver Zak and Selom Agbitor, the founders of “Mad Rabbit Tattoo Company” invented their post-tattoo skincare product while living together as undergraduates near the school’s main Oxford campus.

The two graduates, whose appearance on the ABC-TV show in 2021 year landed a half-million dollars from NBA-team owner and financier Mark Cuban, appeared with him in an update segment of the show that checks in on past winners and how their start-up business is doing.

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