Where are the kids that Ellen DeGeneres made famous now?
Ellen DeGeneres, reigning queen of daytime television, has knighted many a precocious child into stardom on her show. From young dancers and singers to hilarious personalities, the bubbly host has proven to be a spot-on talent scout by opening her stage up to some of the world's most entertaining kids. It's no secret that exposure on The Ellen DeGeneres Show is a foolproof formula for internet heat. After appearing on the program, British songstresses Sophia Grace and Rosie were seen on red carpets and talk shows across the nation. Where are these little people with big talent now?
Greyson Chance
Greyson Chance's stunning 2010 cover of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" earned him instant accolades, and the baby-faced crooner's career took off from there. His two original songs "Stars" and "Broken Hearts" topped more than six million views each on YouTube, thus proving that he could write as well as he could sing. In 2016, Chance went on to promote the EP Somewhere Over My Head. In a letter to his fans on his website, Chance noted that "Afterlife," a single from the EP, did indeed have sad lyrics, but that he saw it as "just the beginning of a gladdening future."
Heaven King
Heaven King has already done something many women can only dream of: she met Beyonce. According to King, when Bey met her at a recent live performance, she told the little girl she was "cute." Cute might be an understatement when it comes to watching this girl and her mother Tianne bust a move to Beyonce classics. The mother/daughter duo lives in New York City, where they teach dance workshops together and continue to shoot videos like the one that landed them on Ellen. Of course, Beyonce's smallest protege was, like the rest of us, inspired by the release of Lemonade in April 2016. After the album came out, King and her mother produced a video for Beyonce's "Formation," in which this child and her crew absolutely slay the choreography.
Kai Langer
Kai Langer wooed DeGeneres (and the better part of America) when he nailed a heartbreakingly adorable cover of Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man." He continually amped up the cuteness on Ellen, at one point offering DeGeneres a friendship bracelet and asking her to be his girlfriend. Hopefully Portia de Rossi understood. In addition to singing, Langer has devoted much of his time to his other passion: soccer. He was even given the opportunity to meet the L.A. Galaxy club on DeGeneres' show. He's also posted on his Facebook that he was enrolled in soccer camp.
Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland
These cousins and prototypical Ellen success stories made a huge splash when DeGeneres first introduced them with their cover of Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" in 2011. Since then, the duo has continued to perform and attend red carpet events. They landed a two-episode arc playing themselves on the Nickelodeon's Sam & Cat, released a video series starring themselves entitled Sophia Grace & Rosie's Royal Adventure, and revisited DeGeneres, of course.
Akshat Singh
After DeGeneres got a glimpse of Akshat Singh dancing for India's Got Talent, she told her producers "bring him to me," and it was done. When the Calcutta native proceeded to ride out on the stage on a miniature motorcycle, the audience got revved up to a fever pitch, and a dancing sensation in the States was born. After his stint on India's Got Talent, Singh also appeared on the Indian dancing show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. His incredible energy and impressive capacity to dance on his head earned him the attention of movie producers in India, and he was cast as a co-star in the romantic comedy Ayal Njanalla.
Zony and Yony
Holy double adorable time! It's nearly impossible to shake the good vibes identical twins Zony and Yony of Taiwan give off when dancing. These two matching nuggets boogied their hearts out to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on DeGeneres' show. Since making names for themselves in the States, the sisters have returned to Taiwan, where they continue to maintain a busy dance schedule. Their hard work is evidenced by the many videos and performances. Fans can keep up with them on their Facebook page.
Merrick Hanna
Ten-year-old Merrick Hanna warmed the hearts of the entire audience when he busted out his robotic pop and lock on Ellen. Hanna's obvious skills earned him a spot on Fox's critically acclaimed So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, where he became a fan favorite. The San Diego native continues to prolifically release videos and even manages to balance school with his ever-booming dance career. This kid seems to have success on (pop and) lock.
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