NORMAL, IL — A central Illinois business started the week with a celebrity shout-out.
It occurred during Sunday’s episode of “American Idol,” on which Normal native Leah Marlene has been competing all season. With the finale in sight, Marlene chatted with host Ryan Seacrest about her desire to stay on the show until the hometown visit segment.
“I want to go to the hometown visit so bad,” she told him.
“I mean, The Garlic Press has Leah’s Music Mix popcorn for sale,” Seacrest replied. “Dorothy’s been there since 1976 running that shop.”
Dorothy is 90-year-old Dorothy Bushnell, according to The Pantagraph. Her daughter and business partner, Sarah McManus, was watching the show and leapt out of her chair when she heard Seacrest mention the store, The Pantagraph reported.
“I was just like ‘Oh my gosh, no way,’ and I loved that he said my mother’s name,” McManus told The Pantagraph.
The kitchen and gift shop worked with a group of students from Marlene’s alma mater, Normal West High School, to come up with the special popcorn, a combination of kettle, caramel and vanilla sea salt flavors, The Pantagraph reported.
Marlene made it to the top three on “Idol” and will take part today in a procession and a concert in Uptown Normal. The finale will air 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC.
“We will be ready to welcome her home this week and give her a great big bag of our Leah’s Music Mix popcorn,” The Garlic Press said in a Facebook post.
