A Disney employee who was laid off from his job after 15 years became an overnight sensation when his Twitch stream catapulted him to internet stardom.
Chet Atkins was the voice of Crush the Turtle for Turtle Talk with Crush at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida, but says Disney “abruptly” let him go due to an unspecified medical condition that caused him to repeatedly miss work.
The longtime artist, who said he misses his job, which had him communicating and improvising with guests as the turtle from Finding Nemo, “every day,” turned to livestreaming video games on Twitch, garnering just 101 subscribers and zero views.
But his life changed overnight when TikTok user KindPenguins shared a video of himself live-streaming $450 as an act of kindness to Atkins during his stream.
The sweet clip shows the streamer singing a song portraying Crush when the donation comes in and he gasps, “I can’t tell you what that means to me!”
A Disney employee who was laid off from his job after 15 years became an overnight sensation when his Twitch stream catapulted him to internet stardom.
The clip has since garnered 59.3 million views, while Atkins, whose username is chetter72, has amassed 300,000 subscribers on Twitch and 619,400 on TikTok.
Upon receiving the donation from KindPenguins, Atkins was visibly shaking and crying on the livestream.
He said, ‘KindPenguins, what the hell? What the hell? KindPenguins, what are you doing? Oh my God. I can’t explain to you what that means to me.
“I’m shaking right now. Can you handle it? Is that okay? I don’t know, I don’t want to stress you out.”
The kind penguins replied: “Love deserves love.”
Chet Atkins was the voice of Crush the Turtle for Turtle Talk with Crush at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida
The interactive attraction featured Atkins communicating with park visitors as the shell-wearing character from Finding Nemo.
Upon request, Atkins will imitate Crush for his subscribers, whether it’s singing “Happy Hatch Day” or reminding his followers to “keep swimming.”
And the good deeds didn’t end there.
In an Instagram video, Atkins showed off a gift from KindPenguins, which sent the streamer a thoughtful package that included a custom-made Astro A40 Xbox headset decorated with the penguins. The device sells for $130.
Atkins said: ‘I want to say a huge thank you to KindPenguins, it’s an amazing thing they did for me, they changed my life for the better. I’m so grateful to them.’
“I can’t explain to you what this means to me and what this community means to me.”
Users in the comments on her streams and social media posts praise Atkins for her positive energy and share stories of times their families visited Turtle Talk with Crush.
In an Instagram reel, Atkins unboxed a gift from KindPenguins, who sent the streamer a care package that included a custom Xbox Astro A40 headset decorated with the penguins.
Upon request, Atkins will imitate Crush for his subscribers, whether it’s singing “Happy Hatch Day” or reminding his followers to “keep swimming.”
One user commented: ‘You were probably our crush when I took my kids to Disney World.
‘I really recognized your voice… Thanks for making my kids’ dreams come true, buddy!’
Another wrote: ‘You picked my son out of the crowd as a crush and made his day many years ago and it’s one of our favorite memories.’
A third chimed in: ‘KindPenguins sent me to your page, YOU made me stay.’
The streamer is now gaining sponsorships and increasing his following day by day.
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