ONLY ON 3: Oak Island’s take on their Teen Mom 2 celeb

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) – One probably wouldn’t use Oak Island and MTV in the same sentence very often, but they’re coming together tonight as the small community’s latest celebrity, Jenelle Evans, debuts in Teen Mom 2. How do residents feel about the spotlight their neck of the woods is getting because of the show? John Rendleman headed down there today to find out.

Teen Mom 2 profiles Jenelle Evans. She’s become somewhat of a cult hero for some residents of Brunswick County. Oak Island resident Patricia Hughes finds the MTV show interesting because Patricia used to be a single mom, just like Jenelle Evans. ” It’s pretty amazing someone from here could be a celebrity”, says Hughes. “I never thought that would happen, but I don’t think the publicity is necessarily good for her or for the town of Oak Island.

16 year old Tori Thomas of Oak Island knows Janelle Evans. They used to hang out with each before Janelle got pregnant. Thomas says she believes the MTV show is good because people get to learn all about teen pregnancy. As far as the publicity, Thomas says ” It’s not a bad thing because it show teen pregnancy happens everywhere.”

Brunswick County resident Marianna Bates has watched the show. For Bates the show brings back memories. ” I hate to see these kids struggle. I was a teen mom myself too. I was 18 when I had my first baby. I was over 6 months pregnant when I graduated from high school.” Bates found out this week that there will be a new addition to her family. “My 17 year old boy just got his girlfriend pregnant. He’s the one who really needs to watch the show.”

Evans not only gained notariety for having a baby so young. She was arrested last October and charged with breaking into a vacant house and having a small amount of marijuana. She was due to appear in court on Monday, but the courthouse was closed due to the winter storm.

Teen Mom 2 premiered Tuesday, January 11th at 10 p.m. on MTV.