It Started With a 7-Up Salad for Viral Video Star Kalen Allen

The Ellentube host on sharing himself, and his reactions, with the world—and one of the biggest talk show hosts

It all started with a bowl of 7-Up Salad in 2017—a combination of soda, marshmallows, lime Jell-O, cream cheese and a slew of other ingredients—or as Kalen Allen ended up describing “a stomachache waiting to happen.”

A recipe tutorial caught the eye of the Temple University student, who made a cheeky reaction video. You may have seen it. If you didn’t, Ellen DeGeneres and 5.6 million other people saw the viral video.

Soon, the queen of daytime television reached out to him and brought him on the show to offer him a gig.

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This story first appeared in the Oct. 14, 2019, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.