'It’s been a dream': Cape Breton’s Turnbull twins turn heads during 'Canada’s Got Talent' audition
Cape Breton musician Evan Turnbull auditioned during the season premiere of “Canada’s Got Talent” Tuesday night and his performance had a surprising twist.
Evan drove 25 hours to Ontario for the audition and performed the song “My Maria” by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn.
The 19-year-old and his twin brother Aaron have been performing in the Glace Bay, N.S., area as a duo for the past few years while also working at Tim Hortons.
Judges Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh, Trish Stratus and Kardinal Offishall seemed a bit skeptical of Evan’s audition at first.
“You’ve only been doing this two years,” said Mandel. “What do you want out of this?”
“I’d like to make this my career,” Evan answered.
“All right, good luck,” Mandel replied before Evan started singing and playing guitar.
Then, his twin Aaron began singing from a spot in the audience before joining him on stage.
The brothers blew the audience away, with many shocked faces and clapping hands.
“That’s exactly what ‘Canada’s Got Talent’ is all about. Not only fantastic talent, fantastic surprises,” Mandel said.
“We thought we were getting coffee -- we got a double-double!”
“I think ‘The Turnbull Brothers’ is going to be a name that people are going to be talking about,” added judge Trish Stratus. “Well done.”
All four judges voted “yes” to send the twins to the next round of the competition.
“We were in shock more than anything, to be honest, we didn’t realize we’d get that good of a response from them,” Aaron told CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly.
The Turnbull brothers say keeping Aaron’s secret was tough.
“It was really hard,” he said.
“I keep on catching myself saying ‘we’ and ‘us’ instead of ‘I,’” Evan added.
The pair didn’t apply to “Canada’s Got Talent” as a duo.
“We just both put in a different video on their website, not even sure if we’d get in or not and we auditioned separately and they wanted us together,” Aaron said.
The brothers’ friends, family and fans gathered at the Main Event Beverage Bar in Glace Bay Tuesday night to watch their audition.
“Oh, the place was boomin’,” Evan said.
“And the amount of support that we’ve got just in the past 24 hours, the amount of text messages we’ve been receiving of support from everybody – it’s been a dream,” added Aaron.
This season of “Canada’s Got Talent” features 82 acts from across the country, but Evan and Aaron are the only Nova Scotians.
“We were shocked when we found that out,” said Evan.
Two New Brunswickers -- dancer David NT Annan and musician Anica -- will also be featured this season.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.