Two Teens Get the Transformation They Are Looking For
Thanks to an MTV Show

Appleton, Wis. (June 12, 2008) –When MTV field producers visited high schools in the Fox Cities last year searching for the next students to be featured on the show "Made," two local teens made the cut. One wanted to be a karate kid. The other wanted to be a prom king. MTV gave them both a chance to achieve their dreams.

Episodes of "Made" track the efforts of teens in becoming what they want to become. They are given coaches and the advice they need to make their dreams a reality. In the end, they often make transformations greater than just their physical appearance.

"I heard they were coming and I thought 'Maybe I'll do it," said 18-year-old Ryan Watkins of Kimberly. He lined up with nearly 50 other students from Kimberly High School to audition, Watkins said. One by one, they stepped in front of the camera and talked about their "Made" goals. Watkins told producers he wanted to compete in martial arts competitions.

Two days after the auditions, MTV called Watkins back and told him he'd have a chance to be made into a karate kid. "I don't want to say I was a slob, but I liked the way I was, and I didn't really care about what people thought about me," Watkins said. He woke up for 5 a.m. workouts and trained for three hours a day with his master martial arts artist coach until he was ready to compete in the J.K. Great Midwest Championship. "They called me when I was in school," said John Diehn, a 17-year-old from Hortonville. "My mom was standing at the answering machine with a chair in front of it. She told me to sit down. My first thought was, who died?"

When Diehn realized it was MTV calling, he dropped his keys with excitement, he said. It wasn't too long after that that Diehn started the six-week process to become prom king. He had joked about auditions with his friends before the MTV crew visited his high school, but on the day of open casting calls, Diehn showed up with the required form and picture.

For the most part, family members and friends were supportive of Diehn's participation on the show, he said. But the makeover was the most difficult part of being on the show. Diehn lost his glasses and jean jacket and traded his mullet in for a new haircut. His friends and family members didn't see the need for the change."Before the show, I was the shy guy with a crazy mullet going on," Diehn said. "Now, I guess you'd say I dress pretty good." However, that was only one part of the transformation, he said. He also underwent a social transformation."It made me really happy to see a lot of changes," Diehn said. "I was extremely happy with the whole experience." Both Watkins' and Diehn's episodes will air Saturday. Watkins' episode will be the 100th of the TV show, and he plans on celebrating the airing of the show with his "Made" coach. "I'm kind of the same, I think," he said. "I just added some attributes. It was more of a turning point in the way I think."

Tune in The episodes of "Made" featuring John Deihn and Ryan Watkins will air at 9:35 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, on Saturday. For more information, visit mtv.com.