Damian Made Me Gleek Out

Hello, Reader!

I never was interested in Glee. Well, maybe that's a lie. I was sort of intrigued by the idea, and it looked like a fun show. I love musicals and show choir, and I had heard good things about Glee. Unfortunately, I never got into it because I didn't have a drive for it, and I get easily distracted.
Until recently.
There is a young singer who I particularly enjoy hearing on my iTunes. His name is Damian McGinty. He's from Ireland and sings in one of my favorite bands, Celtic Thunder. They are an Irish band that gives their own Celtic kick to popular and folk songs. One day, my mother told me I should watch The Glee Project (a reality show on Oxygen that had twelve contenders competing to win a seven episode role on Glee). I was not inclined to watch it. I cannot stand reality shows to be perfectly honest. They are predictable, annoying, and I would rather not spend my time watching people compete, fight, and talk about their emotional troubles.
"Damian's on here."
Well, that made me do a 180.
I immediately began watching, hoping every week Damian would progress. He has a brilliant talent, and I was happy to see him branch out and wanting to fulfill his own dreams. Also, I am a rabid fangirl who freaks out over the sight of anyone I happen to admire.

He's kind of super adorable. Look at those big puppy eyes. Excuse me while I melt.

It seems I wasn't the only one who would tune into Oxygen to see the adorable Irish lad. On Tumblr, Facebook, and Blogger, people were talking about how much they loved Damian. Some were like me who had just decided to watch this show because they were Celtic Thunder fans. Some had never heard of Damian. It's not that hard to see why he would get such a large, possitive response. He's cute. He can sing. And he's Irish. Instant heartthrob, no?
As the show progressed, there was concern Damian would be kicked off. He wasn't in the judges' graces too well. They loved him, of course, but they believed the other contenders could do a better job than him on Glee. There was talk from the fandom that plenty of viewers would stop watching TGP if Damian were to leave. I'm not exactly sure, but I think the producers were concerned with this and wanted to keep Damian on (even though it was a competition). Another contender ended up quitting, which saved Damian from elimination.
As it turns out, Damian ended up winning The Glee Project along with another contender, Samuel Larsen.
I think there would have been one winner if it weren't for the fans. I got to thinking how reality shows and just how television works in general. You can pull from one common interest in order to lead others in your direction.
In other words, Glee is now one of my favorite shows because I watched The Glee Project BECAUSE I wanted to see Damian. (Not to mention, Darren Criss who plays Blaine Anderson started out doing a Harry Potter parody musical which probably attracted a lot of his original fans to watch Glee).
It's all connected! People who follow actors, writers, directors, etc. know exactly what I'm talking about. What shows have you collected under your belt from tracking different people in the television/movie business?