By Patti Ewald, Times Correspondent
In Print: Thursday, July 2, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG — When Casey Turner wasn't teaching at James B. Sanderlin Elementary, he was DJ Mingle Mixx, cranking tunes and running bikini contests most weekends at Gators Café in Treasure Island.

Now, the fifth-grade teacher has a third role: one of 12 house mates on CBS' Big Brother show.

Turner was among thousands of applicants in a nationwide search that included a screen call in Tampa, where he stood in line for hours to be interviewed.

CBS officially announced the cast members Wednesday. Turner, at 41 the oldest member of the cast, is sequestered in Los Angeles until he and his other cast mates enter the house when the new season begins July 9.

But Turner's wife of four years, Janice, who works at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa, spoke Wednesday. On Friday, a camera crew came to their Burlington Avenue home and whisked Turner away. They drove him to the airport, and although he flew commercial, he had an escort.

"I cried," Mrs. Turner said. "He started to cry, too, and I told him not to, but they said to let him because they wanted it to be as real as possible."

How did the decision to try out for the show come about?

"We are psycho fans of Big Brother," Mrs. Turner said. "We DVR it. We watch every episode every week.

"I knew they would like him. He's so dynamic and intelligent and fun. He's kind of like a Jekyll and Hyde character; he's not just a teacher, he's an entertainer."

How did she allow him to do this?

"We're a team. I even help out at the bikini contests," she said.

And what advice did she give him? "I told him, 'Don't trust the bimbos. The bimbos are only after one thing.' "

The show will air three times a week — Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays — after the season premiere. There is going to be a premiere party at Gators and then a watch party for every episode, Mrs. Turner said.

But she won't be following it beyond the premiere.

"I won't be watching it or reading the blogs," she said. "I don't want to read people's negative comments. They can be hurtful."

Lakeland Grad Tries For 'Big Brother'
Season 11 of reality show begins on CBS this Thursday at 8 p.m.

For the second time this year, a CBS reality program includes a contestant with ties to Polk County.

Casey Turner, a 1986 graduate of Lakeland's Lake Gibson High School, is among the cast of "Big Brother," which premieres Thursday night at 8. He follows Lakeland native Spencer Duhm, a contestant four months ago on "Survivor: Tocantins - The Brazilian Highlands."

Turner, 41, now lives in St. Petersburg and is a fifth-grade teacher there at James B. Sanderlin Elementary School. According to CBS, Turner moonlights as a hip-hop disc jockey.

Turner and the 11 other contestants have been sequestered and are not available for interviews. "Big Brother" places the contestants in a house where they are constantly monitored by cameras. The competition narrows as contestants periodically vote to evict a resident.

Janice Turner, Casey's wife, said he attended Polk Community College before graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She said his mother still lives in Lakeland but has avoided speaking to the media.

Casey and Janice Turner have been married four years. Janice said they have a 1-year-old son together, and Casey also has a 19-year-old son.

Casey and his wife

WOW! I was not expecting his wife to look like that.....

Well Casey didnt waste any time thats for sure. Bet he sells more of these then Renegade shirts.

http://www.maninabananasuit.com/

LOVE IT!