Ty Pennington Arrested for DUI

Ty Pennington, the energetic star of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was arrested this weekend on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The arrest took place shortly after 12:30 a.m., Saturday May 5th. Pennington, 42, posted a $5,000 bail two hours after his arrest.

Pennington released an apology to his fans and co-workers through his publicist Stan Rosenfield.

"This was my wake-up call," Pennington stated, "I also want to apologize to my fans, ABC Television and my design team for my lapse in judgment and the embarrassment I have caused."

Ty Pennington's career has included such jobs as male fashion model, set designer, and furniture designer before landing a role as carpenter on The Learning Channel's hit television show Trading Spaces. His quirky sense of humor and creative talent propelled him to celebrity status during his four-year stint on the show. However, tt wasn't until he was contacted by ABC to be the lead designer for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that he was truly catapulted into stardom. Under his leadership, the show has won two Emmys for "Outstanding Reality Program" as well as two "People's Choice Awards." The success he has enjoyed as a result of this career change also led to an endorsement deal from Sears, one of the show's sponsors, allowing him to design his own line of products called Ty Pennington Style. He is also the ambassador for the Sears American Dream Campaign.

As a celebrity who has made himself a household name through making positive differences in other peoples' lives, Pennington states that he made a mistake.

"I made an error in judgment," Pennington said."We all make mistakes, however this is about accountability. Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving. I could have jeopardized the lives of others and I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone."

He is due back in court June 4.

Sources:
http://www.typenningtonstyle.com/about/bio.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_en_ce/people_ty_pennington;_ylt=Ah1hDpm3pauZU9PLSASx8HZxFb8C