BY: Actress Archives | Tuesday, May 8, 2007 

The host of one of the most family friendly shows on television, Ty Pennington, whose manic energy fuels Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC, had a different kind of fuel in his system when he was pulled over by the cops late Friday night and arrested on DUI. Ty Pennington was pulled over at 12:15am early Saturday morning in the Westside neighborhood of Los Angeles and he was released a couple hours later on $5,000 bail. A court hearing for the misdemeanor charge facing Ty Pennington is set for June 4th. There were no other details - like blood alcohol levels or just what might have been in the system of Ty Pennington - at press time, but other details about the arrest and the behavior of Ty Pennington might be released before the hearing. 


Ty Pennington was quick on the draw when it came to apologizing for his naughty weekend behavior. He released a statement, as quoted by E!, in which the ABC reality star said, "I made an error in judgment. 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. This was my wake-up call. 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."


The high energy Ty Pennington hit it big when he got a gig as one of the hosts on Trading Spaces on TLC. He made the jump to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC, which rather quickly became one of the biggest hits on TV. He's also a spokesman for Sears and has won two Emmys as the host of the show. Ty Pennington also wrote a book in 2003 called Ty's Tricks: Home Repair Secrets Plus Cheap and Easy Projects to Transform Any Room, which features a chapter ironically called "How I Built a Champagne Home on a Beer Budget." Ty Pennington is 42 years old.

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Ty Pennington - Extreme Makeover host pleads no contest in drunk driving case

LOS ANGELES (May 26, 2007)

Ty Pennington, host of ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover, pleaded no contest yesterday in a misdemeanour drunken driving case.

Pennington, 41, had been charged with driving with a blood-alcohol level above the 0.08 per cent limit and driving under the influence of alcohol.

He pleaded no contest to the first count and the latter count was dismissed, said Frank Mateljan, spokesperson for the city attorney's office. Mateljan said it was a normal disposition for a first offence.

A judge placed Pennington on three years' probation, restricted his driving privileges for 90 days and ordered him to participate in a 90-day alcohol program and attend a Mothers Against Drunk Drivers meeting, Mateljan said. Pennington was arrested early May 5.

"I'm happy to bring closure to my recent court proceedings,'' Pennington said in a statement released by publicist Stan Rosenfield. "Drinking and driving is never acceptable. I have pleaded no contest and will abide by the court's ruling.''