Austin Lee Russell – better known by his pseudonym Chumlee – rose to fame after appearing on the TV show Pawn Stars on the History Channel. The show follows the day-to-day running of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop located in Las Vegas where Chumlee works, and he fast became a breakout star of the show.

A childhood friend of Corey Harrison (whose family founded the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop), Chumlee began working at the shop five years before the first season was filmed. In 2009 the first season of Pawn Stars was filmed for the History Channel, and Chumlee was often portrayed as the comic foil of the show and made fun of for his incompetence and intelligence despite his incredible expertise in pinball machines, sneakers and video games. Being referred to as a “village idiot” on the show didn’t do Chumlee any harm at all, and he became a firm fan favourite of the series. His popularity also led to a string of personal appearances and the formation of his own company, selling novelty items that he designed himself.

As the breakout cast member of the show he has frequently appeared in the media, and has also launched his successful online shop selling clothes, helmets and candy and opened his own candy shop Chumlee’s Candy on the Boulevard in Las Vegas, opposite the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. Chumlee has amassed a huge online following with over a million followers on Facebook.