US3 min(s) read
If you grew up watching television in the 2000s, you may well remember Curtis Holland, better known online as “King Curtis”, and his unforgettable, viral declaration: “Bacon is good for me.”
Curtis became an internet favorite after appearing on Wife Swap USA in 2009, when he was just six years old. His fiery arguments with his temporary mother, Joy Brown, quickly turned the episode into one of the show's most memorable moments.
Curtis was part of the Holland family in North Carolina, where parents Ginger and Cliff took a relaxed approach to raising their children. They were happy to let their kids enjoy themselves rather than impose strict rules around food and lifestyle.
And Curtis certainly took advantage of that freedom.
The youngster was a huge fan of chicken nuggets, bacon, cheese and processed food, as well as demolition derbies. His larger-than-life personality made him the undisputed star of the family.
However, his laid-back upbringing was about to clash with a very different household.
The Hollands were paired with the Brown family, led by Joy and Demarcus, who ran a fitness bootcamp and placed a huge emphasis on health and exercise. Demarcus, who went by the nickname Sarge, also had a particularly strict, military-inspired approach to family life.
Things quickly went downhill after Joy arrived at the Holland household and began removing what she considered unhealthy food from the refrigerator.
One of her biggest changes was taking bacon off the menu for the duration of the swap — something Curtis was absolutely furious about.
He famously protested: “I want my bacon... I gotta' tell you something. Bacon is good for me.”
That wasn't the only memorable comment from the youngster.
During another part of the episode, Curtis explained his love of chicken nuggets by declaring: “Chicken nuggets is like my family.”
As tensions between Curtis and Joy continued to rise, the six-year-old gave viewers his brutally honest assessment of his temporary mom.
“She thinks, out of the blue, she's a smart little lady that can do whatever she wants. She acts like she's the queen and we're the sorry people!” he said.
Eventually, Curtis appeared to reach breaking point and began packing his belongings, apparently determined to escape the situation altogether.
“I am leaving, and you can't stop me when I'm packing my bags,” he announced.
“She's going to try to stop me, but she can't run in those little high heels. You'll never see this face again!”
Almost two decades have passed since Curtis became a viral sensation, and he actually came close to getting his own reality show.
A pilot was reportedly filmed for a programme centred around the young star, but the project was ultimately never picked up.
Curtis has since largely stayed away from the spotlight, instead building a quieter life in North Carolina.
He became a welder and has reportedly spent much of his spare time fishing, hunting, working on cars and enjoying the outdoors.
When he was 15, the New Statesman tracked him down for an interview. Despite his newfound internet fame, Curtis appeared relatively unfazed by the fact that strangers regularly repeated his famous quotes back to him.
Now in his early 20s, Curtis continues to maintain a relatively private life.
However, his internet legacy has never completely disappeared.
A woman using the TikTok handle @jessiitolaa, who says she is Curtis' cousin, has shared several posts featuring him and photographs showing what he looks like today.
In one video, she even recreated the famous bacon scene alongside Curtis, captioning the clip: “Happy 22nd birthday to my king of a cousin #kingcurtis #baconisgoodforme.”
