It had been 38 years since Don Bailey posed for his popular carpet ad – a spoof of a famous Burt Reynolds picture. In March 2010, Under the Sun reporter Sammy Mack convinced Bailey to pose again, wearing exactly the same … smile.
Under the Sun got the scoop on the man behind the iconic billboards for our What’s up with South Florida? segment.
Ever the good sport, Don eagerly agreed to pose for the updated photo shoot. The photo above is of Don in his living room wearing his own bathing suit. You’ll notice he still prefers burgundy carpets, though the shag has given way to a more fashionable short pile.
Sammy also spoke with his wife, Donna, about marrying into the naked carpet guy legacy.
“We met at a wedding, and at the time he had his sign board on the back of a car, kind of a flashy car, and as I pulled in with my girlfriends they said stay away from that guy he’s a scoundrel. Why would anyone be interested in being with a guy that has that pose on the back of his car he sounds really crazy?” said Bailey.
After a few dances and good laughs, her opinion changed. “He charmed me, and I uh, got over the, the, the opinions of my girlfriends real fast.”
