'Watermelon boy' finds fame as 1st Viral Hit of year 2016

A 10-year-old Australian boy who ate a whole watermelon, including its skin, at a cricket game here has achieved cult status after his stunt was rated as the 'First Viral Hit of 2016'.

Mitchell Schibeci was captured on live television enthusiastically munching on the fruit as he watched the Melbourne Stars-Melbourne Renegades clash at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Commentators at the MCG were shocked to see him chomping into the fruit, skin and all.

Soon, the hashtag #watermelonboy began trending on Twitter.

"Cricket has a new hero. Splendid work on demolishing an entire watermelon young man. Well played," one user said.

"#Watermelonboy you are an absolute inspiration mate," another wrote.

The People magazine said, kid



eating an entire watermelon at a cricket game is the 'First Internet Hero of 2016'.

Mitchell, now dubbed as the "watermelon boy", told the BBC that he devised the stunt to get his face on the game's big screen. He said that eating the whole watermelon was tougher than expected.

"It was a lot more hard work than I thought it would be... I just kept on eating and eating it," he said. Mitchell said he had been eating watermelon rind since the age of two.

"I've been doing it for a long time - I just like the taste of it," he said.

The clip of Mitchell tucking into the watermelon was picked up as ESPN's Play of the Day, but he has not let the attention go to his head.

"I'm not really a hero, I'm just a normal average kid," Mitchell said.