Donnie Wahlberg tipped a waitress $2,020 to celebrate the new year

3 January 2020

Donnie Wahlberg left a $2,020 tip at IHOP to celebrate the start of the New Year.

Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg

The 'Blue Bloods' star and his wife Jenny McCarthy headed to the popular American restaurant chain near their St. Charles, Illinois, home on Wednesday (01.01.20) to spread some cheer at the start of 2020, as they left a whopping $2,020 tip on a $75.45 bill.

Jenny posted the evidence on Twitter when she shared an image of their receipt, which showed the tip amount, as well as a message to their waitress at the top that read "Thanks Bethany".

She captioned the image: ". @DonnieWahlberg starting 2020 off like the amazing man he is. #ihop #2020tipchallenge (sic)"

The "2020 Tip Challenge" appears to be a reference to a generous tipping trend for the New Year, which is believed to have originated in Michigan, when a server at Thunder Bay River Restaurant received a $2,020 tip on a $23 bill.

Bethany Provencher, the IHOP server who received the tip, later spoke about the whopping tip, and said she almost "fell to the floor" when she looked at the receipt.

She said: "I've loved Donnie my whole life - I was a very big New Kids on the Block fan when I was a kid. I didn't want to freak out at the table, so I went into the bathroom and freaked out a little. I was like, 'Oh my god!'

"I served them the best I could do. He folded up the receipt and he gave it to me, and told me not to open it until he left. I said 'okay, thank you, guys, come again. I'll take care of you again.' Then I open it, and I almost fell to the floor."

The 37-year-old waitress says she "started crying" after receiving the tip, and explained the money would help her "make ends meet".

She told People magazine: "I just started crying. I couldn't believe it. I mean, who does that? It was a blessing. I just moved into an apartment, I'm a single mother - by myself with my son. So I struggle every day to make ends meet. And now I can buy furniture and put some money in the bank, and make sure my son is good."