It was a devastating week for HGTV fans as the network made some shocking cancellations to its lineup. First, it was Bargain Block. Then came Married to Real Estate. Next, Farmhouse Fixer. Now, Izzy Does It has been axed. With some top-tier renovation shows canceled, it’s time to wonder if the network is pivoting in a new direction. A new direction featuring celebrities prominently.
This summer, three returning series include some of Hollywood’s finest. Celebrity IOU brings celebrities onto the network with Drew and Jonathan Scott. In a quick jaunt, your favorite stars help to give a meaningful makeover to a loved one. Retta hosts Ugliest House in America as she tours the titular properties across the country. Zillow Gone Wild is returning with Jack McBrayer as he takes the internet trend and whips up some quips for the small screen. While the quartet of cancellations exposes a massive visibility issue, two of the three celeb-centric shows are house tour shows with a comedic flair. Is that what HGTV prefers to supply viewers with?
Are Celebrity Series the New Frontier on HGTV?
Though very few new shows are scheduled to debut for the rest of 2025, the remainder of the year will be filled with returning favorites. The tried-and-true battle-tested series like Home Town, Help! I Wrecked My House, and 100 Day Dream Home. The newest addition to the family will be Alison Victoria‘s Sin City Rehab, which will essentially be the same show fans have loved, with a new city as the backdrop. They will be paired with an assortment of real estate-centric shows. The genre had seen a decline during the boom of flipping, but having Retta and Jack McBrayer as hosts brings some pause to the network’s direction. Don’t get me wrong, they are brilliant at their job and bring levity to the bewilderment that are the properties that they feature, but why must it be celebrities? Perhaps David Bromstad‘s monotone on My Lottery Dream Home was why HGTV called in the recruits.
Are viewers tired of the same blueprint of renovation shows? Has everyone learned what they needed to from the wall-to-wall flipping content? Perhaps it’s more enticing for fans and easier on the network’s pocketbook to invite a celebrity to pop in for a short season order and travel to niche homes than to embark on months-long projects. What’s clear is that experts are losing their shows as sitcom stars become the face of the network.
Of the four shows, the personalities have gone above and beyond the fray to make their mark. Jonathan Knight appeared on two seasons of Rock the Block while simultaneously bringing Farmhouse Fixer and its spin-off to life. Evan Thomas and Keith Bynum traveled to New Orleans for their Bargain Block spin-off while playing Rock the Block twice. Married to Real Estate’s Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson even won! Then there is Izzy Battres, who came to prominence on Flip or Flop. These weren’t just random industry experts who had one season to try their hand. These were beloved HGTV personalities. Perhaps a sign of the times will be a reboot of Celebrities at Home. Maybe a Community cast member will lead the charge on that one.
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Ty Pennington Weighs In on HGTV’s Latest Shocking Series Cancellation After 4 Seasons
Ty Pennington feels the blow, too.
HGTV Is Not Letting the Personalities Down Easy
The loss of these four properties on HGTV is causing more damage than the network may have imagined. Not only have they tossed aside four shows featuring individuals from minority groups, but the personalities themselves are revealing, in not-so-many words, that the reasoning might be more nefarious than imagined. When Jonathan Knight, who does have a bit of celebrity status himself, shared the news via an Instagram post, he wrote, in part, “I am sad to say HGTV has decided not to move forward with another season. While I’m still processing the reasons that led to their decision, Kristina and I are so grateful for all your support over the past 3 seasons.” Meanwhile, Keith Bynum stated in his post, “Everyone always told us TV is a fickle world, and they are very right. TV is full of a lot of great people but it’s also full of some of the worst people I’ve ever encountered.” For Egypt Sherrod, her social media post included, “While the chain of events leading up to this is disheartening, we are deeply grateful.”
The subtle dog whistle exposes the dark side of the entertainment industry. Surely, we’ll learn more in due time, but when the stars themselves are alluding to something bigger behind the scenes, it casts a cloud over the often problem-free network. Is it a mere coincidence that the four cast-outs feature a queer couple, a Mexican man, a Black couple, and a gay man? It’s not the best look. As HGTV moves forward with new shows, hopefully, they will consider them in whatever this new frontier may be. If not, well, those miffed former HGTV hosts may fill in the gaps about those devastating blows behind the scenes.
Celebrity IOU is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
