Design Stars Who Have Brutally Turned On HGTV

HGTV may need to look into some programming about how best to mend a fence, because let's just say some of its past talent are not scrambling to be back any time soon. Especially because, it should be noted, HGTV seems to have ended their contracts in a shady way. 

We'll start with one of the less harsh alums (who nonetheless alluded to something sketchy going on behind the scenes). In the wake of the news that his was one of the many shows HGTV cancelled in the summer of 2025, "Farmhouse Fixer" star Jonathan Knight took to Instagram to issue a statement on the matter. "I am sad to say that HGTV has decided not to move forward with another season," he wrote. Nothing to see here — except for the line he followed that with. "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," he said. Not to sound like a Cardi B impersonator, but, like ... what was the reason(s)? As for his co-star Kristina Crestin, she didn't weigh in on the cancellation.

Like we said, Knight was one of HGTV's former stars who stayed pretty cordial in his response to his former employers cancelling his show. However, not everyone has been quite as diplomatic. In fact, married duos like Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas and Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson have been very frank about their feelings. 

That Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson weren't exactly feeling the warm and fuzzies for their former network isn't all that surprising when taking into account that HGTV effectively showed them the middle finger with the way it cancelled "Married to Real Estate" in June 2025. As the couple shared in their joint Instagram statement, "Just landed back in the States after a unforgettable family trip through the Mediterranean, and we're met with unexpected news: HGTV has decided not to move forward with 'Married to Real Estate.'" Like Jonathan Knight, they also alluded to some shadiness BTS, continuing their statement by revealing, "The chain of events leading up to this is disheartening."

Enter, Jackson's more candid commentary on the matter. Taking to his Instagram Stories, he made it clear that he was feeling a type of way about being slighted by HGTV. "I can't front. I'm a bit tight and disappointed. If y'all only knew what we have to put up with and endure," he wrote (via the Daily Mail). Further than that, both Jackson and Sherrod decided to keep things focused on the good to come out of the new developments. In July 2025, Sherrod shared a spicy vacation Instagram snap with the caption, "Serving sun, sand, and zero cares. Let them talk while we tan." 

It certainly didn't hurt that the couple ended up having a major one-up on HGTV. That would be their Daytime Emmy nomination in July 2025. In light of that, Jackson took to Instagram to highlight the creative team behind their show and give them their flowers (we don't doubt that his emphasis on the creatives was a not-so-subtle dig at HGTV's suits). As for Sherrod, her IG response was, "Be still ... And watch the fireworks."

Another of the many shows given the axe by HGTV in June 2025 was "Bargain Block." And, as his fellow jilted colleagues had done, Keith Bynum decided to say something about it. We'd argue that his response was probably the most explosive out of all the former HGTV stars.

In a lengthy Instagram post that began with Bynum wishing his followers a great Sunday, he wrote, "The last six months have been a pretty wild journey. Our entire business and lives have been put through the ringer at the hands of a giant corporation, yet we persist lol." Biting, yet fun — loves it. Bynum went on to note, "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." Yikes. Bynum did not name names. However, remember this particular line, because we'll come back to it in a sec. 

A few days after his announcement-slash-clapback, Bynum returned to Instagram with another post, this time sharing that he was ready to move on from drama likely brought about by his former employers. "Today is a great day to let go of the anger and hurt of the past," he wrote, party emoji in tow. A few months after that, he shared another post in honor of the premiere of the final season of "Bargain Block," where he once again addressed his anger. "I'll admit, the anger we experienced in the last few months was tough to handle," he wrote. However, he added that all the anger shared by their fans showed them just how much support they had. 

Back to Keith Bynum's sad past experiences with HGTV, some may recall that in 2024, he spoke pretty extensively about the behind-the-scenes drama on "Rock the Block." Though he's always kept his commentary fairly cryptic (probably intentionally, given his allusions in one subsequently edited Instagram post to there being NDAs involved), he did point out in one Instagram post that certain aspects about the challenges on the show didn't add up. "It was really disappointing to know we got a perfect score from someone and still lost," he wrote. 

Bynum's co-star and husband wasn't quite as elusive. In a since-deleted post of his own, Evan Thomas asked his followers what they thought about the judging, then followed up with a zinger. "Keith and I decided to judge very fairly because it's the right thing to do, plus we didn't trust production at all (the lead producers are professional liars and manipulators but that's a story for another day lol)," he wrote (via Entertainment Now). Talk about yikes!

Like we said, many of the Instagram posts and comments have since been deleted, so perhaps the "Bargain Block" stars had a change of heart, or maybe those NDA comments had a grain of truth to them. Either way, it's pretty clear there's been some long-simmering tension between the couple and HGTV. All that said, perhaps their departure is for the best.