HGTV Stars Who Fell Off The Radar

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HGTV has become a favorite destination for television viewers, but its history only extends back to the mid-1990s. When HGTV launched in December 1994, the network, which had originally been titled the Home, Lawn and Garden, was only available in 44 markets, with a reach of only 6.5 million people throughout the country. 

It's a testament to the strength of HGTV's early programming that its popularity exploded; by the time of its 25th anniversary in 2019, HGTV reached 100 million American households, its programming spreading throughout the world where it's enjoyed in 70 other countries. When Discovery Inc. purchased the network in 2018, the media company shelled out a whopping $12 billion to own it.

Over the years, HGTV has launched a staggering number of hit shows, and introduced an impressive array of personalities. Many of these stars continue to appear on different shows for the network — can anybody even count how many HGTV shows "Property Brothers" siblings Drew and Jonathan Scott have appeared in — While others have vanished from the network entirely. Take a walk down memory lane to find out what happened to some of them by reading on to highlight some HGTV stars who fell off the radar.

When "Windy City Rehab" first made its debut on HGTV, the focus was on Chicago-based designer Alison Victoria's efforts to revitalize grand old Chicago homes that had fallen into disrepair. At her side was contractor Donovan Eckhardt, her onscreen sidekick during those projects. 

A fixture during the first season, Eckhardt only appeared in two episodes in the second, and then vanished from the show entirely. The reason is at the heart of how a hit remodel show became one of HGTV's messiest scandals. What viewers didn't see, at least initially, is that Eckhardt and Victoria had experienced multiple permit problems with the city, and were hit with a sea of lawsuits, ranging from homeowners alleging fraud to a subcontractor claiming he was owed $100,000. It all came to a head when Victoria was denied a bank loan for a property renovation and discovered the mess that had been left by Eckhardt's handling of the finances. When she learned that her name had been forged on documents, that was the final straw. "This is the end with me and Donovan," she said in one episode (via People). "He's gone, by his own right, by his own doing ... I have lost a friend and I have lost a business partner."

Eckhardt fired back by suing her for defamation. That case was eventually thrown out of court, but not before the whole ugly thing blew up into one of HGTV's biggest scandals ever. According to Eckhardt's Instagram feed, he's still involved in contracting, but not on television, and definitely not with Victoria.

Suzanne Whang was a familiar face to TV viewers as the host of "House Hunters" for nine seasons, from 1999 until 2007. And while that certainly made her identifiable to fans of HGTV, that job was just one small part of a far larger career that also encompassed acting and comedy. In fact, during the years that she hosted "House Hunters," she also managed to guest-star on an array of scripted TV series, including "Two and a Half Men," "Criminal Minds," "Boston Legal," and many more. Her acting career continued after her exit from HGTV. Among those many jobs was a recurring role on TV drama "Las Vegas," and playing Carol Chang on beloved daytime soap "General Hospital." 

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. By 2011, the cancer had metastasized; she was told she had stage four cancer and given just six months to live. She outlived that prediction and kept her diagnosis a secret for the next five years, and then went public to share her journey living with cancer. "In Asian culture, it is considered shameful and tacky to talk about your problems," she explained in an interview with HuffPost. "So I had to break through a cultural core belief when I finally came out of the cancer closet."

Whang died in 2019, nearly a decade longer than doctors had initially predicted. "For 13 years she confronted cancer with courage, humor, determination and optimism," her partner, Jeff Vezain, wrote in a tribute posted on Facebook. 

HGTV was only a few years old when the burgeoning Home and Garden Network tapped Joan Steffend to host a show, which turned out to be "Decorating Cents." Launching in 1997, "Decorating Cents" followed Steffend as she instructed homeowners with tight budgets on how to achieve a big bang for their limited bucks when attempting home decor redesigns. It's fair to say that the show resonated with viewers, given that it ran for a solid decade until ending in 2007.

After the show wrapped, so too did Steffend's career in television. She moved on by shifting her focus to writing and public speaking. These days, she's the author of two books that have nothing to do with DIY home decor: "And She Sparkled," and "Peace In Peace Out." She also runs her own website, where her books can be purchased — as can t-shirts bearing her likeness, as well as such slogans as "Joan told me to paint it." 

Steffend made a comeback of sorts when TikTok comedian Rob Anderson began sharing clips of the show's definitely dated and somewhat garish designs, adding snarky commentary that led the clips to go viral. Interviewed by EntertainmentNow, Steffend noted that her friends and family had encouraged her to take advantage of her sudden online fame, but admitted "it's all just kind of baffling to me." She remained circumspect about the designs being mocked. "I get it. I mean, it's from the late '90s, early 2000s, and the designer's job was to be as wildly creative as they could be. There were hits and there were misses."

One of HGTV's most enduring series has been "Design Star," the decor competition in which designers compete for the opportunity to host their own show on the network. Among the winners who've gone on to HGTV glory have been "My Lottery Dream Home" host David Bromstad (winner of Season 1), Tiffany Brooks (Season 8), and fifth-season winner Emily Henderson. Henderson went on to host her own series, "Secrets from a Stylist," which was canceled in 2011 after two seasons.

Henderson never returned to HGTV with another show. She did, however, continue to flourish in her career as a designer, while also running a popular website featuring her own design blog.

She revisited her experience on "Design Star" by sharing her impressions after rewatching the season. As she explained in that blog post, it was an awkward experience for her because reality shows at that time were all about feuding and fighting, and she wasn't comfortable pretending to feud with the other contestants. "Watching it back I can see on my face and my body language how I wanted to go home almost immediately," she wrote. "I'm not competitive with other people, at all."

Canadian designer Candice Olson first came to HGTV as host of the series "Divine Design," which ran for more than 200 episodes over the course of eight successful seasons until ending in 2011. That same year, she returned to HGTV with a new series, "Candice Tells All," which was also the title of a corresponding syndicated newspaper column she wrote in conjunction with the series.

After "Candice Tells All" ended its run, Olson continued to share her design knowledge in other ways. That included writing several books, such as "Candice Olson Kitchens and Baths" and "Candice Olson on Design: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Home," to highlight two. These days, she can be found on her website, Candiceolson.com, sharing her partnerships with various product suppliers and stunning photos of the designs she's created for clients. She's also created her own line of couture wallpaper. 

Interviewed by MDC Interior Solutions in 2024, Olson explained that becoming an HGTV star has been one part of her larger journey as a designer. "I had worked for several contract design firms and had been running my own successful company for almost 15 years before I was approached to do my own show," she recalled. "I think that experience and authenticity was what resonated with viewers and was one of the big reasons why we were such a hit. Viewers could see that I was a 'real deal designer and not just a TV personality ... thank goodness for editing!"

Interestingly, the show that is often credited as sparking the explosion in home-renovation TV in the early 2000s did not air on HGTV, but TLC. That groundbreaking show was "Trading Spaces," in which neighbors swapped houses, with each redecorating a space in the other's home under a tight timeline and strict budget, with the guidance of a team of designers and contractors. One of those designers was Genevieve Gorder. "It was the first," she told People. "I am so proud of it and I never look down on it."

After the show's cancellation in 2009, Gorder was tapped by HGTV to host her own series, the interior design advice show "Dear Genevieve." She also hosted "HGTV Design Star" and invited viewers to watch her renovate her own place in "Genevieve's Renovation." For those wondering whatever happened to Gorder after "Dear Genevieve" ended in 2013, she returned to a short-lived revival of "Trading Spaces" in 2018. That same year, she launched her own series on Netflix, "Stay Here," which focused on renovating Airbnb rental properties (and only lasted for a single eight-episode season). Other ventures have included teaching online design classes (a partnership with retailer TJ Maxx) and the interior design-themed mobile game "Vineyard Valley" (a collaboration with game developer Jam City).

In 2019, she announced she'd be joining "Best Room Wins," serving as a judge on the Bravo competition series. That was followed by a new venture in 2023, hosting her own show for the Crackle streaming service. Titled "At Home with Genevieve," the series wasn't invited back for a second season. In early 2025, Al Roker Entertainment announced Gorder had been tapped for an upcoming new series, "Better Living with Genevieve." 

Fans were stunned when Chip and Joanna Gaines announced they'd decided to end their HGTV hit "Fixer Upper."  The reason for that decision later became clear when they revealed they'd be focusing their efforts on something even bigger by launching their own media empire with the Magnolia Network. 

For viewers of "Fixer Upper," Chip's pal and trusty contractor, Saul "Shorty" Sanchez, had become a fan favorite. At the time "Fixer Upper" concluded, a viewer tweeted, "I really miss Shorty from 'Fixer Upper.'" Chip responded by writing, "Have no fear!! My brother @shortymsanchez is living not only 'his' but THE best life."

As Chip remarked in the debut episode of Magnolia's "Fixer Upper" revival, his relationship with Sanchez extended further back than the TV show, revealing that they'd worked together on projects since they were young men. "He was just always energetic and always the right man for the job," he said, as reported by Closer Weekly (Via Yahoo! Entertainment). Sanchez is now running his own contracting business, Shorty's Remodeling, which he promotes via Instagram and Facebook.

It's easy to forget that the "G" in HGTV stands for gardening, and although gardening is no longer a focus on the network, that wasn't the case when host Paul James brought viewers all manner of plant advice in his show, "Gardening By the Yard." Premiering in 1995 and running for 13 seasons until 2009, James' negotiations to return for a 14th season hit a wall, and the series came to an end. 

That's according to James himself, who shared what he's been up to since then when he appeared on "The Joe Gardner Show" podcast. According to James, he pitched another show — tracing the origins of the food we eat — that caught the interest of Discovery, but decided to pass when the network told him they were looking for more action-packed shows like "The Amazing Race." "And that was the moment where I realized that programming executives, their minds work differently than mine," he said. Instead, he took his talents online, developing a presence on social media and offering gardening advice on his website, but ultimately decided to shut it down when he began being criticized for not responding to questions quickly enough. 

James is now keeping a lower profile, focusing on spending time with family, doing some traveling, and, of course, working in his garden. His gardening advice is still in demand, evident when he made a 2022 appearance on a local news broadcast.

One of the most notable series to launch on HGTV was "Kitty Bartholomew: You're Home," in which the titular designer took viewers on tours of various homes, demonstrated DIY projects, and conducted interviews with designers. She was already a familiar face to viewers, from several years on ABC's "The Home Show," and brought credibility to the fledgling network. The series' producer, Burton Jablin, contrasts Bartholomew's personality with that of Martha Stewart. "But [Stewart] is the teacher," Jablin told the Los Angeles Times, "And Kitty is your friend." The show was a hit with viewers and wound up running for eight years.

Bartholomew then turned to writing, with her first book, "Kitty Bartholomew's Decorating Style," published in 2005. Her second book came out later that same year, "Designer Knitting with Kitty Bartholomew." She maintained a high profile in the design community, evident when she was interviewed by Elle Decor in 2007 about her gardening tips and techniques, and revealed she viewed designing outside much the same as she did inside. "I don't really approach the outside differently from the way I decorate indoors," she said.

Meanwhile, Bartholomew has also been active in theater, dressing sets for plays staged at the Ojai Art Center Theater. These included "Bakersfield Mist" in 2018 and a production of "The Belle of Amherst" in 2021.

Contractor Eric Eremita's HGTV journey began when he was recruited to lend his contracting skills to "Brother vs. Brother," a competition series featuring Drew and Jonathan Scott. "It was a life-changing experience," the Staten Island contractor told Industry. "I wasn't crowned the winner of that show, but ultimately became the winner, because HGTV asked me to be the construction manager on 'Love It or List It.'" He began appearing on "Love It or List It" in 2015 and became a fan favorite with viewers. Overall, he appeared in 64 episodes of the HGTV hit before parting ways with the show in 2019. According to Eremita, the decision to leave the show was his, based on his desire to explore some new projects. 

Before he could dive in, however, he was struck down in 2020 with a severe case of COVID-19. He was hit hard, spending three weeks in the hospital, two of which he fought for his life while on a ventilator — with doctors concerned he might not survive without it. "They told my wife, 'If it doesn't come out tomorrow, we're going to have to figure out something else,'" he told People (thankfully, he did come out of it the next day and made a full recovery).

He later revealed (in a since-deleted Instagram post) that he was working on a potential home-reno show called "Homeboys," in which he'd co-star with fellow contractor Conrad Layton. That project has apparently yet to take flight; according to Eremita's LinkedIn page, he's still working as a contractor, albeit, as he describes himself, a "celebrity contractor."

"Property Virgins" made its debut on HGTV Canada in 2006, with real estate expert Sandra Rinomato guiding people through the process of buying their first home. The show proved so successful that it began airing on the U.S. version of HGTV, where it remains one of the network's most durable hits. Rinomato exited the show in 2011, with Egypt Sherrod taking over until she was replaced by Wendy Wolfe. After "Property Virgins," she starred in a new series for HGTV Canada, "Buy Herself," which lasted just one season. 

While she's no longer on television, Rinomato is still plying her trade in real estate. Not only did she write a book, "Realty Check: Real Estate Secrets for First-Time Canadian Home Buyers," but she also advertises her listings on Instagram. Working with Royal LePage, Rinomato's website shares her motto: "Helping homeowners and homebuyers who feel stuck overcome obstacles and move forward with confidence." In something of a 180 from "Property Virgins," she now specializes in the real estate needs of seniors, not first-time buyers. "I love selling real estate, and my passion is serving seniors and their families holding their hands through this lifestyle transition," she wrote on LinkedIn. "I know what it takes to help you or your parents. I know that it takes a specialist to do this type of work."