Awkward Ben & Erin Napier Moments We Can't Ignore

Considering how successful their HGTV show "Home Town" is, it seems safe to say that Ben Napier and Erin Napier have a lot of fans. The couple has been on the home improvement network reworking houses in Mississippi since 2016.

Erin and Ben first met as students at Jones County Junior College. Sparks immediately flew, and within a week of meeting one another, they were already talking about marriage. They've been together ever since. The couple got married in 2008, and after moving back to Erin's hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, they bought a cute little cottage that they renovated together. People were clearly impressed with their design work, and soon enough, HGTV noticed. The couple pitched a TV show centered on them, and the rest is history. 

Plenty of fans find Erin and Ben adorable and endearing. But like with any couple, especially one that spends most of their life in the public eye, there have been plenty of awkward moments for the "Home Town" hosts. 

It makes sense that Erin Napier and Ben Napier are together most of the time since they both work on "Home Town." But fans were likely surprised when Erin shared that they actually spend almost no time apart.  

Erin and Ben gave an inside look at their marriage in 2023 during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, with Erin confidently declaring, "We're never apart." Ben said the same thing. He explained, "We totally get that not everybody functions that way, but we do, and it's the only way we can." Based on their explanation, neither Ben nor Erin developed much of a personal identity outside of the other person and their relationship together, which is often seen as a red flag in relationships. The two even went so far as to claim that they "are absolutely the same person." Meeting at such a young age, the couple basically grew up together. Erin added in the interview, "We've formed our adult identities around each other. ... This is the only way we know how to be grownups." 

This might seem charming at first glance, but it's a little awkward to completely define yourself by your relationship. It can also be tough on your sense of self-worth. They might be "a well-oiled machine" now, as Ben said, but if they ever face issues down the line, that's another story. 

As Black Lives Matter protests intensified all over the country in 2020 after the death of George Floyd, HGTV fans were hoping their favorite TV hosts would use their platform to make a vocal statement against racism and police brutality. But in Erin Napier's case, many fans were left wanting, while Ben didn't post anything. 

At the start of June 2020, Erin appeared to post in reference to the Black Lives Matter protests when she shared a still from the TV show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" showing Mister Rogers and Officer Clemmons soaking their feet together in a little pool. At the time the episode aired in 1969, many pools in America still kept Black people segregated from white people swimming. Because of this, the show's scene with Mr. Rogers and Officer Clemmons sharing a pool was a huge statement. But in 2020, many fans didn't feel like it was enough from Erin. A few days after the post, Erin shared a series of screenshots of a fan's message to her that said that she saw the Mister Rogers post. The fan went on, saying, "As a huge fan of you and your show, a follower of Christ and a Black woman, I was hoping you would take a bigger stand." She referenced other HGTV hosts who she said "have all made a stand for what's right." 

In response, Erin talked about how she believes "taking a 'bigger' stand lies in the small opportunities we meet everyday" and how we treat everyone around us. The message went on, and in the end, Erin decided to share the conversation with everyone. It was definitely received better than the first post, but some still didn't agree with her actions. As for Ben, he didn't share any public statement about the unrest in America at the time.  

Erin Napier and Ben Napier haven't been ones to hold back when they have something to say, even if their Southern charm softens it a bit. So when fans' comments seemed a little too intense at one point, the couple decided to address the elephant in the room. And they got right to the heart of the issue.  

The mother of two posted a video on social media from inside her car when she brought up the topic, saying, "The comments on my Instagram have been really, not nice. Really rude, some of you guys." While she made it clear that the comments don't bother her, she explained, "We design these houses for people who really live in them, and they really read your comments. ... You are being really ugly to the people that are living in these houses."  She concluded the message by asking people to "be sweet" or say nothing, rather than be "nasty" or "mean," as Ben described the comments. 

It's definitely not the norm for fans to get chastised by their favorite celebrities, so it made it a little awkward for frequent commenters online. The couple also has a bit of a history of arguing with people online, and if it keeps going on, it could sour Erin and Ben's reputation with fans.

Erin Napier and Ben Napier seem like the perfect couple most of the time, so when Erin admitted that she gets jealous of his private DMs sometimes, it was definitely unexpected. The HGTV fan favorite revealed in a 2025 interview with Us Weekly that she felt a little jealous when Ben got a message from someone she thought "looks too much like a supermodel to be messaging" him. While the message was about working with the couple, it was only sent to Ben, and Erin saw it. Since they're together 24/7, that's not too surprising.

But apparently, this led her imagination to get a little wild one day. In the interview, Erin recalled a time when Ben had to go home to shower in the middle of the day after he spilled something on himself. As it was a rare occurrence that they weren't together, Erin's mind got creative wondering what he could be up to by himself. She called Ben but said she was "not accusatory," and while Erin didn't exactly describe what she was thinking at the time, it's not hard to connect the dots. Ben noted as they described the incident, "Before she even called, she was like, 'This is silly. Why am I thinking this?" According to the couple, that was the end of it.

Of course, it's normal for couples to be a little jealous sometimes. But Erin and Ben usually project the idea that they are always "so extremely happy in our marriage," as the former said in the interview. Considering there are always rumors going around about Ben and Erin splitting up, it might not be a good look for one of them to be suspicious of the only time they ever spent apart.