The TV home renovation landscape is constantly shifting in interesting ways. Of course, the home reno purveyor HGTV has been no stranger to these seismic changes, such as Chip and Joanna Gaines launching the Magnolia Network and Good Bones coming to a messy conclusion. Now, the network has been hit with another change as Love It or List It co-host Hilary Farr announced she's leaving the sell-it-or-stay series after 19 seasons -- and it's truly the end of an era.
The major decision came to light when the longtime host sat down with People to discuss her career. Hilary Farr started the home renovation show with real estate agent David Visentin in 2008 and, since then, it's become a fan-favorite program. The two hosts made the show a sensation in their native Canada before it took off in the United States. This was before HGTV admitted to not covering any costs for the homeowners. However, the interior design expert revealed she made her decision to leave over a year ago after the current season finished filming. Though it was her own choice, she admitted that departing the lifestyle series is bittersweet, saying:
I've given it so many years of my life. It's got me through hard times. It's got the audiences through hard times. It has evolved into a mainstay of people's lives and it's been incredibly gratifying. But now it's time for me to move on and meet new challenges.
It seems the longtime Love It host is ready to try new things outside of the show. Besides working on the HGTV staple, she also hosts her interior design series Tough Love with Hilary Farr, which is currently airing its second season on the home lifestyle network. Though she has a deep connection to her her most famous series. While on the sell-it-or-stay show, David Visentin and the show’s crew helped her through her 2014 breast cancer diagnosis, of which she is currently in remission. They even made worked through TV's COVID era together and produced some satisfying episodes in the process. Farr mentioned that she and Visentin “were there for each other” as they experienced life’s difficulties. She also humorously referred to her longtime colleague as her “most obnoxious and annoying” brother.
While this is a major decision, it sounds like the veteran media personality put a lot of thought into it. She went on to share more insight into why she opted to end her run on the program:
I realized that everything that I am as a woman, which is [that I] look for challenges, look for inspiration, look for new ideas, be excited about all the possibilities that are out there, had really needed to bloom and to find their way. I told everyone I'm done.
Despite declaring her exit from the popular home reno franchise, Hilary Farr mentioned everybody involved with the show “hadn’t accepted” her decision. She revealed they even wanted her back for the twentieth season. The TV host admitted the request caused her to “rethink it again.” However, she ultimately gave the production company a firm “no.” With Love It or List It in her rearview, Farr divulged there are “few things in the pipeline.” So viewers won’t have to wait long to see the design expert again. While she'll be missed dearly on that show, we wish her all the best as she takes her next steps.
You can currently watch new episodes of Tough Love with Hilary Farr on HGTV on Sundays at 11 a.m. ET. The host is currently waiting to hear news on whether the interior design series will get a Season 3 renewal. If you want to catch Farr’s final season of Love It or List It, check it out using a Discovery+ or Max subscription. And look over the 2024 TV schedule to see what new and returning home renovation shows are premiering or returning in the coming months.
