In 2016, it was discovered that fans of the “Flip or Flop” show paid to attend a three-day workshop hosted by Tarek and Christina. They paid to receive advice on how to make money flipping houses, as well as have access to “exclusive investors”. Those who signed up; however, felt they were lied to claiming that the hosts never even showed up for the classes.
The participants were instead shown a pre-recorded video of Tarek and Christina because they were “too busy” to attend. To add insult to injury, those who attended said that the workshop gave little practical advice and focused on encouraging them to sign up for more HGTV classes. No thanks!
The HGTV Dream Homes Come With a Catch
Since 1997, the HGTV show, "Dream Homes", has given away a new $1 million home every year. Unfortunately, for the "lucky" winner, HGTV doesn't help you with the taxes that accompany such a lavish asset. Nearly every winner with the exception of two has sold their home because they couldn't afford to pay the taxes.
Don Cruz, the 2005 winner of the Lake Tyler house, requested the option to rent out the master bedroom suite on a nightly basis in order to help him pay the taxes. However, his proposition was rejected. Later, after Cruz realized that the house had an even higher value than what he previously believed, he sold the home. Would you still want one of these million-dollar homes?
The Fourth of July Table Mishap
In the summer of 2013, the HGTV network aired a special segment titled “Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas,” but they made a rather embarrassing mistake.
They used an actual American flag as a tablecloth. What seemed like a creative idea was deemed treacherous to some viewers. HGTV's patriotic pro-tip didn't help either “...spills can be easily wiped off and the flag can later be hung with pride on a flagpole.” The network ultimately had to issue a public apology for the design.
Alison Victoria Breaks Walls and Rules
Alison Victoria from HGTV's "Kitchen Crashers" excitedly announced on her Instagram that she would be renovating a building in Chicago. Well, turns out that the building was improperly torn down.
When she attempted to knock down a wall in order to install a bay window, somehow the demolition crew ended up destroying the entire structure. Victoria got in a lot of trouble for failing to adhere to the rules.
The Final Reveal Isn't Necessarily the Final Result
Especially when it comes to the aforementioned show, "Love It or List It". Sometimes, when the designers run into problems and the crew goes off the renovation deadline, they improvise and make things look good on camera when in reality the home renovation is still incomplete.
Some tricks include sewing the fabric onto the pillows and making sure that furniture is strategically positioned to hide any flaws that haven’t been fixed yet. But let's be honest, it’s hard to get a house finished in such a short amount of time, especially the kind you see on these types of shows.