HGTV stars are just like us! And being normal humans (who just happen to be rich and famous), they probably have some photos from their past they’d rather forget. Sure, HGTV offers some of the most popular programming because its stars’ personalities provide a look inside Americana. It’s generally a glamorous look. But don’t be entirely fooled; they too have had some fashion faux pas in their pre-HGTV days.
Just like they transform houses from drab to fab, so too did these HGTV stars transform themselves from regular Joe Schmos to superstars.
Thanks to the fabulous world of Instagram, we can now take a look back at all of our favorite HGTV personalities before they made it big. Thankfully, they didn’t let the trends of the ’80s and ’90s stop them from sharing their adolescent moments in all their glory.
Click through our slideshow to see the throwbacks and some hairstyles these stars would probably like to forget. (We’re looking at you, Jonathan and Drew Scott!)
Chip & Joanna Gaines
Then: Chip and Joanna dated for a little over a year before marrying in 2003. They began their house-flipping business within a month of being married.
Now: The happy couple have been married for 15 years and are expecting their fifth child! Although they said goodbye to their showFixer Upper after five seasons, their home improvement business is far from over. The two will return to television with their new spinoff seriesBehind the Design, which will air following corresponding reruns of Fixer Upper. They are also continuing their Magnolia business online and from Texas.
Tarek & Christina El Moussa
Then: Tarek and Christina El Moussa met at a real estate office working together and became BFFs and lovers. The two were married in 2009, and they started the show Flip or Flop in 2013.
Now: Tarek and Christina filed for divorce in 2016, though they reportedly remain friends. Despite the divorce, they are still filming Flip or Flop together and are committed to co-parenting their two children.
David Bromstad
Then: David Bromstad hit the HGTV scene back in 2006, when he was the first to win HGTV's Design Star. Before that, he actually worked as a Disney illustrator before starting his own company, Bromstad Studios, designing fantasy bedrooms for children.
Now: Bromstad went on to host his own HGTV show, Color Splash, until 2012. These days, Bromstad runs his own successful design company and hosts the HGTV show My Lottery Dream Home.
Egypt Sherrod
Then: Egypt Sherrod started her career as a radio host for Temple University Public Radio. She combined her love for real estate with broadcast when she joined HGTV's Property Virgins in 2006.
Now: Sherrod has two shows on HGTV: Property Virgins and Flipping Virgins. In 2015, she published a book titled Keep Calm… It's Just Real Estate.
Jillian Harris
Then: Jillian Harris made her TV debut in 2009, when she appeared on ABC's The Bachelor before handing out the roses in as The Bachelorette later that year. Though she didn't find lasting love with the franchise, she did find the beginnings of a beautiful career in television. In 2010, Harris joined Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as a designer.
Now: Harris went on to host Love It or List It Vancouver for four seasons. Most recently, she and fiancé Justin Pasutto starred in a Canadian reality show called Jillian and Justin. The two are nesting with their newborn and are planning on having more children.
Todd Talbot
Then: Todd Talbot got started in TV all the way back in the early '90s, when he appeared as a teen heartthrob in the Canadian show Fifteen. After appearing in 65 episodes of the series, he moved to London to study acting.
Now: Talbot now stars alongside Jillian Harris in Love It or List It Vancouver. He also hosts Love It or List It, Too here in the States. When he's not on televisions, Talbot is focusing on his family. He is married to Rebecca Codling, and they have two children.
Jonathan & Drew Scott
Then: By age 18, Drew and Jonathan Scott were flipping houses. By their mid-20s, they were successful real estate businessmen with hundreds of clients. I guess the hair didn't scare people away… too much.
Now: The two continue to host their show Property Brothers and remain an HGTV staple. Drew competed on the 25th season of Dancing With the Stars and recently became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Linda Phan. Meanwhile, Jonathan has focused on his philanthropic efforts with organizations like World Vision, Habitat for Humanity and St. Jude.
Josh Temple
Then: Josh Temple came on the HGTV scene in 2009 with the shows House Crashers and Disaster House. But he had been working in television since the '90s, appearing on shows like Will & Grace and America's Toughest Jobs.
Now: Temple hosted House Crashers for 13 seasons and Disaster House for four seasons. He has recently been focusing his attention on his work as an ambassador for Boys Town.
Candice Olson
Then: Before joining HGTV in 2003, Candice Olson worked at a top interior design firm in Canada. She authored a book in 2006 titled Candice Olson on Design.
Now: Olson is considered one of the top interior designers in the United States and Canada. She hosted Divine Design for 16 seasons and Candice Knows All for five. She also has her own collection.
Sabrina Soto
Then: Sabrina Soto originally learned about interior design from her mother, who ran a decorating and home staging business. She joined HGTV in 2007 with the show Get It Sold.
Now: Aside from her hosting career as an interior designer on HGTV, Soto also works as the home style expert for Target and is one of only 6,900 LEED-certified interior designers in the world.
Scott McGillivray
Then: Aside from clearly being quite the hunk in his youth, Scott McGillivray was also hardworking. McGillivray's passion for property investment began while he was in college. After becoming a licensed contractor and succeeding in the business, McGillivray started his TV career in 2008 with the show Income Property.
Now: McGillivray is gearing up to star in a new HGTV show, which he described as Shark Tank meets HGTV.
Hilary Farr
Then: Hilary Farr got her start in the '70s with performances in classic films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and City on Fire.
Now: Farr now hosts the HGTV show Love It or List It, which has been on the air for 10 seasons. She is also the president of Hilary Farr Design, her interior design business for the past 15 years.
Nicole Curtis
Then: Nicole Curtis is a self-taught home rehabber and designer. She joined the HGTV team in 2010 with her show Rehab Addict.
Now: Curtis is still hosting Rehab Addict, which finished its eighth season at the end of 2017. And while her career is flourishing, she has actually been making the news as of late for her personal life. She has been in custody battles for both of her sons with her two exes, and her comments on breastfeeding have sparked some backlash.
Lex & Alana LeBlanc
Then: Prior to their HGTV days, the LeBlanc sisters started their own design business called LAVA. Lex worked as an interior designer with over a decade of experience while Alana had a job as a real estate agent with Re/Max Elite.
Now: Lex and Alana joined HGTV in 2015. Their show Listed Sisters is now in its second season.
Tamera Mowry
Then: Tamera Mowry got her start on ABC, of course, as half of the Sister, Sister duo. The show first aired in 1994 and ran until 1999.
Now: Mowry is the latest star joining HGTV. She and her husband, Adam Housley, announced on Twitter in April that they would be heading to the network this May.
Erin & Ben Napier
Then: The Napiers were married in 2008. They gained notoriety on Instagram and were noticed by an HGTV executive producer in 2014, who fell in love with the couple.
Now: Erin and Ben Napier are one of the newest additions to HGTV. Their show Home Town is currently in its second season.
Aubrey & Bristol Marunde
Then: Aubrey and Bristol Marunde met at a UFC fight in 2009 and fell in love on their first date. Together, they built a successful real estate business in Las Vegas before joining HGTV.
Now: The Marundes' show Flip or Flop Vegas premiered in 2017 and is already in its second season. The show has been heralded as a success, and the Marundes are a couple to watch.
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