Hilary Farr Explains Exit From HGTV's 'Love It or List It'
Hilary Farr
Hilary Farr has officially departed from Love It or List It, the HGTV series she co-hosted for the past decade alongside realtor David Visentin.
According to Farr, the decision to exit was entirely up to her and while she admitted she will miss the series and friendship she built with Visentin, she explained that "it's time" for her to "move on" and "meet new challenges."
“I've given it so many years of my life,” she told People in an interview published Friday, Dec. 1. “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.”
“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,” the 72-year-old said. “I told everyone I'm done.”
“I thought that everyone had accepted it, but they hadn't,” she shared. When it came time to film what would be the show's 20th season, “Everyone came back and said, ‘So, Love It or List It?’"
Though she noted that she had to "rethink it again and really examine it, did I want to go back to or not? With all the love in the world, the answer was no."
"It's just time," Farr underscored.
"Working with Hilary has been a wild, unforgettable ride. I’d like to forget the mountain of ‘love its’ but hey, she’s a talented lady,” Visentin said in a statement. "Although we were rivals on the show, we became quick friends and share countless memories both on and off set. I look forward to continuing that friendship and wish her all the best in everything she does."
Farr has been featured in over 250 episodes since she started on the show in 2008, and in the 15 years since, she's expanded her home improvement programming with series like Tough Love With Hilary Farr, as well as numerous appearances on HGTV Insider, Brother Vs. Brother, and a starring role in the TV movie Designing Christmas.
Before getting her big break in home design and reality TV, Farr was an actress with roles in many '70s and '80s features, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Stardust (1974), The Return (1980), We Got It Made (1984) and many others.
As for what's next, Farr said she's wishing her former colleagues nothing but the best and hopes the show hires a new co-host so she can "tune in and watch it."
"This show has encompassed a divorce, cancer, my son getting married, my son having three children, my long-term relationship breaking up. In fact, my partner of all those years developed cancer."
"I have really learned about the extraordinary impact that this show has had out there,” she confessed. "I mean, I meet people who have gone through terrible experiences and desperate sadness, and they tell me that this show was their salvation. This got them through. It also helped me get through good times and bad times."
She also confirmed that she's not exactly done with Tough Love, which just finished filming its second season, "We'll see what happens there. I'm not at all stepping away."
Farr also has "a few other things in the pipeline," which includes renovating a "tiny house" she purchased in Italy last year. "That will be an adventure."
Fans of Farr can catch a marathon of Love It or List It today, Dec. 1, from 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and stream every episode of the series (as well as her solo show) via Max.
Next: HGTV Star Reveals Health Issues Caused by Years of Home Renovation
