HGTV 'House Hunters' responds to allegations show is fake

HGTV "House Hunters" came under fire recently after a past show participant said that it's fake, prompting the TV show to reply.

According to the blog Hooked on Houses, a former Texas participant in the show, Bobi Jensen, says the producers changed several details of her house hunt.

HGTV responded with a statement (first printed in EW's "House Hunters Scandal!"):

We've learned that the pursuit of the perfect home involves big decisions that usually take place over a prolonged period of time - more time than we can capture in 30 minutes of television.

However, with a series like House Hunters, HGTV viewers enjoy the vicarious and entertaining experience of choosing a home - from establishing a budget, to touring properties and weighing the pros and cons of each one.

We're making a television show, so we manage certain production and time constraints, while honoring the home buying process. To maximize production time, we seek out families who are pretty far along in the process.

Often everything moves much more quickly than we can anticipate, so we go back and revisit some of the homes that the family has already seen and we capture their authentic reactions.

Because the stakes in real estate are so high, these homeowners always find themselves RIGHT back in the moment, experiencing the same emotions and reactions to these properties.

Showcasing three homes makes it easier for our audience to "play along" and guess which one the family will select. It's part of the joy of the House Hunters viewing experience. Through the lens of television, we can offer a uniquely satisfying and fun viewing experience that fulfills a universal need to occasionally step into someone else's shoes.

Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics