{"id":2450710,"date":"2026-06-08T22:49:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2450710"},"modified":"2026-06-08T22:49:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:49:03","slug":"excl-jonathan-knight-admits-he-was-hesitant-to-revive-hgtvs-crashers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/excl-jonathan-knight-admits-he-was-hesitant-to-revive-hgtvs-crashers\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCL: Jonathan Knight Admits He Was &#8216;Hesitant&#8217; To Revive HGTV&#8217;s &#8216;Crashers&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/jonathan-knight-farmhouse-fixer-barn-burner\/\"><strong>New Kids on the Block<\/strong> star <strong>Jonathan Knight<\/strong><\/a> knows what it takes to be part of a nostalgic act staging a successful comeback, but ahead of hosting the reboot of \u201cCrashers,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/tag\/hgtv\/\">HGTV&#8217;s classic<\/a> ambush-style renovation show, the veteran performer still got some backstage jitters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">The 57-year-old NKOTB member and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/advice\/home-improvement\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-renovate-a-house\/\">professional home renovator<\/a> has been enjoying a second act that included regularly touring with his reunited band as well as hosting three seasons of HGTV\u2019s \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/jonathan-knight-revolutionizes-the-barndominium-on-farmhouse-fixer\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/jonathan-knight-revolutionizes-the-barndominium-on-farmhouse-fixer\/\">Farmhouse Fixer<\/a>\u201d up until the network nixed the fan-favorite show during a major <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/hgtv-show-cancelations-2025\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/hgtv-show-cancelations-2025\/\">programming purge<\/a> in June 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">But now, almost one year to the day after his previous HGTV show was cut from the network&#8217;s lineup, Knight is due to return to reality TV as the frontman for the modern remix of \u201cCrashers\u201d\u201415 years after the franchise ended its original run.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe height=\"230px\" style=\"width:100%;border:0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/creative\/rdc-ads\/local-listings-widget\/\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Embedded widget\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Yet despite the phenomenal success of the original &#8220;Crashers,&#8221; the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/realestateandhomes-search\/Massachusetts\">Massachusetts<\/a> native reveals to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/\">Realtor.com<\/a>\u00ae ahead of the June 8 premiere that he was still initially reluctant to take the gig.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cWhen they asked me to do this show, I was a little hesitant,&#8221; admits Knight about stepping up to the microphone once held by former hosts of the \u201cCrashers\u201d series, such as \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/w-show-sin-city-rehab\/\">Sin City Rehab<\/a>\u201d star <strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/celebrity-real-estate\/hgtv-alison-victoria-las-vegas-home-photos-boyfriend-chicago\/\">Alison Victoria<\/a><\/strong>, who headlined \u201cKitchen Crashers\u201d and was the first female host in franchise history.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">New Kids on the Block and HGTV star Jonathan Knight&#8217;s successful second act since reuniting with his musical group includes hosting three seasons of &#8220;Farmhouse Fixer.&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">Instagram\/Jonathan Knight<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Now, Knight is stepping in as the frontman on the reboot of \u201cCrashers,\u201d HGTV\u2019s classic ambush-style renovation show.<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">HGTV<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Knight admits he felt &#8220;hesitant&#8221; he could fill the &#8220;big shoes&#8221; of former &#8220;Crashers&#8221; franchise hosts, such as fellow HGTV star Alison Victoria.<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">Instagram\/Jonathan Knight<\/span><\/div>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m like, those are some big shoes to fill,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Knight\u2019s uncertainty about the opportunity also extended to the job\u2019s required responsibilities. Namely, approaching strangers in public places like hardware stores and furniture shops to get them to agree to an on-the-spot renovation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Having earned the archetype of \u201cthe shy one\u201d in his boy band and being open about experiencing social anxiety, Knight felt unsure he\u2019d be able to fulfill the surprise element the franchise is known for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cI was like, \u2018Wait a minute. You want me to walk up to strangers while they&#8217;re shopping around, minding their business, and then here comes me with two cameras, a sound man, producers, everything, and strike up a conversation?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Despite the initial stage fright, Knight quickly put himself in position to enjoy the impromptu meet and greets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cIt was nerve-wracking the first couple times and then I just kept saying to myself, \u2018It\u2019s OK. You can do this.\u2019 That definitely helped with the anxiety of approaching strangers,\u201d he shares.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cI always say you have to say yes to things that scare you and then they become less scary,\u201d he continues. \u201cNow I&#8217;m just walking through a store like, \u2018Hey, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Though Knight had to work hard to feel at ease while proposing a free renovation to strangers, it wasn\u2019t difficult for him to determine who wanted to accept the offer solely based on his former teen idol status.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of people when I walk up, I&#8217;m like, \u2018Do you want me to renovate this place?\u2019 And they&#8217;re like, \u2018Yes!\u2019 I&#8217;m like, \u2018Wait, you don&#8217;t even know what the deal is or anything. You cannot say yes just because you know who I am,\u2019\u201d he recounts. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018No, you&#8217;re saying yes too fast.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Knight was also initially reluctant about approaching strangers in public places to offer the on-the-spot renovations &#8220;Crashers&#8221; is known for.<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">HGTV<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">After becoming comfortable with the &#8220;Crashers&#8221; concept, Knight reports he found it easy to determine who wanted to accept the free renovation offer solely based on his former teen idol status. <\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">HGTV<\/span><\/div>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Once Knight was able to block out well-meaning but overzealous fans, he found plenty of contenders who had the right stuff for the show.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cThere are people that have spaces where they have no time, no money, and just don&#8217;t know where to start,\u201d he says. \u201cSo I come in and they&#8217;re just like, \u2018Whatever, go. Just get it done. Whatever you do is gonna be beautiful.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">To receive a real-time renovation, homeowners must agree to move out of their house for three days and relinquish all design control. Once the 72-hour clock starts, the pressure is on the \u201cCrashers\u201d crew to get to work and hammer through the inevitable challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cRight off the bat, we are making phone calls to every person that we have connections with. You know, \u2018Can we get this tile? Can we get this? Can we get that?\u2019 Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn\u2019t,\u201d says Knight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cThere&#8217;s been a few times that things have not shown up and I&#8217;m sure people are going to be like, \u2018Oh, this is fake reality TV.\u2019 And I&#8217;m like, \u2018No, this is real problems, real time,\u2019 and it&#8217;s a lot of taking a moment, stepping back, taking a breath, and trying to figure it out,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Knight notes that many of his \u201cCrashers\u201d clients are more than willing to let him take over their home projects because they\u2019ve become stuck trying to make progress on their own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of homeowners on \u2018Crashers\u2019 say that,\u201d he reports. \u201cThey&#8217;re like, \u2018Well, my wife wants it this way and I want it this way and we&#8217;ve just been going back and forth and it doesn&#8217;t get done.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Similar to his &#8220;Crashers&#8221; clients, Knight says he and his husband, Harley Rodriguez, have failed to make progress on some of their own home projects.<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">Instagram\/Jonathan Knight<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Knight points to the living room inside his New England home as the space he finds especially tricky to make design decisions about.<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">Instagram\/Jonathan Knight<\/span><\/div>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Getting hung up on tough design choices is a familiar scenario playing out at Knight\u2019s own home in New England that he shares with his husband, <strong>Harley Rodriguez<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cMy living room, it\u2019s very bare,\u201d he begins. \u201cI look through wallpaper books and there&#8217;s so many wallpapers. I\u2019m just like, \u2018I like this one. I like that one.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cAnd then it&#8217;s hard to be married or have a spouse and [make design decisions together],\u201d he continues. \u201cWe kind of have two different ideas, so it&#8217;s been challenging to try to blend both our styles together and not make it my home or his home, but make it our home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Should he and Rodriguez need someone to serve as a design decision tiebreaker, Knight reveals he\u2019d trust bandmate <strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/celebrity-real-estate\/joey-mcintyre-selling-los-angeles\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/celebrity-real-estate\/joey-mcintyre-selling-los-angeles\/\">Joey McIntyre<\/a><\/strong> to stand in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cOut of all the New Kids that have styles similar to mine, [it] would be Joe,\u201d he explains. \u201cJoe&#8217;s always had old houses and he loves antiques and Joe has really good taste.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cJoe McIntyre&#8217;s house is absolutely gorgeous,\u201d he notes. \u201cJoe, you can come crash my house!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">If McIntyre ever does lend his eye for design to Knight, it wouldn\u2019t be the first time two New Kids collaborate on a major home project.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Out of all his NKOTB bandmates, Knight reveals he would accept design help from Joey McIntyre.<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">Instagram\/Jonathan Knight<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"Boxstyles__StyledBox-rui__sc-1p1qqov-0 cGIhfE sc-1d9c28t-0 dVWipe\"><span class=\"image-caption\">After working together on &#8220;Rock the Block&#8221; and &#8220;Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp,&#8221; Knight says his brother and bandmate, Jordan Knight, has been bitten by the &#8220;renovation bug.&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"sc-1d9c28t-2 nMMWW image-credit\">Instagram\/Jonathan Knight<\/span><\/div>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Knight had his brother and bandmate, <strong>Jordan Knight<\/strong>, by his side on his spinoff show, \u201cFarmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp,\u201d and the superstar siblings also paired up for \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/rock-the-block-season-3-premiere-reveals-weierd-kitchen-reno-idea-youll-never-guess\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/news\/reality-tv\/rock-the-block-season-3-premiere-reveals-weierd-kitchen-reno-idea-youll-never-guess\/\">Rock the Block<\/a>,\u201d first as guest judges and later, teammates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">While they didn\u2019t win their Season 6 competition, Jonathan says the renovation experience won over Jordan. The two have been dabbling in more design projects together ever since, including a possible renovation reality TV show featuring both brothers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cWe pitched a [show about] renovating &#8217;80s houses and the timing couldn&#8217;t work out, but my brother, after doing \u2018Rock the Block,\u2019 he&#8217;s got the renovation bug,\u201d reveals Jonathan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cHe&#8217;s actually renovating his house now so, yeah, he&#8217;s got the bug,\u201d he adds. \u201cHe loved being on \u2018Rock the Block,\u2019 so who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">Though Jonathan\u2019s next step may be unknown, for now, he\u2019s happy that the time has arrived to bring back \u201cCrashers\u201d so he can continue the fulfilling renovation work he&#8217;s been doing for decades and will be loving forever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\">\u201cIt&#8217;s such a great feeling. It really is,\u201d he says. \u201cIt&#8217;s the perfect time to bring back the show. It&#8217;s been so fun.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 IEPPf sc-7dicpk-0 ccZqsH core-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cCrashers\u201d premieres Monday, June 8 at 10 p.m. on HGTV <\/strong><strong>and streams the next day on HBO Max and discovery+.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"text-widget\" class=\"sc-s4khec-0 jknOCu\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/myaccount\/signin?config=NEWS_AND_INSIGHTS_SIGNUP&amp;redirect_url_override=\/myaccount\/profile\/settings\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Herostyles__StyledHero-rui__sc-oinnz5-0 cfoUCN sc-s4khec-1 dNveAM\">\n<div class=\"hero-content\">\n<p class=\"base__StyledType-rui__sc-18muj27-0 fFVyEr\">Get real estate news in your inbox<\/p>\n<p>Sign up now<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.realtor.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Kids on the Block star Jonathan Knight knows what it takes to be part of a nostalgic act staging a successful comeback, but ahead of hosting the reboot of \u201cCrashers,\u201d HGTV&#8217;s classic ambush-style renovation show, the veteran performer still got some backstage jitters. The 57-year-old NKOTB member and professional home renovator has been enjoying [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2450711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[46793,461480,317485,24122,424249,331065,21942],"class_list":["post-2450710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-hgtv","tag-lessons-from-reality-tv","tag-massachusetts","tag-reality-tv","tag-renovations","tag-rock-the-block","tag-video"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/EXCL-Jonathan-Knight-Admits-He-Was-Hesitant-To-Revive-HGTVs.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450710"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2450712,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450710\/revisions\/2450712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2450711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}