Hilary Farr is a bitch

I hate that everybody always loves the remodel.

I’ve posted some on the hGTV threads and it bugs me.

She can be a smug bitch from time to time, though.

R1 I think that’s her gimmick. Being a smug, all knowing bitch. I don’t think she is that way IRL.

R2: I heard she is that way IRL too. Someone on here posted an experience with her where she was a total bitch to service crew. I believe it is in the nasty celebs thread.

Found it - reply R17 at link.

I think the couples make up their minds prior to any work that has been done. And when they do opt to list it, it's almost always because they need an extra bedroom or two to accommodate the growing brood or an aging parent.

I actually like that Hilary and David are not all kissy-kissy. It gives the show a bit of added tension.

Hilary lives in the Yonge/St. Clair area of Toronto and I often see her out on weekends walking her dog in the paths behind Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. She does seem like a snob, although to her credit, she always says "hi" to people if they walk past her.

I did some research, and people have been on the show call Hillary and David “actors”, who have little to do with any of the actual work. They apparently film two endings for each episode, one where they love it, and one where they list it. The producers decide which one they’ll use, to make sure it’s roughly even. Their onscreen banter is obviously scripted.

OP, come on, the whole show is pretty much scripted and she's supposed to come off as a seasoned designer who's constantly schooling a man, a mere shop boy, she sees as her inferior. That said it's obvious they enjoy each other's company immensely since you can see the very real playfulness shining through in their interaction.

The couple in the Vancouver version is presented like a cat and dog as well. I sort of liked them at first but the girl in the show seems to be a reality TV whore I just have trouble taking seriously as a designer. Hilary actually is a seasoned designer even if she's probably mostly acting in the show. That said Jillian Harris from the Vancouver version really is a designer as well. I liked her at first but when they brought his celebrity boyfriend in the show I was pissed.

I rarely find out info about these people since many times I find I'm starting to like them less and less. A quick look at Wikipedia reveals Hilary owns property in Toronto which makes it sound like she's loaded. BTW, I don't necessarily believe the story about her acting up in a plane like it was presented. It sounds like someone was paying close attention to a celebrity on board and was expecting to hear something salacious. I could obviously be wrong since I like Hilary. She feels like a woman I'd be great friends with. And really, she comes off as a bit of a snob but that's not necessarily a negative trait.

What surprises me a bit is that David is married to a woman and they have a son.

OP = David Visentin

Roughly even, R7?

I can’t even remember the last time David won!

They’re showing Hilary and David comment on old episodes and even when they said they wanted to list it, they changed their minds and ended up staying.

I thought Hilary and David were the original hosts from Canada as well.

They’ve been filming in NC forever but they started in Canada.

They need to move to another part of the country.

R11 Yes, the show originally was filmed in Toronto and produced for W (Woman's Television Network Canada). In 2009, Corus purchased the channel (along with HGTV, Food, Slice etc.) and Love it or List it began airing on both the Canadian and American HGTV. The show became an unexpected ratings hit in the US and rather than making an American version, HGTV just moved production to NC where I believe David now lives full time. Hilary lives in Toronto but has apartments in New York and Raleigh.

Good to know, thanks, R12

R8 Hillary lives in midtown Toronto in an area known as Forest Hill South which is one of the more prestigious areas in mid-town Toronto. Houses in that area easily go for 2 to 5 million.

I never fail to be amused at how many people think HGTV is really "reality."

Hilary Farr was an actress - she's in Rocky Horror, for fuck's sake. If she was in the UK she'd be one of a thousand "presenters."

And she was clearly cast to be the haughty bitch of HGTV. She was Queen Cunt of the channel before Alison Cuntoria came along. But don't take what you see on screen seriously. It's not a documentary.

[quote] I did some research, and people have been on the show call Hillary and David “actors”, who have little to do with any of the actual work. They apparently film two endings for each episode, one where they love it, and one where they list it.

In most cases, all that's happening is a rehab.

The owners you see were, in many cases, never planning to sell - the production company just finds someone who's willing to say that they are to show a "realistic" process. It would be impossible to crank out as many renos and find as many clients as they do without doing mock arguments or mock sales. Are there some legitimately selling and listing it? Sure, but not as many as you think.

Some of the clients in both the Farr/Visentin and the Vancouver version seem to be actors. In one Vancouver episode the husband was a an actor who's had small parts in countless sci-fi shows and movies. I just recently noticed him in X-Men: Days of Future Past in a minuscule role. Still, he was laying it a bit too thick in the show playing the grumpy husband.

Some of the husbands in the show seem way too gay to really be married to a woman but then again that's not necessarily too unusual.

I love her, you jealous old poopy Op.

The "designer" in the Vancouver version has a hot husband.

Y’all are just afraid of an assertive woman. Don’t sprain a shoulder whipping those protective hands over your crotch.

Hillary as Betty Hapschatt in Rocky Horror. She was replaced by Ruby Wax in the sequel Shock Treatment.

JFC, I only now realized she'll turn 69 next Monday.

R22 She's had A LOT of help over the years.

I remember reading some "confessions" of people who appeared on Love It or List It and basically it's almost all fake. The couple already know if they are going to "love it" or "list it." Also, if they go an buy a home, they have already purchased it (not through David). Allegedly, they are usually filming a few episodes at a time. Hillary and David only show up for a couple hours over the span of a few days. The drama is almost all made up, the problems they run into are generally already known. And the show pays part of the renovation budget.

I read online the part of the reason they moved production to North Carolina was that every house they renovated in Toronto was pretty much exactly the same. Same size, similar layouts, similar problems.

They could have just done an American version with new hosts, but Hillary and David really make the show.

R24 There are several reasons why the show moved to NC. Although the show is owned by a Canadian production company, it's funded exclusively through the American HGTV so it made more sense to film in the US. As you said, the Toronto (most Canadians markets) are smaller and don't offer the same variety as the American market. NC has less strict contracting laws compared to Ontario and the houses are typically larger giving the show more variety. Also the Raleigh-Durham area is fairly wealthy and home owners can typically afford more extensive renos. Allegedly, homeowners pay for the actual renos, but HGTV will pay for labor and I believe a 10K to 20K buffer to give some wiggle room. Also there was were some threads on reddit that claimed that producers film two endings (one where they love it, and one where they list it) and they decide in editing which worked better. Allegedly, the reason there are so many love its is because the viewer feedback is more positive.