ABC has revamped its classic home renovation show called “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”  No matter how many times this show has come back, it’s amazing that the title has remained the same.  In this updated version, the original solo carpenter host Ty Pennington has been traded-in for two women who are very savvy in every home interior way.  Just don’t ask them to build a house!

Host Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin started the “Home Edit” eight years ago.  They help clients organize their homes.  Photos show some of their celebrity clients that include Reese Witherspoon and model Winnie Harlow.  The duo helps them to de-clutter their homes.  These hosts stated that the only thing that makes sense about hosting this show is the “home edit” part in the title ‘home edition.’  

Clea and Joanna asked ‘do they know we don’t know how to build homes?”  “We’re organizers!”  Another reason why these organization experts were chosen for the show may be because one of the executive producers is their client Reese Witherspoon.

Pictured (l-r): WENDELL HOLLAND, JOANNA TEPLIN, ARIANNE BELLIZAIRE, CLEA SHEARER / Photo: ABC Disney/Ryan Green

One host noted that it also makes sense because the show allows them to “create a home from the inside out.”

This new version of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” gifts new housing construction when the situation applies. But, also, like the original show, promises “major renovations” where needed.  Also, similar to the original series, (more closely taking a page out of “Hoarders” show), homeowners will also get to work on their own transformations with help from the team of experts.  We see this done very well in episode one where Gail is the homeowner, who is learning how to move on in life after the loss of her husband Fred. 

In an interview by “Access Hollywood,” hosts Clea and Joanna said that the renovations are not “staged” and the families really don’t know in advance.  We are guessing that among the pool of families who apply for the show, they aren’t told if they got picked until a few days before filming.

Episode one begins in Texas.  Their design team includes Arianne Bellizaire and Wendell Holland. Their first family is the Warren family.  The family lost their patriarch to Covid two years ago.  Now a single mother, Gail’s mom moved in to help. The family is dealing with five family members’ items inside of the house.  This includes fifty percent belonging to deceased husband and father Fred.  It was the hosts number one goal to help Gail to move on and de-clutter a lot of Fred’s stuff.  Gail and Fred bought the three-bedroom house in 1995 on her birthday.

The Team:

The carpenter, Wendell Holland, (and everything in between) of this series is also known for winning “Survivor: Ghost Island.”  Wendell builds and designs custom furniture, but also knows all aspects of building.  Wendell also serves as Project Manager.  The interior designer, Arianne, is from Baton Rouge.  She said her job is to combine what Wendell and the hosts do and also listen to the family for their wants and needs. 

In this version, audiences will get a huge welcoming party of construction workers and neighbors not only at the end of the construction, but also before the construction even starts.

Along with the CEO of Taylor Morrison, “the best home building company in the world” as touted by a host.  She said her story inspires them.  Next on the docket, they were shown the inside of the home which consisted of tight spaces. 

Pictured (l-r): Gail, TAYLOR MORRISON / Photo: ABC Disney/Ryan Green.

Grandma’s room, which used to be one of the kid’s rooms, was what looked exactly like a scene out of “Hoarders” show.  Due to the mounds of clutter, the daughter gave up her bunk bed in order for Grandma to sleep there, and her new bed was one of the couches in the main room.  It’s Arianne’s intention to give Grandma a bright, open room in her new space.

The ‘EXTREME’ in “Extreme Makeover”!

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION/ Photo: ABC Disney/Ryan Green

The good news, the team announced that they would be building a new home in Hondo, Texas.  So, yes, “it’s extreme!”  That’s 96 hours (five days) to build a house.  Previous series entailed the rebuilding of each family’s home.  This is a new venture where construction crews build a pre-cut home, and put it together in another town no less!

Hosts integrated their “zones” as part of the design. The hosts used the same tactic as on Hoarders, where they laid every item that the family owns onto the floor in a warehouse and called it “The Edit Zone.”   This helped them “navigate what’s important to the family.”   Mom said to see everything laid out was really eye-opening.  Seeing that Grandma wasn’t willing to part with too many of her clothes, the interior designer went back to Wendell to request a new element to be added.  That was a huge storage cabinet on the back wall of where the bed would be. 

The most heart-breaking scene was when Gail decided to part with the bag carrying her deceased husband’s clothing that he was wearing when he entered the hospital.  It was symbolic of Gail pushing through the built-up feelings that she had been carrying for years, and a major step to moving on with her new life.

Pictured (right): Wendell Holland. Photo: ABC Disney/Ryan Green

What the family got in return, a two-story, five bedroom, three bathroom brand new home built by Taylor Morrison, who’s CEO presented the family with a key each.  The last fifteen minutes of the show was the reveal potion where the family toured their new home.  The only thing standing between the family and their new home was a gigantic tour bus with the show’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” decals on it.  This, of course, was prompted by the iconic phrase from the original show, “move that bus!”  

Gail said this was more than an extreme makeover, it was “extreme life makeover.”  At the end of the episode, unfortunately there are no updates given about the family in their new home. 

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” premiered on ABC, Thursday, January 2, 2025.  Also available to stream on Hulu.  Next week’s episode helps a family with a cancer survivor.  It also looks like the show enlisted the help of carpenter Tyler Cameron from “The Bachelorette” season 15.