Andy DehnartTrading Spaces will return in April, airing on Saturday evenings. It will be paired with Nate & Jeremiah By Design, the reality show starring Nate Berkus and his husband Jeremiah Brent—who will appear as guest designers on one episode of Trading Spaces, TLC announced.
The early 2000s hit home design show will be coming back April 7, preceded by a reunion special with the designers, and carpenter Amy Wynn, who is the only original cast member not returning to the show.
The budget has been increased for inflation to $2,000, and several new designers have been added to the mix along with all the original designers.
Not all of the designers were at the Television Critics Association press tour, including Genevieve Gorder and Carter Oosterhouse, who were both included on a draft schedule sent to TV critics. (Genevieve was included on the final schedule; Carter was not.)
In December, Carter—who is also a judge on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight—was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman who worked for him.
Kailey Kaminsky says Oosterhouse threatened her employment. Oosterhouse maintains that sexual activity with his makeup artist, who identifies as a lesbian, was “100% mutual and consensual.”
During the press conference, I asked TLC president and general manager Nancy Daniels why Carter wasn’t here, and if the sexual assault allegations will affect his participation going forward.
“We did look into the allegations,” Daniels said, and while they take those “seriously,” she said “we feel very comfortable with Carter continuing.” (I will update this story with Daniels’ full comment once the full transcript is available.)
Update: Here is the full exchange from the transcript:
Andy Dehnart: “Nancy, can you just address briefly why Carter Oosterhouse isn’t on the panel today and whether the accusation of sexual assault will affect his participation in the series going forward?”
Nancy Daniels: “He was unavailable to attend today. We did look into the allegations. We also looked into everything that we did throughout our production on this realm of Trading Spaces. And we take it all very seriously. At the end of the day, we feel very comfortable continuing with Carter in the show.”
16 years after my first interviews with Trading Spaces Doug and Laurie
Earlier today, I interviewed Doug Wilson and Laurie Smith, the designers I shadowed behind the scenes on the set of a season-two episode. That was, incredibly, in 2002, 16 years ago, but they still have the same playful chemistry.
So did all of the designers who were on stage today: Laurie, Doug, Vern, Hildi, Frank, and Ty. That’s evident in the new trailer below, which was just released—especially in the fun moment at the very end.
During the press conference, Frank gave an impassioned defense of “crying Pam,” who Paige reminded us actually didn’t have a huge meltdown, but instead politely left the room when she discovered Doug had covered her fireplace.
In other words, it was low-key compared to the insane drama that has followed on reality television since those early, innocent years. I’m ready for a return to that early reality TV and Trading Spaces energy.
Read my interview with Trading Spaces’ Doug Wilson and Laurie Smith.