Retta Breaks Down ‘Ugliest House in America’s Weird Behind-the-Scenes Secrets

Seven seasons into hosting HGTV’s Ugliest House in America, Retta is still surprised by the wacky properties featured on the show.

“There’s always [something]. I mean, a shelf on a slanted wall. What are we doing? And the shelf wasn’t [level],” she joked while promoting the show on the third hour of Today‘s Wednesday, January 7, episode. “But every once in a while, I’ll see something. There’s the tried-and-trues — the carpeting in bathrooms, the cabinets that are right next to something so you can’t really open it, that kind of thing. But every once in a while, you’ll find a hallway with no stairs, and it’s just a hill you have to climb, and I had no gear.”

Ugliest House in America, which premiered in 2022, follows the actress as she tours some of the country’s zaniest and most unique houses. On Today, Retta revealed that she goes into each property blind, but is prepped on some things by the show’s crew.

“The only thing that they will warn me about is pets, because I’m allergic. So, usually, they try to clear it out, so they’re like, ‘Be aware, they have a dog that’s never left the house,'” she explained. “Or if someone [is] super chatty and I need to kind of jump in, or if they don’t talk and I need to encourage. But other than [that], I don’t want to see anything because if I think about it too much, I won’t be quick.”

The series also doubles as a competition show. The home that is selected as the “ugliest” in the country wins a $150,000 renovation from HGTV’s Alison Victoria. After watching Victoria transform homes for seven seasons, Retta has picked up some design tips from the Sin City Rehab star.

Which HGTV Shows Are Returning in 2026? What We Know So Far

“I do find myself, if I’m in a room, I’m like, ‘Oh, an old door would look really nice in here,’ because she does that a lot,” Retta shared. “And I’m always fascinated because we’ll be at an antique store, and there will be a door that looks like it went through World War II, and she’s like, ‘Oh, that’s amazing. That’s gonna look great.’ And I’m like, ‘That is dirty and creepy.’ And then, they do it up, and you’re like, ‘Dang, she was right.'”

Retta revealed that she recently put her own design skills to the test while renovating her own home. “I bought this house with an ADU [Accessory Dwelling Unit] with the plan of doing it in case, you know, family, someone has to live there,” she explained on Today. “So, it took forever because it started during COVID.”

The home’s secondary building was ready to go for her family’s holiday celebration. However, things didn’t go according to Retta’s plan. “I was like, ‘Mom,’ and I told them that this is where they would stay, and she was like, ‘Oh, no,'” she quipped. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s beautiful. I want to stay in the house.’ So, I was like, all this time, they could have been coming, but I’ve been killing myself trying to get this place done, spending more than I spent on the renovation of the house for her to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna stay in the house.'”

Ugliest House in America, Season 7 Premiere, Wednesday, January 7, 8/7c and 8:30/7:30c, HGTV

More Headlines:

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.