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Everything You Wanted to Know About ‘Love It or List It’ Hosts Hilary Farr and David Visentin

Anyone who watches Love It or List It knows the show simply wouldn’t be what it is without hosts Hilary Farr and David Visentin. Their hilarious back-and-forth banter and faux rivalry keep the wooden couples and repetitive storylines from being — well, repetitive. After all, we’re just here to look at houses anyway!

But who are Hilary and David, really? Many fans think, because the duo has such amazing chemistry, that they’re a married couple! While others just want to know more about that pesky lawsuit. Below, all your questions about Love It or List It, answered.

MUST SEE: ‘Fixer Upper’ Moments You Probably Didn’t Know Are Staged

Are Hilary and David married?

Of course not! David is married to Canadian real estate agent Krista Visentin. As for Hilary, she’s divorced but was previously married to a man named Gordon Farr. Although these co-hosts are strictly friends, Hilary has admitted that they really do argue like a married couple in real life.

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“We actually do get really angry [about the competition],” Farr said in 2017. “Mostly, I get really angry.”

But although they might get competitive with each other, they still are genuine friends.

“Hilary and I have a lot of fun together,” David said in 2013. “I think people enjoy watching us having a lot of fun.”

Hilary has echoed the same sentiment.

“There’s a genuine deep affection between us,” she said in 2012. “We adore each other. We make each other laugh a lot.”

But remember — things are strictly platonic.

How did they meet and get on the show?

Hilary was already an interior designer and David a real estate agent. They met during the audition for the show. Hilary was cast first and then David later.

“They called up and said, ‘You’re brilliant. We want you. We think you’re going to make Hilary look good,'” he said in 2017.

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As for Hilary, David didn’t make much of an impression on her, because she didn’t even remember the meeting!

“She actually says she doesn’t even remember me from the audition,” David said in 2016.

Is the show fake? What was that lawsuit about?

We have two answers for this question. On one hand, Hilary has said the show is 100 percent real.

“The show is not at all scripted,” she said in 2016. “The reactions of the homeowners to renovation realities and bad news is very real.”

However, in 2016, the show was sued by a couple who appeared on the show who claimed the show was not only fake but that they also ruined their home with “cheap” renovations.

“The show is scripted, with roles and reactions assigned to the various performers and participants, including the homeowners,” the lawsuit claimed. “These characters are actors or television personalities playing a role for the camera, and in this case none of them played more than a casual role in the actual renovation process.”

An anonymous insider from the show, who submitted their experience to a popular house blog, said most people who appear on the show have no intentions of actually moving and simply sign up for the show to get a discount on renovations.

Another former participant on the show described their experience as mostly positive and said the renovations they paid for were much cheaper than going through a contractor. They also said the houses they were shown were real and on the market.

As for the damaging lawsuit, it was settled in May 2017.

Who’s winning? Hilary or David?

If you watch the show, it seems most couples who participate always choose to “love it.” So who’s keeping score of all the wins and losses?

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“It’s about 70 to 30,” Hilary said in 2017. ” I don’t keep count — but I know I’m in the lead. No one wants to move if they have a choice — it’s a horrible experience. If I manage to address their issue, there’s really no incentive to pack up and leave.”

How do they put up with those difficult clients?

On the show, homeowners have often screamed at Hilary whenever problems would occur in a renovation (which is all the time).

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“It never ceases to amaze me that homeowners can get that pissed off,” Hilary revealed back in 2012. “It’s a shock for them the next time they see their home. It’s ripped apart, and I’m usually giving them bad news. They don’t have a lot of time to prepare and they’re on-camera. Mostly, I don’t take it personally.”

Where is the show shot? What location?

The show is mostly shot in Toronto and in surrounding areas in Ontario, Canada. They also shot a couple of episodes in North Carolina and there’s a spin-off show, Love It or List it Too, which is shot in Vancouver. But it doesn’t stop there. A U.K. version and an Australian version have popped up in recent years thanks to the show’s popularity.

Was Hilary in The Rocky Horror Picture Show?

Before her career as a home designer, she worked on film sets doing production and has a short portfolio of small film roles. Her brief scene in Rocky Horror Picture Show is non-speaking, but she snagged the opportunity thanks to Tim Curry, who was her neighbor at the time.

But Hilary isn’t the only one with acting talent. Before getting started in real estate, David used to appear in a TV show called My Parent’s House. “Not only does real estate run in the family, but both my brothers and sister have done theater!” he said in 2016. “It was a dream extension for me to take my real-estate skills and confidence in front of the camera and put them together for the show.”

Are Hilary and David friends with other HGTV hosts?

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Yep, they’re besties with Jonathan Scott and Drew Scott from The Property Brothers. In fact, Hilary says she’s just as much of an HGTV nerd as her viewers are.

“I’m like every other HGTV addict; I just put it on and then there’s a show. Then suddenly it’s three hours later,” Hilary said in 2017.

And speaking of HGTV, if you ever run into Hilary or David on the street, they’re both incredibly approachable — since most HGTV hosts are.

“I think HGTV hosts are more approachable than other types of people on television,” David said in 2017. “I think people feel like you’re their friend. They kind of feel like they know you.”

Yep, that sounds about right!

Want to learn more about HGTV? Check out the gallery below to learn more about the home remodeling shows you love.