‘Farmhouse Fixer’ Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin Laugh About Getting Trolled by ‘New Kids’ Fan [Exclusive]
Jonathan Knight, star of HGTV‘s Farmhouse Fixer still has “the right stuff” and is sometimes reminded about his New Kids on the Block fame while working on one of his historic property jobs.
Knight told Showbiz Cheat Sheet he grew up with home renovation in his blood and that his father instilled a love of home renovation and repair as a kid. And while he was part of the iconic boy band that shaped the music scene, Knight turned back to his first love – home renovation – after New Kids broke up.
Jonathan Knight got serenaded by New Kids music while on a job
Knight insisted that most of his clients play it pretty cool when they meet him. But Farmhouse Fixer co-host, designer Kristina Crestin laughed and said some clients don’t hold back. In fact, she and Knight recalled one instance where it wasn’t a client, but a contractor who worked nearby and hilariously trolled them when they were working on a project.
Knight recalled the scenario and laughed. “We were working on a house and the neighbor had a landscaper and she would seem to always be walking up and down the street. She was either sweeping in front of the house we were renovating or like, you know, looking at the bushes. And then one day she’s walking up the street with this boombox blaring New Kids music. And I was just like, ‘Wow, this has gone to a whole new level!'”
Another fan finally showed Jonathan her New Kids collection
Knight also said a client during Farmhouse Fixer Season 1 finally came clean with her love of New Kids. “We did a house in season 1,” he recalled. “And I went to the house and scoped it out and met with the homeowner and she was very calm and collected. When we said, yeah, we want to take on your house, that’s when she broke out like the New Kids dolls and pictures of her at our concerts over the years. So, yeah that was pretty awesome.”
While Knight loves meeting fans, he’s there to make his clients happy. Crestin said they work as a team to find what their clients ultimately want from their older or historic home and transform it into their dream.
“John and I are client-centric,” she emphasized. “This isn’t This Old House because it really is about what these homeowners are after. So if they come in and they want a modern farmhouse or somebody wants older bones, there’s a dialog about how far they’re taking it.”
“And do they feel like they’re the steward of this property for many years, and do they want to honor the old house or do they just focus on their young family and they need to make it work for that?” she asked. “So, it starts there and then we dive into all the good stuff like this design, the millwork, ceiling beams and we find out what kind of budget they have for those things that are pretty important to make that happen.”
Jonathan Knight juggled ‘Farmhouse Fixer’ and the New Kids tour at the same time
Knight revealed that he was filming Farmhouse Fixer, while at the same time, was on tour with New Kids. New Kids on the Block joined Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, and En Vogue for a multi-city national tour in 2022.
The aptly named “Mixed Tape Tour” wrapped and Knight joked that he was exhausted. “It was a lot of shows in a little bit of time,” he laughed. “And then I was flying home on days off to, you know, finish up my show and fix up these houses for clients. I have a year off so I’m grateful for that.”
Farmhouse Fixer Season 2 premieres on Wednesday, August 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.
