*Actress and comedian and home design enthusiast Retta is back for another season of HGTV’s mega-hit “Ugliest House in America,” which debuted Jan. 7. The series, produced by Big Fish Entertainment, attracted 12.2 million viewers across linear and streaming last season and returns with six fresh episodes capturing Retta’s hilarious hot takes as she explores 15 more properties with shockingly bad designs, cringe-worthy layouts and grossly outdated styles.
This season marks a special milestone as Retta tours her 100th hideous house. The series will kick off in the Great Plains, where she’ll explore an off-the-grid mish-mash house, a man-made metal monstrosity, and a Rocky Mountain home at 7,100 feet, overtaken by unexplained light switches.
When asked why Americans are so fascinated with ugly houses, Retta explained the appeal is rooted in human nature. “I think it’s me, personally, being nosy. But also, when you see someone’s ugly house, you feel better about yours,” she said. “You’re like, mine ain’t so bad.”
Retta also noted the importance of the homeowners themselves in making the show memorable. “I think it’s also that we tend to have some characters on the show. You have to have character to have a home with that much character, whether it’s good or bad,” Retta explained.
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This season features a diverse cast of homeowners, each with their own unique story. Retta highlighted one particularly memorable homeowner: a young mother who found herself living in an unappealing house because of her husband’s decision. “She ended up in this home because it’s what her husband wanted. And she’s like, someone help me. She’s really like, please get my children out of here,” Retta recalled. “And, you know, if you think about it, you’re like, oh, that’s sad. But she’s so funny about it that it’s enjoyable.”
Retta recalled another unforgettable homeowner from a previous season named Marie, who lived alone in the woods. “Everything I asked, she was like, I don’t know. Didn’t know anything about her house. Anything,” Retta said. “I’m like, girl, you are out here in the woods by yourself. She’s like, yeah, I called the police almost every day. I heard something when I first moved in here.”
This season presents houses that challenge both comfort and common sense. “I feel like this season, there are some houses that when they were built, they were dope, they were fire, they were interesting. But we’ve moved past being interesting,” Retta noted. She pointed out that many homeowners underestimate renovation costs, particularly when dealing with unusual features like concrete seating. “There are homes that have concrete seating. I’m like, do you know what it costs to tear down concrete? Do you know what it costs to get equipment up the crazy hill you live on?” she said.
Throughout 100 house tours, certain visits have left lasting impressions on Retta, often due to unexpected elements. “Some are memorable just because of the animals they had. There was a family that had like 20-something snakes. I was like, no, that’s a hard pass,” she recalled. The homeowners repeatedly asked during the tour if she wanted to see the snakes, to which she firmly declined. “No, sir. I do not want to see these snakes,” she said.
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Some houses are memorable for their remote locations and impractical features. Retta described one home from this season that appeared beautiful from the outside but had serious issues inside. “And then you see the wiring, so bad that it’s dangerous,” she explained. The lack of modern connectivity was another dealbreaker. “I’m like, first of all, I need wifi. I need the wifi to work. The fact that you don’t have very good cell service, you’re not getting good wifi up here. What are we doing? And then your electricity is crazy. And the stairs go nowhere,” she said.
When defining what makes a house truly ugly, Retta pointed to both outdated design choices and uncomfortable living conditions. “Some of it is design. There’s so many homes that have carpeting in the bathroom that I’m like, that’s the first thing you can do, just rip that out,” she said. For houses with concrete seating, her reaction was more visceral. “I’m like, that is hemorrhoids all day. What are we doing? I’m not even thinking about, I can fix this. I want no parts in it,” she explained.
The authenticity of Retta’s reactions comes from going into each house tour completely blind. “They don’t tell me what’s going on. I don’t know anything about the house… usually when we’re driving up, I don’t even look at the outside of the house until I’m doing the walkup,” she revealed. The only information she receives in advance relates to practical concerns such as stairs or the presence of animals, the latter being a requirement she established after an early encounter. “You know, me walking up in a house with 26 snakes is not cool,” she said.
This season promises plenty of surprises for viewers. “They can look forward to homes that have uninvited animals. They can look forward to a lot of mirrors. Some are architecturally interesting. But that’s where it ends,” Retta teased. She also revealed one particularly unusual feature: “There’s a home with a shooting range inside. Inside the house.”
Based on its ugly appearance, awkward factor, and most surprising feature, one house will be crowned the “ugliest house in America” by HGTV. The network will award its owners a showstopping $150,000 renovation completed by designer Alison Victoria, one of HGTV’s top stars, during a special one-hour finale episode.
Retta expressed admiration for the transformation work done by Alison Victoria and her team. “I feel like every season it gets a little bit better,” she said. She specifically praised a woodworker and builder who creates innovative convertible spaces. “We’ve had some really cool and hidden spaces made with him,” Retta added.
The renovation at the end of this season was particularly dramatic. “I feel like it’s that home, where it started and where it ended, light years apart. It’s a true renovation,” Retta said, careful not to reveal too much about the winning house.
The experience of touring houses and witnessing renovations has influenced Retta’s own design perspective. “I’m looking to buy another space. My ideas and my choices, you know, what I would like my choices to be or what I think my choices will be, are very different from what I thought I loved when I did my home in L.A.,” she shared. “My design interest has changed since doing this show.”
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