Fans React to HGTV’s Surprise “Home Town” Announcement

Heavy/HGTV "Home Town" stars Erin and Ben Napier

In a surprise announcement on November 21, 2024, HGTV revealed that it will finish the year on a high note, premiering the eighth season of “Home Town” with Ben and Erin Napier on December 29.

Erin, 39, and Ben, 41, have hinted on social media that they’ve been filming new episodes of the hit series in their home town of Laurel, Mississippi. Every season but one of “Home Town” has premiered in January, per IMDb, so the early premiere news came as a surprise to many fans, who’ve since flooded social media with their excited reactions.

‘Home Town’ Season Will Start With New Opener

The eighth season of “Home Town” feature a new opening sequence, shared by Us Weekly, that shows the couple driving through downtown Laurel and brief clips of some of their home transformations as Erin says, “Every worthwhile journey should be like a great book that you can’t put down. Our homeowners give us one part of the story and the houses give us the other. There’s so many opportunities, so many unloved houses.”

Ben then says, “When we started trying to revitalize homes in Laurel, we wanted our kids to grow up in a place that they loved. And now, we’re doing it!”

“We have plenty of work left to do,” Erin interjects, as they walk across the street with their giggling daughters.

The Napiers have starred in “Home Town” since 2016, renovating old homes in Laurel for small town clients while raising a family. When the show started, woodworker Ben and designer Erin were living in a cottage in their hometown, shocked that HGTV came calling. They’ve since had two girls — six-year-old Helen and two-year-old Mae — and built an entire brand and business around their show, from books to endorsement deals to shops located in Laurel.

The premiere episode on December 29 is called “When Life Gives You Tomatoes,” according to Us Weekly. Viewers will watch the Napiers work with Tally and Mike Scully to find the midcentury modern home of their dreams with room for a giant garden and specialty kitchen, since they run a booming salsa and hot sauce business.

The outlet said that during the season, the couple will also work on a lake house expansion, a historic homestead and an update on one of their previous projects.

Erin Napier Encourages Fans to Set an Alarm for Season Premiere of ‘Home Town’

HGTV has not yet announced how many episodes of “Home Town” have been produced for season 8, but there should be plenty of content from the Napiers to keep fans happy well into the new year. The third season of their spin-off, “Home Town: Takeover,” was filmed in Sebring, Florida during the spring of 2024 and is also expected to air in 2025.

Fans were thrilled with the surprise announcement about the season premiere and flooded HGTV’s posts with comments, including someone who wrote, “I cannot wait!!! ❤️❤️❤️ love you two and the work you and the team do!”

Someone else posted, “THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR 🙌🙌”

Another fan commented, “Watching your show is a ritual I have shared with my mom for the past eight years. We love everything about the energy and joy you all bring to design, and a way of life not dictated by all the things what modern society seems fixated on. My dad will also absolutely appreciate her and I not playing the last seven seasons worth of episodes for the 1000th time 😂”

“Thank you for saying Yes to gifting us another season,” another devoted fan wrote. “You two are so giving and lovely to watch. I keep you both,your family and your core people in my prayers. Thank you again for letting me have another season of your company.”

Erin shared the news of the show’s new season in her Instagram Stories and wrote, “we’re back december 29! put an alert in your calendar for 8/7pm central!”