Heavy/HGTV/YouTube Ben and Erin Napier
One of HGTV hosts Ben and Erin Napier’s favorite parts of their show “Home Town” is getting the chance to both revitalize the town of Laurel, Mississippi as well as tell the stories of the folks who live there.
On the March 24 episode of their series, the Napiers were telling the stories of Wesley and Sarah, a local couple who had purchased Sarah’s grandmother’s home six years prior and were in need of some repairs. Ben and Erin were quick to point out that everybody called Wesley “Shug” after he started using that nickname for other people. “He calls everybody ‘Shug’. Everybody thinks it’s a term of endearment, but it’s really more of a memory issue,” Sarah explained.
Erin took to Instagram on March 23, one day before the episode’s airing, and explained why some fans felt it was one of the most “delightful” episodes of “Home Town” to ever air on HGTV.
Fans Are Delighted By Shug on ‘Home Town’
“NEW #HGTVHomeTown Sunday night March 24, (wouldn’t it be more fun than basketball?!) it’s an exceptional one, (the people who have seen it called it ‘the most delightful Home Town ever, I never stopped smiling’). We’ve been giving y’all some really good ones this season (our alma mater @jones_college and how we met! nan’s house! the brand new old tiny cottage! the 100th episode in a swanky loft!) but LISTEN. This episode is another of the most authentic and emblematic stories of what it means to really BE FROM HERE. If you live in Laurel you’ve probably met our homeowner Shug or know Sarah’s family who has been here outside of Laurel for maaaaany generations. And if you’re not from here, watch for a masterclass in Southernisms, laugh until you cry, and fall in love with this gorgeous house that used to be her grandmother’s,” Erin wrote in her post’s caption, preparing fans for what to expect on the episode.
Fans flocked to Erin’s comment section after seeing the episode and shared their thoughts on the episode as well as Ben and Erin’s renovation work.
“Shug and Sarah’s house is THE BEST!! I laughed, I cried. Absolutely gorgeous and so meaningful. ❤,” one fan wrote.
“You were all in your full element. Ben had a snowman. Erin gave poor Dave heart failure and major anxiety. Josh got to make biscuits. Shug made it snow in the heat,” another fan commented, making references to the episode.
“Way better than basketball. This has been a great season. Thank you for all you do. ❤️,” a third fan commented.
While Ben and Erin are celebrating the release of their new “Home Town” episodes, they are also hard at work on their third season of “Home Town Takeover”, which was announced in February 2024. For season 3, the Napiers traveled even further South from Laurel, Mississippi to Sebring, Florida, to help start the town’s revitalization through renovation projects on local homes and businesses.
No release date has been announced yet, however the couple are hard at work on the new season, which will feature familiar faces from “Home Town” past.
“It’s a really interesting town that we are really excited [about]. We are cautiously optimistic about it. This show is really hard to make. There’s going to be a lot of special guests coming, a lot of people coming in to help, but there’s going to be a lot of work that’s going to go into it,” Ben said during the season 3 announcement.
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