HGTV David Visentin and Hilary Farr on "Love It or List It."
Hilary Farr credits “Love It or List It” co-star David Visentin for always being “there for each other” during her battle with cancer, she told People in an interview published in early December. Despite playing friendly adversaries on the popular HGTV series, Farr said that her bond with Visentin goes beyond just being co-workers.
After appearing in over 200 episodes of “Love It or List It,” Farr announced on December 1 that she would not be returning to the show.
Farr reflected on her time spent on the HGTV staple in a press release. “It’s been a wonderful 12 years. I’m so grateful to the network for their support and to my fans who have stayed loyal and true,” she said. “David and I will remain friends forever and I expect him to be as fabulously and hilariously annoying as ever.”
Hilary Farr Was Not Alone During Cancer Battle
Farr told People that her relationship with Visentin is essentially a sibling-like bond. “We are who we are on that show,” she said. “Think of your brother as his most obnoxious and annoying, that’s David.”
“We were on a flight once. We were just talking and semi-arguing. I mean, the way we do. Also making each other laugh,” the HGTV star recalled. “We noticed something going on across the aisle and it was somebody actually begging the stewardess to find him a new seat because we were so obnoxious and annoying. We’re oblivious to how it is, but that’s just how we are. A thing happens when we’re together.”
Despite the occasional public rowdiness, Farr said Visentin has always been a supportive figure for her.
“I was working all the way through cancer and he was always there,” she said. “He had his little rough patches too here and there, and we were there for each other. Yeah, that’s a biggie. I don’t know that that’s going to change.”
Farr told People her friendship with Visentin “is not going to just disappear because we’re not working together.”
Getting a New Outlook on Life
For Hilary Farr, “Love It or List It” was more than just a show, People reported on December 1 when she announced her departure from the show.
“I have really learned about the extraordinary impact that this show has had out there,” she told the outlet. “I mean, I meet people who have gone through terrible experiences and desperate sadness, and they tell me that this show was their salvation. This got them through. It also helped me get through good times and bad times.”
Despite the impact the show has had on her life, Farr said the timing is right for her to leave. She explained that “this show has encompassed a divorce, cancer, my son getting married, my son having three children, my long-term relationship breaking up. In fact, my partner of all those years developed cancer.”
Reflecting on the past has given Farr a different outlook on what she now values the most. “I’m now very aware of really wanting to take joy out of every day, and that’s one of the reasons that it was time to leave “Love It or List It” because it was becoming too easy. I was in a rut. It’s been so many years. You want to feel that every day is something different and special and grasp for those challenges. That’s really what I think drives me, anyway.”
Getting a different perspective on life has allowed Farr to appreciate what she has learned over the years. “I learned that every minute that I think there are so many things happening in this world that are so horrific, I’m sure I should be doing something more meaningful, that in fact, I was doing something meaningful by doing the show,” she continued. “That was gratifying to get to that understanding. I’ve grown as a designer, I’ve grown as a human, and I have understood the value of love and friendship. Every single season and episode was a challenge. That’s what I love.”