Jonathan Scott & Zooey Deschanel to Tour White House in HGTV Holiday Special

HGTV Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott host "White House Christmas 2022" on HGTV

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the White House — and HGTV fans are about to get a look inside! The network just announced that the Property Brothers’ Jonathan Scott and his longtime love, actress Zooey Deschanel, will host the network’s annual holiday special from Washington D.C. on December 11, 2022. Here’s a sneak peek at what the special will include…

HGTV Showcases the Huge Effort That Goes Into Decorating the White House

HGTV’s “White House Christmas 2022” will give viewers an in-depth view of festive rooms throughout the White House, decorated by more than 150 volunteers from across the U.S. along with Residence Staff.

First Lady Jill Biden, who will lead Scott and Deschanel through the White House, recently announced this year’s decor theme is “We the People,” meant to “capture the spirit of America’s shared values and the belief in possibility, optimism, and unity.”

According to a release from HGTV, the White House decor they’ll share with viewers includes 77 Christmas trees, 12,000 ornaments, 83,615 holiday lights, 300 candles, 1,600 bells, and approximately 14,865 feet of ribbon.

Per People magazine, Canadian-born Scott now holds a dual U.S./Canadian citizenship and told Biden how meaningful it was to feel included in the unifying theme.

“Everyone is represented, no matter where they live geographically, myself included,” Scott said. “I recently became an American citizen only a few years ago, so it really means a lot to be able to celebrate the rich history that America has to offer. This is an exciting day.”

To make sure children see themselves reflected in the holiday decor, there are ornaments on the trees in the State Dining Room that feature self-portraits handmade by students of the 2021 Teachers of the Year from across the country.

In the East Wing, trees feature mirrored Gold Star ornaments inscribed with the names of fallen service members to pay respect to the heroic men and women of U.S. military members who sacrificed their lives for their country, as well as the families who carry on their legacies.

To honor millions of Jewish Americans and the celebration of Hanukkah, Scott and Deschanel will also get to see the new menorah created by the Executive Residence Carpentry Shop, constructed using wood removed from the White House during a Truman-era renovation.

In addition, Scott and Deschanel will showcase this year’s Gingerbread White House, an edible replica made with impressive attention to detail. It was made with 20 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 30 sheets of gingerbread dough, and 30 pounds of chocolate. This year, there’s also a sugar cookie version of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, the birthplace of the United States.

HGTV’s ‘White House Christmas’ Has Aired for More Than Two Decades

HGTVWreaths hang on the outside windows of the White House in 2018

HGTV’s first “White House Christmas” special aired in 1999. Over the years, a wide variety of the network’s hosts have had the honor of touring 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. during the holidays, including “Married to Real Estate” host Egypt Sherrod in 2016 and “Windy City Rehab” host Allison Victoria in 2018 and 2019. Genevieve Gorder has also hosted the special numerous times, including in 2021.

In addition to touring the White House and capturing the magical transformation of its holiday decorators for the 2022 special, Scott and Deschanel also got to help deck the halls.

Viewers will see Scott high atop scaffolding to trim the Official White House Christmas tree, while Deschanel decorates and assists with the finishing touches on the massive Gingerbread White House. HGTV says the couple even break into song as they decorate.

“White House Christmas 2022” premieres on Sunday, December 11, at 6 pm Eastern. Can’t wait till the premiere? HGTV posted a preview of the decor in a TikTok video, set to the song “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.”