Heavy/HGTV/YouTube Rico León of HGTV's "Rico to the Rescue"
After seeing the “phenomenal” impact that the first season of his HGTV show, “Rico to the Rescue,” has had on desperate families and the Latino community, Rico León is thrilled to be able to do it all again in the series’ second season. But he says it comes with a new level of stress.
HGTV just announced season 2 of “Rico to the Rescue” will premiere on January 24, 2024, with cameras following León as he continues to help Denver homeowners “salvage renovations that have gone off the rails.” He’ll be joined again by designer Poonam Moore and chief estimator Matt Plowman.
In interviews promoting the new nine-episode season, León said the projects he and his team take on in the news season are especially stressful, which can take a toll on him. The silver lining, though, is seeing how thrilled his clients are and hearing how inspiring the show has been for aspiring Latino builders, contractors and realtors.
Here’s what you need to know:
Rico León Says He Doesn’t Relax Until a Stressful Situation Has Been Solved
In the first episode of the new season, León will help a family of four whose contractor took more than $100,000 to start their home renovation but never finished, per HGTV. The unfinished home still includes a tarped roof and exposed framing two years after the original job started.
“I always have a high level of empathy,” he recently told TV Insider. “When someone has lost $50,000 or $75,000, and doesn’t have a house that functions, that is high-level stress. Couples will fight. Kids can’t invite their friends over to play. It’s very detrimental to the families (and) I take on that stress as well.”
But León, who grew up in Pittsburgh, doesn’t give himself a chance to relax and de-stress in the midst of the fixes, he said.
“My main thing is to be hyper-focused,” he explained. “I crack the whip. I am on everyone making sure things run on time. That’s the whole East Coast Pittsburgh side of me. If you want to relax, do it after the job is done.”
León said if that includes conflict with the contractors who messed up a client’s home, he’s game.
“I’m not scared of that confrontation because I’m always trying to come up with a solution,” he told TV Insider. “When I hear both sides, it’s nice. I know all the reasons contractors screw up. Some of them are vindictive and bad people and straight-up steal money. A lot of them are also good people who just mismanage things.”
Rico León Says the Outpouring of Support & Interest from the Latino Community Has Been ‘Insane’
León, whose family is Puerto Rican, has become a huge inspiration for other Latinos interested in construction and real estate. and even celebrities hoping to partner with him.
“Just after season 1 the outreach I received from the Latino community was insane,” he told TV Insider.
He’s even heard from celebrities including Latin superstar Marc Anthony regarding his Maestro Cares Foundation.
“We have a lot of similarities as he has a nonprofit where he helps build community centers for the underprivileged in the United States and outside it,” he said. “A door opened for opportunity. It has been overwhelming.”
“Speaking Spanish helped in the industry since Latinos have such a huge driving force in construction,” León recently told Caló News. “But it’s been phenomenal because I’ve had Latinos reach out to me saying, ‘Hey, after watching the show, I want to start my own business.’ It’s inspired a lot of people to take things to the next level and do the right thing, and I think that’s had such a positive impact.”
León will be on TV a lot in the new year. Not only will the second season of “Rico to the Rescue” premiere in January, but so will the new HGTV competition show he’s co-hosting with Kim Wolfe and Kym Miles. “Battle on the Mountain” premieres on January 22.
A foodie who loves to cook, León also hinted at a possible Food Network show in a recent Instagram post. One fan asked when his new shows air and he replied, “4 different shows coming out all next 3/4 months.”