HGTV Cheryl Hines surprises her former assistant Sarita Williams on “Celebrity IOU.”
Sarita Williams is Cheryl Hines’ former assistant and nanny. The actress has enlisted Drew and Jonathan Scott to help surprise her former employee with a garage renovation on “Celebrity IOU.”
“Sarita has been such a big part of my life & now Jonathan, Drew & I get to work on her house and build something that (hopefully) she, Andrew and the girls will love,” Hines wrote on Instagram.
The series follows the “Property Brothers” stars as they team up with some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood to “express their deep gratitude” to their family, friends and mentors through surprise renovations, according to HGTV.com.
This season’s other stars include Drew Barrymore, Kate Hudson, Idina Menzel, Cindy Crawford, Terry Crews, Leslie Jordan and Wilmer Valderrama.
Here is what you need to know:
1. Sarita Williams Started Working as Cheryl Hines’ Assistant
Hines has known Williams for 20 years, since hiring her as an assistant.
“I was working on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ Ever heard of it? No, it doesn’t matter, and I needed an assistant,” Hines quipped on “Celebrity IOU.” “Somebody said why don’t you meet Sarita, she actually happens to be from Tallahassee where you are from.”
As Williams explains in the episode, she had no previous assistant experience.
“It wasn’t like a job,” she added in the episode. “It was, I just happen to be going to Cheryl’s house every morning.”
Williams went on to describe Hines as “sweet,” “kind” and “funny.”
2. Sarita Williams Helped Raise Cheryl Hines’ Daughter
Hines turned to Williams for help after discovering she was pregnant a year-and-a-half into working together, the actress explained on “Celebrity IOU.”
“I looked at her and I said, ‘What do you know about babies?’” the 57-year-old explained. “Then she said, ‘Nothing’ and I said, ‘Neither do I.’ I said, ‘Maybe, do you want to try it together?’”
Hines welcomed her daughter, Catherine, in 2004. Williams helped raise Cat for the first eight years of her life, often taking the girl to set when Hines was working, the “Waitress” star added in the episode. As Hines explained, the duo was inseparable.
“Catherine means the world to me,” Williams said in the episode. “She was, she was my best friend. It’s crazy to be best friends with a 0-month-old to 8-year-old.”
As Hines added, “As a parent, the only thing that matters really is that you’re raising your child to be the best person they can be, and Sarita knows that and she knew that then. She taught Cat so much.”
3. Sarita Williams Is Married With Kids
Williams is now a wife, married to her husband Andrew, and a mother to two girls.
“When Cat got a little older, Sarita decided to have her own baby,” Hines explained in a confessional. “I was there the day that she was born and we’ve just been a part of each other’s life since.”
4. Cheryl Hines Transforms Sarita Williams’ Detached Garage
Hines has partnered up with the Scotts to transform Williams’ detached garage. As she explained on “Celebrity IOU,” Williams and her husband both work from home and also lack proper space to host Andrew’s mom when she visits.
With a tight timeline, they will transform the space “into a gorgeous multi-function personal retreat and guest suite complete with a kitchenette, bathroom, built-in desk and Murphy bed,” HGTV explained in a press release.
5. Sarita Williams Has a ‘Light’ That She Shines on Everyone Else
Twenty years later, Hines and Williams are still close. As Williams explained in the episode, her kids even see Hines as “Aunt Cheryl.”
After the reveal, the actress tells her former assistant, “You have this light about you and you shine it on everyone around you and you’re the one who should shine.”
She added, “Sarita, you have made the biggest impact on my family than anyone I know.”
“Cheryl Hines Gifts a Garage Makeover” premieres on HGTV on Monday, December 19, 2022, at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times.
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