Getty Ty Pennington Update: Where Is the HGTV Star Today?
Ty Pennington has graced TV screens for over two decades, becoming a popular carpenter, designer, and TV host. However, Pennington had been out of the spotlight for five years, so where is he now?
After battling some personal issues and regaining his footing, Pennington has returned to television with a new show. He is now a part of the HGTV family.
Pennington took to Instagram to announce his new show on HGTV, which is called Ty Breaker. The show premiered on January 11.
Ty Breaker follows families who need help deciding between redesigning their current home or finding a new one they can renovate. On each episode, Pennington is joined by other HGTV stars. Windy City Rehab’s Alison Victoria, The High Low Project’s Sabrina Soto, or One of a Kind’s Grace Mitchell lend their expertise and fame.
Pennington’s role is to persuade the families to stay in their current home. While one of the other HGTV stars is supposed to convince the family to move on to a better home, they can make their own. It sounds a lot like Love it or List it, right?
Pennington has also joined the second season of HGTV’s Rock the Block.
Pennington Struggled with Addiction
On TV, Pennington brought enthusiasm and a bright smile, but he struggled in his personal life.
According to People, on May 5, 2007, the carpenter was arrested in the Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, CA. He was stopped for driving while under the influence. Pennington’s blood-alcohol level was .14 percent. The state’s legal limit was .08.
Per a Cleveland 19 news report, Pennington released a statement through his publicist apologizing for his poor judgment.
We all make mistakes, however this is about accountability. Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving. I could have jeopardized the lives of others and I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone. This was my wake-up call, I also want to apologize to my fans, ABC Television and my design team for my lapse in judgment and the embarrassment I have caused.
Pennington stepped out of the public eye after this incident, but it appears he has gotten himself together and is prepared to return to his on-screen career.
In a recent interview on the Tamron Hall Show, Pennington further explains his absence.
I worked every single day for almost ten years straight and it was the kind of job that you couldn’t say no. Changing peoples lives you don’t get that opportunity everyday. But that being said I was never home, my plants died, my cat left, my relationship sort of fell apart, so I also knew that it was sort of time to let’s just say get my soul back, get my personality back and spend time off of camera and sort of rebuild my life and you know to be the human that I am sometimes you have to do things off camera that also make you feel good about yourself. So I spent sometime you know working on me and also working on a house that I always wanted to design and build for my own family. So yeah you know sometimes things happen in life that may seem negative but can lead to a positive and I think sort of just stepping away for a bit has also been the most positive thing that’s ever happened to me.
Background on Pennington’s Career
Pennington’s on-screen debut occurred in 2000 with his role on TLC’s Trading Spaces. Neighbors redecorated one room in each other’s home, with Pennington starring as one of the carpenters. Pennington appeared in a total of 38 episodes from 2000-2019. During that time, his role evolved from carpenter to designer.
One of Pennington’s most popular roles happened when he joined the reality series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Pennington was a part of the series from 2003-2012.
Pennington has seemingly put past issues behind him, is now ready to move forward with his new show Ty Breaker.
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