Daniel and Mandy Watson and their three children will benefit from having ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team working on their abode in Knoxville starting today.
A press release Tuesday says that five years ago, the Watsons"left their jobs and created The Restoration House of East Tennessee, a non-profit organization that provides single mothers with housing at a local apartment complex as well as the tools needed (mentoring, advocacy) to be confident, self-sufficient, and productive members of their community."
The "Extreme Makeover" team knocked on the family's home today and told them they will get extensive work done on her house.
"Makeover" host Ty Pennington said he's read notes on the family but said Monday he does not want to know too much about them in advance. "I like to get to know them when I visit," he said.
"I don't want to know all about them before then."
In other "Extreme" news from the Knoxville visit:
* Pennington considers his visit to Knoxville to be a reunion of sorts. Knoxville-based producer Leigh Seaman gave Pennington his start more than a decade ago on the reality show "Trading Spaces." Pennington and Seaman will catch up while he's in town.
"She told me the other day, 'I love you, Ty, but I'm hearing a little too much about you' " because of all the local media coverage of "Extreme Makeover."
To which he quipped to her: "(Heck) yeah, I'm coming to Knoxville!"
* Pennington will not be in Knoxville today when production begins on the episode. Actress Jenny McCarthy will be stepping in.
He wasn't sure why McCarthy was selected to be part of the shoot, but the former MTV star and best-selling author does have a daytime talk show on tap for 2013. Perhaps she's getting her feet wet for that career move by doing "Extreme."
Of McCarthy, Pennington said: "She's hilarious, exciting and fun."
Picking McCarthy to be part of the episode works well, Pennington said, because McCarthy is a single mother, too, and can understand those struggles.
"I think she has wanted to be part of the show for a while, and this allowed her to do that," he said.
* When Pennington does join the production on Monday for three days, he plans to go off his diet. He's got a taste for collard greens and wants some while he's hanging around Knoxville.
* Pennington will be working on two "Extreme Makeover" episodes at the same time. One is Knoxville while the other is in Texas, which will be the 200th episode of the show and, maybe, the last episode of the series.
Outside of doing "Extreme Makeover," he'll be a host on "The Revolution,"a new ABC daytime show that starts Monday. Fashion guru Tim Gunn is also one of the contributors.
Terry Morrow may be reached at 865-342-6445 or morrowt@knoxville.com.
© 2012, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 1
mnvol writes:
Looks like Morrow was punked. He stated in this morning's print edition of the KNS that last night ABC revealed to him that the winner would be a single mom, but that he couldn't reveal any details before 10:00 a.m. this morning. If that's the case, why was it printed in the paper for those of us who are up in time to read the paper before 10:00 a.m.?
Not only was in incredibly tasteless to reveal that information in this morning's print edition, but then his "sources" gave him the wrong information.
Looks like Morrow's attempt to impress us with his connections blew up in his face.
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