7 Jaw-Dropping HGTV Scandals You Didn't See on Camera

The hook of the show is supposed to be whether the couple stays in the home Hilary has updated or moves into the new home David has found — but one couple wishes they had done neither. In 2016, homeowners who appeared on an episode of the show filmed in North Carolina sued Love It or List It's production company, Big Coat Productions, claiming they were "victims of shoddy work and unfair trade practices," according to Today.

In Fall of 2016, BuzzFeed published a much-criticized article exposing HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines as members of an Evangelical church whose pastor is against gay marriage. HGTV quickly came out to clarify that it doesn't discriminate and includes people of all sexual orientations on its shows. The Gaineses initially remained classy and tight-lipped, but Chip eventually shared a blog post that eloquently shifted the conversation.

Viewers of House Hunters were scandalized by a 2012 blog post in which a family featured on the show revealed that their episode was almost entirely fake. HGTV responded in the most hilarious way, by creating a spoof video making fun of the scandal.

Tarek El Moussa was young, active, and successful — so it was a shock when he was diagnosed with cancer. A viewer actually noticed the suspicious lump on the real estate pro's throat and reached out urging him to get the medical attention that caused him to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer (and, we later learned, testicular cancer). Tarek put on a brave face, but behind the scenes he had a rough road back to health.

Not only were the El Moussas dealing with Tarek's cancer off camera, but they were also facing complications in growing their family as a result of his treatment. Christina wound up going through several rounds of IVF and suffered a miscarriage before conceiving the couple's second child, son Brayden. She later revealed the details of Brayden's traumatic birth.

We were momentarily shocked to discover that the furniture seen in the reveal on Fixer Upper isn't actually included in the renovation budget. Homeowners, however, have the option of purchasing furniture pieces they love.

Given how many renovations the Property Brothers have done over the years on their multiple HGTV shows, it's not surprising that they would unearth some odd things every once in a while. But nothing could prepare us for what they revealed when appearing on NPR's beloved quiz show, Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me! "We've opened walls up to find the craziest, most disgusting things you can possibly imagine," shared Jonathan. "On the more pleasant side, I found an entire hidden antique Playboy collection. On the less attractive side, I've found petrified rats who had chewed through electrical and met their demise." Yuck!