Why Hilary Farr Decided To Say Goodbye To HGTV's Love It Or List It

HGTV star Hilary Farr announced her departure from her long-running series "Love It or List It" in December of 2023. While the Canadian-born designer served as co-host alongside David Visentin since the show's premiere in 2008, she revealed in a statement that she felt it was time to move on and explore new projects.

"'Love It or List It' has had such a true impact on so many lives, including mine," Farr said in a statement, "but now it's time for me to embrace new challenges that have come my way." Outside of the iconic series, the TV personality also hosts the HGTV show "Tough Love with Hilary Farr," with its second season premiering in September 2023.

While it's not entirely clear what Farr's post-"Love It or List It" future will look like, she did hint at some upcoming projects following the announcement of her departure. "The news is out!" she captioned an Instagram post about her exit. "Can't wait to share what's next — stay tuned! Love you all."

Farr is looking for new professional challenges

Throughout her run on "Love It or List It," Hilary Farr served as the show's designer, competing against her real estate-focused co-host David Visentin in trying to sway each client's next homeowning decision. In addition to sharing a public statement about her departure from the series, the style expert expanded on her reasons for leaving in an interview with People.

Ultimately, the HGTV star expressed that she's ready to explore new design challenges outside of the long-running show. "I realized that everything that I am as a woman, which is [that I] look for challenges, look for inspiration, look for new ideas, be excited about all the possibilities that are out there, had really needed to bloom and to find their way," Farr said. "I told everyone I'm done."

Besides these natural inclinations for something new, the interior designer expressed that she felt her creativity was stalling out on "Love It or List It." "I was in a rut. It's been so many years," she told the outlet. "You want to feel that every day is something different and special and grasp for those challenges. That's really what I think drives me, anyway."

The HGTV star is thankful for her 'Love It or List It' experiences

When announcing her decision to leave her long-running HGTV show, Hilary Farr expressed how thankful she is for her "Love It or List It" experiences, acknowledging that the show has meant a lot to both her and the fans who've been along for the ride. "It's been a wonderful 12 years," she said in her statement. "I'm so grateful to the network for their support and to my fans who have stayed loyal and true."

In her interview with People, the designer expanded on this thought. "I've given it so many years of my life. It's got me through hard times," she told the outlet, referencing her breast cancer journey and 2008 divorce. "It's got the audiences through hard times. It has evolved into a mainstay of people's lives and it's been incredibly gratifying. But now it's time for me to move on and meet new challenges."

Though we're saddened to see Farr depart from her iconic series, we can't wait to find out what the future has in store for her. In the meantime, we're also excited to see where "Love It or List It" will go from here.