HGTV Fans Were Less Than Impressed With Gwyneth Paltrow's Celebrity IOU Episode
HGTV's "Celebrity IOU" has featured a varied catalog of celebrity guests throughout its many seasons. From Melissa McCarthy's fan-favorite family reno in Season 1 to the controversial Kardashian backyard makeover in Season 3, these high-profile guests and their projects have definitely been hit or miss for avid followers of the series.
Gwyneth Paltrow's July 2021 episode is a prime example of a controversial installment in the Property Brothers-hosted series. While some fans have deemed it one of the best "Celebrity IOU" guest appearances, others thought Paltrow's attitude came off as disingenuous and even questioned the scale of her chosen renovation. Rather than truly being about home improvement, the appearance seemed more like a vehicle for promoting Paltrow as a personality.
"Most of these celebrities come off fake as f**k," one Redditor commented on a thread about Paltrow's episode. "[They're] trying to come off as sincere and relatable [and] instead just look like a**holes." With the award-winning actor and Goop founder being such a controversial figure in the media, it's not surprising that her HGTV episode is equally as contentious.
Viewers took issue with how Paltrow was framed
Some HGTV viewers take issue with how "Celebrity IOU" portrays its featured stars, accusing the series of being a poor attempt at making these celebs appear more charitable and relatable than they actually are. This was a conversation that surrounded Gwyneth Paltrow's episode, especially as she repeatedly commented on the small size of her assistant, Kevin Keating's, condo.
"She is a multi-millionaire and she's telling everyone how small this is and that," one Reddit user wrote. "It made me sad because she has soooooo much in life, and there she is getting all excited in his small condo. It didn't feel right." The internet user went on to note that Keating, has been working for her for over ten years. A social media user on X, formerly known as Twitter, made a similar comment about the scale of Paltrow's chosen project.
"I'm sure money isn't an issue but then why only renovate three spaces and leave the rest of the house as is?" they questioned. This was a point of confusion for many "Celebrity IOU" fans, as only the living room, kitchen, and stair landing received a makeover. While the landing was updated with a powder room, viewers were left wondering if the house even came equipped with a bedroom and shower.
Fans of the show critiqued Paltrow's design choices
While several "Celebrity IOU" fans took issue with the size of Gwyneth Paltrow's bestie renovation, others pointed out that her makeover didn't exactly meet her assistant's tastes. At the beginning of the episode, Paltrow recognizes that Kevin Keating was likely attracted to the condo because of the Spanish-inspired exterior and its classic California vibes. However, she didn't choose to take the design in this direction, instead going for more contemporary.
"I actually cackled when she described her assistant's style as Mediterranean/Spanish and proceeded to give him the most bland black and white almost Scandinavian minimalist condo," one Redditor wrote. This same thing was observed in the comments section of a YouTube clip of the episode, with a user pointing out the modern styling of the renovation. "Gwyneth was generous to pay to redo Kevin's condo," they commented. "Unfortunately, it ended up 90% contemporary and 10% Spanish which Kevin wanted!"
.@JonathanScott & @MrDrewScott help @GwynethPaltrow surprise her long time assistant, Kevin with an elegant home makeover.
Celebrity IOU all new Mondays. Also available on StackTV. pic.twitter.com/FNZs7Q6xez
— HGTV Canada (@hgtvcanada) July 13, 2021
Though there were definitely some HGTV fans who were unhappy with Paltrow's episode of "Celebrity IOU," plenty of avid watchers enjoyed the celebrity appearance. Most importantly, Keating seemed genuinely happy with the renovation and moved by his friend's gesture.