Good Bones Fans Reportedly Didn't Hold Back Their Disappointment When The HGTV Show Ended
HGTV has become a must-watch television for home renovation and interior design fans alike. With scores of different shows and hosts, there's truly something for everyone, which is one of the reasons why people can't stop watching HGTV. One of the channel's most popular shows, "Good Bones," garnered lots of popularity, which made it even harder for fans when it ended in 2023. Viewers were quick to blame the show's host, Mina Starsiak Hawk, for disappointing HGTV's fan base by ending the show.
"Good Bones" premiered in 2016 and followed mother-daughter duo Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen Laine as they renovated properties in Indianapolis. The show quickly became a fan favorite, not only because it delivered some of the most incredible home transformations on HGTV but also because of the family dynamic. Starsiak Hawk was open about her struggles and big life moments, like getting married and having her two children, giving viewers a reason to relate to her.
However, when it was announced that the show would end after its eighth season, fans quickly turned on the "Good Bones" star and shared their frustration at the show's cancellation, sending Starsiak Hawk unkind messages for months afterward. While the HGTV host knew it was the right time to end the show, the amount of disappointed viewers took its toll on her mental health.
Starsiak received backlash for the end of the show
The end of "Good Bones" was a difficult decision for all parties involved, but the backlash that host Mina Starsiak Hawk endured was especially hard. In a March 2024 episode of her podcast "Mina AF," she explained the significance of the show's end and why it meant so much to fans.
"When it ended, it wasn't just letting down the people on the show and the production team that was making the show and had jobs, and my family who was getting paid to be on the show," she said. "It was letting down this whole world of HGTV women, and they all told me that I did and that they were very upset about it."
Starsiak Hawk continued that she usually doesn't let public opinion affect her or her mental health, but after months of being blamed for the cancellation of "Good Bones," it started to wear on her. Despite the fans' reaction, the HGTV host knew it was time for the series to end, as most of the original employees were no longer working for her. She explained on her podcast, "They were all just there having fun, which was lovely, and it was just too much to keep going."
Starsiak struggled with her family behind-the-scenes
While Mina Starsiak Hawk dealt with the fans' disappointment at the "Good Bones" cancellation, the events that led to the show ending were also difficult for the HGTV host. Even though fans resonated with her vulnerability by sharing her life on the show, the feud between Starsiak Hawk and her mom, Karen Laine, was kept off-screen during the filming of the last season.
"There were definitely some challenging [moments] because my mom and I were in some of the most challenging places I felt we've been," Starsiak Hawk told People, admitting that she and her mom even had a pretty aggressive fight while filming for season eight of the show.
Despite her struggles with her family on the show, the "Good Bones" host was grateful that they were able to come together at the end and finish out the season. She shared her thoughts in an August 2023 episode of "Mina AF," saying, "We created this weird, big dysfunctional family that just came to an end today, and it's so weird because with family you don't, like, end that relationship really, no matter how dysfunctional it gets."