Rock The Block Host Ty Pennington Defends Himself against Harsh Criticism

Fans of twin sisters Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis are elated following their triumphant victory on the season 5 finale of “Rock the Block,” broadcasted on April 15, 2024. However, a wave of discontent among other HGTV enthusiasts has surged in response to the outcome, with many expressing their frustrations on social media. Host Ty Pennington stepped in to quell the uproar, urging everyone to maintain composure.

Addressing one fan’s concerns on Instagram the morning after the finale, Pennington clarified his role, emphasizing that he was not involved in the judging process nor the selection of the winner. He underscored the importance of perspective, reminding viewers that ultimately, it’s just a television program.

Over a span of six weeks, four teams comprised of HGTV luminaries—each having previously graced the screens of “Rock The Block”—devoted themselves tirelessly to renovating adjacent beachfront residences in Treasure Island, Florida.

Other HGTV Stars Have Shared How Brutal Fan Reactions Have Become

Instances of HGTV personalities addressing the harshness of fan critiques on social media are not uncommon, with “Rock The Block” teams being no exception, whether it pertains to the competition or their individual shows.

On April 5, “Fixer to Fabulous” star Jenny Marrs took to Instagram, expressing her weariness with humanity after encountering a snide comment from a viewer regarding her faith. In a heartfelt response, Marrs questioned the motives behind passive-aggressive remarks meant to incite conflict, lamenting the tendency to share opinions not out of love but out of malice from behind a screen.

Additionally, Marrs revealed in her Stories that she had reached out to Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis, recognizing the likelihood of them facing unkind comments from viewers of “Rock The Block,” a show on which Marrs and her husband Dave Marrs had teamed up during the third season.

In a message to the sisters, Marrs conveyed her concern for their well-being amidst the onslaught of negativity: “Mental health check-in 🤪…Hope you’re both holding up. Love you two!!!”

Reflecting on the need for such check-ins, Marrs emphasized the toll that public scrutiny can take, especially considering the editing liberties taken to enhance television drama.

Similarly, on April 2, “Home Town” stars Erin and Ben Napier urged their fans to exercise empathy when sharing feedback online. They highlighted the impact of “rude” and “ugly” comments about the houses they renovate on the homeowners themselves, emphasizing that these spaces are designed for real people to inhabit.

Erin emphasized in a video post, “Y’all realize we design these houses for people who really live in them… You’re not hurting my feelings at all. But you are being really ugly to the people who are living in these houses.”

 

Branded as the “redemption” season, all competing teams, including “Renovation Island” darlings Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, “Bargain Block” aficionados Evan Thomas and Keith Bynum, and the dynamic duo from “Fix My Flip,” Page Turner and Mitch Glew, were determined to demonstrate their prowess and clinch victory on the beloved show.

Following the playful declaration of the “Unsellable Houses” sisters as the “Queens of Treasure Island” by episode judge and “Property Brothers” luminary Jonathan Scott, disgruntled fans swiftly inundated social media platforms with their reactions. In a bid to shed light on the level of criticism directed towards him and his fellow HGTV personalities, Pennington chose to spotlight one of the initial comments on his social media feed, urging fans to exercise restraint in their expressions.

Ty Pennington Urges Fans to ‘Be Kind’ in Their ‘Rock The Block’ Feedback

During the finale, Scott was visibly impressed by the stunning transformations of the beachfront properties, dubbing the season as “the most exciting block of them all.” However, in determining the winning team, the projected increase in the value of their renovations played a pivotal role. Davis and Lamb achieved a remarkable feat by elevating their home’s value by $600,000, as reported by HGTV.

The morning following the finale broadcast, Pennington shared a snapshot of himself and Scott exploring one of the homes on his social media. In the accompanying caption, he humorously implored Scott to steer clear of reading the comments: “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!”

In a subsequent slide, he unveiled a screenshot of a fan’s comment accusing him of censoring negative remarks about the “Rock The Block” homes and contestants.

“You must be removing a lot of comments with that garage sale finale win,” the comment read.

Maintaining composure, Pennington responded, refuting the claim: “Well, that’s not very nice to say, but no, I’m not deleting comments. I was not the judge and had no part in picking the winner. I’m just the host, and I thought all the houses were incredible.”

Further elaborating, Pennington underscored the importance of respectful discourse: “Unless someone says something offensive, people are allowed to comment and have their opinions. Please remember it’s just a TV show at the end of the day. Try to be kind ✌️”

In the comments section of his post, Pennington engaged with fans’ feedback, offering consolation to those disheartened by the outcome.

For example, one individual expressed disappointment for Keith and Evan, feeling they were unfairly overlooked: “Love the twins but I just feel so disappointed for Keith and Evan because they were definitely robbed last time and they were robbed again this time.”

Pennington empathetically replied, acknowledging their talent and expressing his own desire for a fair outcome: “it stings for sure. Love those guys. I wish everyone could win. Honestly. I mean, everyone is so damn talented it’s a REALLY, really hard decision every year.”

The viewer persisted, injecting a touch of humor: “well really some seem easier than others. Lol.”

In a previous interview with Heavy, Pennington emphasized the subjectivity of art and design, acknowledging that disagreements are inevitable: “I mean, look, art is subjective. Everyone is going to have something that appeals to them and maybe not somebody else. So that’s why it is so interesting.”

Season 5 of “Rock the Block” has emerged as one of the most contentious seasons to date, with a significant portion of viewers passionately advocating for HGTV stars Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas to claim victory. Despite this fervent support, the win ultimately went to the twin sisters from “Unsellable Houses,” sparking widespread debate among fans.

More than 50% of the Viewers voted for Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas

According to a survey conducted on a Reddit forum, the majority of respondents expressed a preference for Keith and Evan’s house and design, indicating a clear divergence from the actual outcome of the show. Out of the 589 voters who participated in the survey, the breakdown of votes for each team was as follows:

– Keith and Evan: 299 votes (approximately 50.76% of total votes)
– Sarah and Bryan: 199 votes (approximately 33.79% of total votes)
– Lyndsay and Leslie: 69 votes (approximately 11.71% of total votes)
– Page and Mitch: 22 votes (approximately 3.73% of total votes)

These results underscore the significant disparity between viewer preferences and the official outcome of the competition. Despite the win by Lyndsay and Leslie, a substantial portion of the audience felt that Keith and Evan’s design deserved the top spot.