Erin and Ben Napier are among HGTV’s most cherished stars. As the faces of Home Town, they’ve become fan favorites thanks to their down-to-earth charm and honest take on balancing marriage, parenting, and a busy work life. But even they admit there are some quirks in their relationship. “We have a weird relationship — at least, that’s what people tell us,” Ben told Qolture back in 2018.
One of those quirks? Their highly structured daily routine, which starts bright and early at 4:30 a.m. “I have every minute planned and scheduled until 8:30 or 9 p.m., whenever we get Helen in bed,” Ben shared in a 2021 interview with People, referring to their eldest daughter.
Erin added, “We’re just trying to find our rhythm. We had a rhythm as a family of three, and now we’re a family of four,” explaining why their schedule leaves little room for flexibility.
And that tightly packed routine is just one of the unique things that makes their marriage so fascinating.
Erin Napier once dated a guy because he looked like Ben Napier
Having a crush on your partner before (and hopefully during) your relationship? That’s adorable. Dating someone because they resemble your crush? That’s… a little unconventional.
In a candid 2023 Instagram post, Erin Napier revealed she was casually seeing someone else when she first met Ben — and the guy, oddly enough, looked just like him. “On the day we met, I was sort of dating a guy I worked with at the hospital pharmacy — let’s call him Charlie,” she wrote. “And I was dating him because he looked a little bit like Ben Napier, this guy I had a crush on.”
Even while she was spending time with Charlie, Erin admitted she was already texting Ben.
While Erin’s love story with Ben ended up being the real deal, it’s a good reminder that dating someone just because they resemble your crush probably isn’t the healthiest approach. A relationship should be based on genuine connection—not just physical resemblance to someone else you’d rather be with.
They only dated for six days before deciding they’d get married
Most couples spend the first week of dating deciding whether there’s enough chemistry for a second date—but for Ben and Erin Napier, that first week was all it took to decide they were meant to be.
In a nostalgic Instagram post, Erin looked back on the whirlwind week they met in 2004: “December 8, we took the yearbook photos. December 9, we went on our first date and he met my mama. December 10, we looked at the Christmas lights in Mason Park. December 13, we decided we would get married someday.”
Ben echoed the intensity of their connection in a 2018 interview with Qolture, saying, “Six days after meeting her, I knew I was in love and told her I was going to marry her. Luckily, she felt the same way.”
The two met in college—Ben was 21, Erin was 19—and the spark was instant. In a 2023 Instagram post, Erin shared how strong her feelings were from the start. While working on the yearbook together, she suddenly felt the urge to kiss him. “I denied it, obviously, because you can’t fall in love and kiss someone 12 hours after meeting them, can you?” she wrote.
Ben would officially propose three years later, but their hearts were committed from the start.
While their love story is undeniably romantic, it’s not exactly the norm. Experts caution against falling too hard, too fast. Licensed marriage and family therapist Hannah Reeves told Women.com that while dramatic declarations of love might feel like a rom-com moment, they can also be early red flags. “I often remind clients, especially in the early stages, that those sweeping statements may signal infatuation more than lasting connection,” she said.
Still, for Ben and Erin, love at first sight turned out to be the real deal.
Erin and Ben Napier’s kids ‘act out’ when they’re not together
Every family has its own rhythm when it comes to parenting, and for Ben and Erin Napier, that rhythm involves being together almost all the time—even at work. But as much as they value their close-knit dynamic, they admit it’s had some unintended effects on their daughters.
“This definitely isn’t the norm for most couples,” Ben shared in a 2024 interview with TV Insider. “It might even seem strange. I’m sure a psychiatrist would have a field day with it, but our girls don’t behave the same when it’s just one of us. They act out,” he admitted, explaining that their daughters are so used to having both parents around, they struggle when only one is present.
Even couples who both work from home often divide parenting duties, but the Napiers’ all-in approach has created a unique challenge.
On the Dadville Podcast, Erin opened up further. “If just one of us is gone for even a couple of hours, the girls’ behavior shifts,” she said. “They really misbehave and become totally different. As long as Daddy’s there, they’re balanced and sweet.”
She added, “It’s a weird challenge I don’t think most families deal with. For us, if it’s just Mom or just Dad at home for even a day or two, everything kind of falls apart.”
They won’t travel for work without their kids
While many parents—especially those in the spotlight—often take work trips without their kids, Erin and Ben Napier take a very different approach. In their 2021 People feature, the Home Town stars shared that they’re committed to keeping their family together, no matter where work takes them—even with their oldest daughter, Helen, now in school.
“If we’re going on the road for Home Town Takeover or heading to New York for media, our family comes with us,” Ben explained. “We don’t compromise on family time.”
In a 2024 follow-up interview with People, the couple revealed they usually bring one of their mothers along on work trips to help care for the girls while they’re busy filming or attending events. “It gets trickier once your kids are in school, but they’re our top priority,” Erin said. “We love what we do and feel incredibly lucky, but we never want our daughters to grow up saying, ‘Mom and Dad were always gone.’”
To make it work, they even do schoolwork with their kids on the road—turning work trips into a family affair.
Erin and Ben built their identities around one another
It’s totally normal—and often healthy—for couples to enjoy spending a lot of time together. But Erin and Ben Napier take togetherness to another level, and they’ve openly acknowledged how deeply their relationship has shaped who they are.
“We’re together 24 hours a day because we feel like the strongest team that way,” Erin told Qolture. While constant closeness has been seen as a red flag in some celebrity relationships (like Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos), for the Napiers, it feels natural. “We’re in perfect conversation with each other—we communicate about every little detail of our lives,” Ben added.
Their incredibly close bond came up again in a conversation with Entertainment Tonight. “We’re never apart,” Erin said. “It’s the only way we know how to be grownups.” Ben agreed, adding, “We totally get that not everyone operates this way, but for us, it works. We’ve built our adult identities around each other.”
While their devotion to one another is sweet, it also raises questions about individuality. Experts warn that couples who become overly intertwined risk losing their sense of self. Licensed marriage and family therapist Samara Quintero explained to Psych Central, “Keeping up with what makes you feel balanced can help decrease the need to find a sense of well-being solely in your relationship.”
Maintaining personal hobbies, friendships, and boundaries can strengthen a partnership—ensuring both people continue growing as individuals while growing together.