In their seriesCelebrity IOU, the Property Brothers,Drew ScottandJonathan Scott,team up with celebrity guest starswho nominate someone in their life they feel is deserving of a surprise home renovation. In a recent episode, the twin brothers got the comedic actor,Joel McHale, to reveal his true colors and a softer side when surprising his “LA grandma,” Blanca, with a newly renovated space. McHale started the episode by sarcastically inquiring if this was the moment he was supposed to start crying, and then reiterated several times throughout the renovation process thathe wasn’t going to get emotional in front of the camera.
At one point, sitting with his arms crossed in his director’s chair,the caustic comic and family maneven quipped that although he knew the production wanted him to cry, he was refusing to do so, simply on the grounds that this “costs extra.“Although he tried to maintain his joking demeanor at all times throughout his time onCelebrity IOU, when it came to speaking about how meaningful Blanca and her daughter are to him and his family,McHale inevitably showedhis tender side on the home renovation series and did, in fact, cry.
Joel McHale Nominated His Deserving “LA Grandma” on ‘Celebrity IOU’
Blanca has worked with McHale’s family for more than 20 years, withtheScream 7actorproclaiming that her daughter, Nathalie, became like the daughter he and his wife had always wanted, since they have two sons with whom the young lady grew up. With the family integrating so closely with Blanca and her daughter, McHale wanted to help improve his housekeeper’s quality of life after the 71-year-old had suffered in recent years from back problems and surgeries. When asked what makes Blanca special, he joked that tolerating him was her special talent,before observing in a more candid moment that his housekeeper was actually “a blessing from God.“Such moments reveal how tender-hearted McHale feels towards his “LA grandma,” despite his continued proclamation that the Property Brothers wouldn’t catch him becoming sentimental during the episode.
Property Brothers ‘Celebrity IOU’ Just Gave Us the Series’ Most Emotional Moment
The Property Brothers are used to giving homeowners a second chance, but this episode brought the most tear-jerking moment yet.
When Blanca arrived to look over her newly renovated home, she started speaking about her love for McHale’s family. The sentimental moment wasn’t lost on McHale, and, without losing a beat, the actor quickly deadpanned to the camera, reiterating: “I’m not gonna cry.” Despite this promise,theAnimal Controlstardid get emotional as Blanca expressed joy looking over her new space,quickly swiping at his left eye as the camera moved away from his direction.
True to form, as soon as McHale told Blanca that he loved her, the actor deliberately undercut the tender moment by quickly joking that he wanted to be the first person to use her brand-new toilet as he boyishly darted from the room. Although the actor obviously likes to keep things light, his appearance onCelebrity IOUshowed his true depth by shining a light on his love for his “LA grandma.”
McHale’s ‘Celebrity IOU’ Appearance Was a Family Affair
In a conversation about McHale with producers, Nathalie was asked iftheMasked Singerpanelistis capable of being serious, and she explained that while he is, of course, capable of it, being too serious seems to bring up discomfort for the constant joker. Nathalie observed that if a topic of conversation turns too serious,McHale “kind of has to make it light.“This habit was on clear display throughout the episode, as the actor took every chance to turn a sentimental moment into an opportunity to joke around.
In a tender confessional interview, Nathalie explained thatMcHale was something of a father figure to her, having been the first man she witnessed being loving towards his children, setting the example that she now holds for her own future children. When Nathalie appeared on set with McHale and began to gush that she wasn’t surprised that he was being so generous with his time and effort for her mother, the actor appeared genuinely uncomfortable and went immediately back to installing the herring-bone pattern they had decided on for Blanca’s bedroom floor, muttering “enough of this” to himself. Despite his endless protests that he wouldn’t display any emotion in the series,by the end of the renovation it was abundantly clear how much Blanca and Nathalie mean to McHale and his family.
Celebrity IOUairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and streams on Max the next day.
Celebrity IOU
