Charlie Kawas decided to keep filming season 1 of “Botched Homes” after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. In a new interview, the HGTV star reflects on what motivated him to keep working throughout his cancer journey.
Charlie Kawas Reflects on the Response to His Cancer Journey
In an October 2026 interview with TV Insider, Kawas shared how fans have responded to his cancer diagnosis.
“There are many people out there who have gone through cancer, and they can relate,” he shared. “When you hear that someone has cancer, or had cancer, or is in remission, you have a soft spot in your heart for them because you know what they went through.”
Kawas continued, “Being someone that already went through it, when the viewers and social media found out that this was the case, that I had to go through chemotherapy while filming the show … We got a lot of positive feedback like, ‘God bless you.’ ‘Hope you get through this.’ ‘Glad you’re in remission. We love this show.’ ‘Can’t wait for you to get back in action.’ There’s so much positivity coming from this.”
With a big opportunity in an HGTV show, Kawas didn’t let the diagnosis derail what was in front of him, noting that his love of construction pushed him through.
“The fact that I got the opportunity to film a TV show doing what I love was huge,” he said. “Then I got hit with a curveball out of nowhere, being diagnosed with testicular cancer. We were all in shock. My family was in shock. I was in shock. The homeowners who hired me were in shock. The production company, too.”
The HGTV star noted, “It wasn’t something we expected. Everybody said, ‘Listen, we’re ready to pause it. Let’s stop. Your health is more important. Do what you need to do.”
Kawas felt a responsibility to continue with filming. “I had these homeowners who put trust in me, who were already scammed from the previous contractor,” he explained. “It was my responsibility to do it right and finish the project and get these people into a safe place.”
“Regardless, whether I had to go through the medical treatment or not, I still had to get these projects done,” he added. “When I had the opportunity to say, ‘It doesn’t make sense to stop filming. I still have to get through the jobs. I still have to get them done. We’re in the middle of filming a TV show. Let’s just include it. I have to get it done regardless. Let’s just keep it going exactly the way we have it.’ That’s what we did.”
HGTV Star Shared Hopeful Health Update
Kawas also discussed how he had to rely more on his crew to handle the hands-on work while he underwent treatment, despite being a “professional problem solver.
“The fact that I was in a chair hooked up to an IV five hours a day, five days a week, it was very difficult to solve some of these problems,” he shared. “I was in a lot of pain. I didn’t have much energy. I was sleeping a lot. I was getting the calls from the chair, and I was trying to problem-solve because you have to remember I’m the main guy.”
He noted that working through some of it “over the phone was very, very challenging.”
“There were times where I would do a week of chemo and build up the energy to be on the job the following Saturday and try and help, and try and get things done because we did have a timeline,” the HGTV star added. “You can’t just pause everything because I got sick, so I had to get there, and I had to get it done. I had to sit on a bucket a few times because I was dizzy or lightheaded or low energy.”
“I can’t believe it, but I still made it happen,” he said.
On September 22, Kawas took to Instagram to give a hopeful health update. “It’s been a long journey! It wasn’t easy, I fought through it, and did what I had to do,” he wrote in the caption.
The HGTV star continued, “The number one thing was not letting it get into my head. My wife held the fort down and gave me the support I needed. I had to keep going there was no other option. We got season one completed with very happy homeowners! Shout out to the medical staff, the crew and the production team that made it happen!”
“I’m thankful to say — I’m officially in remission!” Kawas announced. “The hair is starting to grow back and I’m gaining more and more energy each day that goes by. Strength is coming back slowly.”
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HGTV Star Opens Up About Filming Show Amid Cancer Battle: ‘I Was in a Lot of Pain’