John Cena, perhaps one of WWE’s most famous faces, was the mastermind behind HGTV’s newest hit series, “Junk or Jackpot?” Host Bobby Berk reveals exactly how Cena found inspiration.
How John Cena Created HGTV’s ‘Junk or Jackpot?’
While appearing on the “Chicks in the Office” podcast, Berk dished on the inspiration behind the new decluttering show.
“He was out at dinner one night with some friends, and they were talking about some of his crazy collections, and how he needed to get rid of some stuff because one of them had taken over too much space in his life and his house,” Berk told hosts Ria and Fran on the December 31 episode. “And then they started talking about some of his fans and their crazy collections that they have of his stuff. He’s like, ‘God, this would be a cute show.'”
Cena reportedly had Berk in mind to host his new show, which worked out because they share the same agency.
“[Cena] started talking to his team at [the talent agency] WME,” Berk recalled in an interview with Decider earlier that month. “I’m also with WME, and he was a fan of ‘Queer Eye,’ so he’s like, ‘I want Bobby to host it.’ … When John Cena asks you to host a show he’s created, you say yes.”
What Is HGTV’s ‘Junk or Jackpot?’
HGTV announced its newest decluttering series back in July, amid a slew of cancellations at the network.
“With a combination of humor, compassion and a celebration of the passionate collector in all of us, Bobby will support the homeowners through the process of sorting through, appraising and letting go of their stockpile, discovering the ‘found money’ along the way to achieving their dream makeover,” the network announced.
Berk spent years helping redesign home and work spaces for contestants on the hit Netflix series “Queer Eye,” before walking away after season 7.
“Obviously, I’m not a therapist. I’m a designer, even though in our field, we often make the joke that we’re not just designers, we’re marriage counselors,” Berk told The Los Angeles Times. “I wanted to come in and really bring back the joyous part of their collection.”
The show, which was filmed in Los Angeles, relies on the collectors to “foot the bill” for the decluttering and renovations.
Berk added, “I wanted to make sure we made budget-conscious decisions…You can do a thing like micro cement and you can completely change it for a minimal cost.”
