As season two of the HGTV series “Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy” premieres on July 19, 2026, one of the show’s stars wants fans to know that the way they’ve seen him on TV, as the strong and capable son of longtime HGTV star Mike Holmes, hasn’t always told the whole story.
Opening up about his struggles with severe anxiety, Michael Holmes Jr. wrote in a vulnerable post on July 18, “For years I thought I was handling it. I wasn’t. I was just really good at covering it up.”
Michael Holmes Jr. Wants Men Especially to Know That Mental Health Challenges Are ‘Real’
Michael, who turns 37 on July 25, and his sister, Sherry, have followed in their dad’s footsteps as trusted contractors; together, the Canadian trio helps families fix their problematic homes. The third season of their HGTV series “Holmes Family Rescue” aired in the summer of 2025, followed by the premiere of “Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy” last fall.
In the midst of juggling the family business, his TV career, and raising two kids with his wife of nine years, Lisa Marie, Michael has dealt with severe anxiety at times and wants his followers, especially men, to know there’s no shame in opening up and addressing their mental health challenges.
“I know that it can be, for whatever reason, a polarizing topic,” Michael said in his social media video. “Some people are like, ‘Toughen up, you don’t have mental health issues!’ Whatever. It’s real. Whether you address it or not, whether you suppress it or not, it’s real.”
Describing himself as “someone who used to suffer from a ton of anxiety,” Michael admitted, “I used to cope and cover my anxiety through really unhealthy habits … to quiet the voices, to quiet the anxiety in my head. That didn’t work.”
“And if you’re someone who’s avoiding the things that stress you out, don’t do that,” Michael advised. “I can say firsthand that the only way to deal with anxiety, the only way to deal with that stress, that mental angst, is to do the hard things, is to work out, is to challenge your body, is to do the things that are stressing you out.”
Michael Holmes Jr. Says Public Speaking Used to Give Him High Anxiety
HGTVAmong the things that used to trigger Michael’s anxiety was public speaking, which is an important skill as a TV star. He said in his video that it used to cause him “a ton of stress” but that his wife helped him “dial in and change my mindset, change my focus around that.”
Michael admitted that career goals and “other challenging things within my life” have also triggered his anxiety, noting, “The only way that I have progressed, that I have less anxiety today — and anxiety still exists some days — but the only way to overcome that is by doing the hard things.”
“So, if you’re out there, if you’re someone who is avoiding those hard things, don’t do (that),” Michael added. “You’re gonna end of suffering, causing yourself a whole lot more pain. Deal with the hard things. I promise you, they’re not that hard, and they’re a hell of a lot easier than torturing yourself with anxiety.”
“Anxiety doesn’t go away because you distract yourself from it,” the HGTV star wrote in the caption of his video. “It waits. The stuff that actually changed things for me wasn’t complicated. It was just uncomfortable. Facing the thing instead of numbing it.”
Darren Keefe, who co-starred on HGTV’s 2020 reboot of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” wrote in the comment section how much he appreciated Michael Jr.’s vulnerability.
He wrote, “Great wisdom. I’m 51. I still face crippling anxiety. Working out definitely quiets the demons. Outside of the gym, finding rhythm and consistency helps a ton. It’s still a journey. But I’m glad you’re speaking about it. As a man, it’s not always easy to admit struggle. But we have to.”
Michael responded, “100% brother. It’s definitely uncomfortable to talk about but I agree with you that we have to. I always find doing the thing that stresses me provides so much relief.”
Season two of “Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy” premieres on HGTV on July 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
