Hilarious host Retta is getting real about life on the road visiting “The Scariest Houses in America” for HGTV.
Season two of “Scariest House in America” is ushering in the spooky season on the network on Friday, September 19.
Retta recently sat in on the “Absolutely Not” podcast, where she told host, comedian Heather McMahan about spending the last four years on the road filming both “Scariest House in America” and “Ugliest House in America.”
The comedian admitted the rigors of traveling can be tough, but a few “must-haves” make the journey easier.
Retta’s Rider: Retta Reveals What She Needs In Her Trailer
Retta says the number one thing on her wish list is to be surrounded by nice people.
“Having done this job for the last four years, I don’t want to work with people that I don’t enjoy being around, so I put the kibosh on that pretty quickly,” she told Heather.
“First of all, we’re all out here in these streets struggling,” she laughed. “I was just shooting in Lubbock, Texas, in Phoenix and in Tucson. When you’re out there and the sweat is a-pouring, I need you to ‘be on board with getting this done!’ And I’ve had situations where I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, you’re just a PA. We are out here sweating. I’m gonna need you to get it faster.'”
Retta says she asks for a few things to be in the refrigerator in her trailer, no matter where they are. Those include turkey, Swiss cheese, pumpernickel bread, mayo, mustard, onions and lettuce.
Retta says she makes a turkey and Swiss on pumpernickel pretty much every day of filming. She pairs that with Fritos, Snapple tea, San Pellegrino soda water and Tate’s crispy chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. “I do not like a soft cookie,” she told Heather.
For snacks, she wants Club crackers and Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese.
Retta Wants to Be Surprised By Each House
Retta says she tries not to know anything about the house she’s about to see until she walks through the door. She even shields her eyes as they drive by the outside.
“They don’t tell me anything,” she revealed. “I don’t see anything…. I try to avoid seeing anything. Before I had my second knee replacement, they’ll tell me if there are stairs. Or he’ll tell me ‘they’re shy’ or ‘they talk a lot so I’m going to need you to go in there and put the kibosh on it.'”
Retta went on, “I have no say in who gets the reno, who gets on the show, like I have no say in any of it other than I usually name the house once I’ve walked through it. But that’s it.”
“Scariest House in America” scared up plenty of viewers last season, with more than 8.3 million people tuning in to its freshman season. And Retta’s responses to the stories of hauntings and hair-raising sights and sounds were unforgettable.
What to Know About Season 2 of ‘Scariest Houses In America’
A sneak peek from HGTV starts with an ominous voice asking, “Hello, Retta, do you still like scary houses?”
Retta replies with a quick “NOPE” and tosses her phone, but she’s not walking away- or running- from the fright fest just yet.
A press release about season two promises “This season, the frightening finds will include a former funeral home with a basement morgue, a house situated on a graveyard and a property that resembles a witch’s hat—all where spooky shadows lurk, lights flicker and strange noises abound.”
Though in the sneak peek, Retta does warn, “If anyone’s head spins around, this is the last episode that I’m doing.”
The September 19 premiere will feature eerie homes in the eastern U.S., including one that used to be a funeral home.
It also features a centuries-old, ghost-filled Maryland estate, a Georgia jail from the 1800s with its own unexplained soundtrack, and an historic haunted house in Connecticut with an attic straight out of central casting.
You can catch the season premiere of “Scariest Houses in America” premiering September 19 at 9:00p.m. ET.
