HGTV legend Scott McGillivray had one person in mind to be his co-host when he pitched his iconic show, “Renovation Resort.” Sadly, the powers that be had other plans.
Scott McGillivray’s Dream Co-Star
McGillivray sat down with Alison Victoria for the Thursday, May 7, episode of her “Pap Smear” podcast. The “Scott’s Own Vacation Home” star explained how his hope of starring alongside Victoria in his hit show “Renovation Resort” didn’t go as planned.
“I was a fan of yours immediately,” McGillivray said of meeting Victoria more than a decade ago. “You know, and it’s like our journeys just took us in two different paths. Like you started doing your shows. I kept doing my shows. We would see each other at events here and there, but we’re always being pulled in a million directions.”
He continued, “Then like five years ago, I was pitching a show to the network, and they’re like, ‘Who is the number one talent that you would put on this show with you?’ And I said, ‘Alison Victoria. 100 percent.”
McGillivray — who is currently starring on season 7 of “Rock the Block” — went on to show the “Windy City Rehab” star his pitch to HGTV. The image showed Victoria a mockup image of the two of them in front of the “Renovation Resort” logo.
“That was the pitch that went through the network,” he explained. “I picked you before Brian [Baeumler]. I pitched ‘Reno Resort’ with you. That’s from like five, six [years ago].”
Victoria joked, “You mean to tell me that we could have kicked Brian to the curb?”
“He would have been our guest judge,” McGillivray responded.
Why Alison Victoria Was Not Chosen for ‘Renovation Resort’
McGillvray and Baeumler went on to star in the hit HGTV series beginning in 2023. So why did Victoria not land the co-starring role?
“I didn’t send this to you because it was confidential,” he told the “Sin City Rehab” star. “So, I pitched it to the network. You know what it actually was? I pitched it to the network and they loved it. And then we pitched it as ‘Dirty Demo’. We called it.”
He continued, “‘Dirty Demo’ was the name of the show. And then they’re like, ‘Who’s the talent that’s going to be there with you?’ I’m like, ‘It has to be Allison. She’s the only one who’s got the credibility. Like, viewers want to hear from her. I think like her and I can bring like a double, you know, perspective.'”
According to McGillivray, the network loved the idea of a show with Victoria. However, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the plans.
“I had messaged you right at that point. I was like, ‘Hey, I hope you don’t mind. Like I’m pitching you on a show.’ And you were like, ‘Yeah, that would be great,'” McGillivray recalled.
While she did not end up landing the coveted guest starring role in the series, Victoria has appeared as a guest judge.
“I watched you on ‘Renovation Resort’. I come out, I’m guest judging. You have me. I don’t know much about it. I know the show,” she explained. “But I get out there, and I’m like asking questions, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, no, I own all the houses. Yeah, no, I do that.’ And I’m like, ‘This is… you’re brilliant.’ Because there’s so many people that don’t do that. There so much talent that just stays talent where I want more. You want more.”
