HGTV Stars Who Were Arrested: Hosts Who Have Been Busted for DUI, Attempted Murder and More

Ty Pennington

The Rock the Block host was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge in Los Angeles in May 2007. At the time, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition star said in a statement through his rep, “I made an error in judgment. We all make mistakes, however this is about accountability.”

“Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving. I could have jeopardized the lives of others, and I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone. This was my wake-up call,” he continued. “I also want to apologize to my fans, ABC Television and my design team for my lapse in judgment and the embarrassment I have caused.”

Ty was charged with two misdemeanor counts: driving with a blood-alcohol level above the 0.08 percent limit and driving under the influence of alcohol. He pleaded no contest to the first count and the second was dismissed.

The Trading Spaces star received three years’ probation, had his driving privileges restricted for 90 days and had to participate in a 90-day alcohol program.

Ty has hosted HGTV’s renovation competition series Rock the Block since 2019.

Tarek El Moussa

The Flip or Flop alum revealed in his 2024 memoir, Flip Your Life, that he was arrested for attempted murder when he was 17 years old following a brutal brawl.

“During the free-for-all, an older guy — maybe 19 or 20 — stepped toward me and swung his bat. I tried to jump out of the way, but the bat connected, hard — hard enough to break my ribs,” he recalled.

“As a reaction, I dropped my arm and knocked the bat out of his hands. I grabbed the bat and hit him in the head. He dropped to the pavement and went unconscious,” Tarek wrote. He claimed more attackers ran toward him with crowbars, and that is when police arrived and “saved” his life.

“I can’t say for sure what happened next, but I must have blacked out. When I came to, I was sitting in the back of a police car, in handcuffs, charged with assault and battery, aggravated assault, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon,” The Flipping El Moussas star explained, adding, “Today I’m convinced that the police arrived at exactly the right moment. If I hadn’t been arrested, I would have been killed.”

Tarek spent a short time in juvenile detention before prosecutors determined he used the bat in self-defense and dropped the charges.

Alison Victoria

The interior designer and Windy City Rehab host was busted in Las Vegas for a December 30, 2007, speeding incident that resulted in several charges, Radar Online reported in April 2019.

A criminal complaint dated on March 26, 2008, and obtained by the outlet alleged that the then-26-year-old was behind the wheel of her 2005 Jaguar and had a blood alcohol level of .08 or more. She was charged with two misdemeanor counts of ​driving and/or being in actual physical control while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and speeding.

Alison pleaded not guilty to those charges but later took a guilty plea to a lesser charge of reckless driving. She received a suspended sentence of 30 days in jail and while she didn’t spend time behind bars, Alison had to pay fines, attend DUI school and perform 40 hours of community service, according to court paperwork viewed by Radar.

Charles Todd Hill

The Flip It to Win It host was sentenced to four years in jail and ordered to pay 11 victims nearly $10 million dollars in April 2024 after committing real estate and financial fraud.

Charles was indicted in November 2019, after an investigation by the Santa Clara, California, district attorney’s office showed that he had committed frauds against multiple victims. He was convicted by plea of grand theft on September 27, 2023, against all 11 victims “and admitted the aggravated white-collar enhancements. He was ordered to pay back restitution in the amount of $9,402,678.43 and serve 10 years on probation,” the D.A.’s office said in press release upon his sentencing.

The premise of Flip It to Win It involved purchasing dilapidated homes, renovating them and selling the homes for a profit. Instead, the D.A.’s office claimed Charles “spent millions on overbudget remodels, laundered profits, and pocketed millions in fraudulently obtained money.” The show aired for one season in 2013.

Christopher Dioone

Chrisopher appeared in HGTV pilot called Family Flip, but the show wasn’t picked up as a series.

He was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a minor at his Connecticut home in January 2018. Christopher was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child and released on $100,000 bond, E! News reported at the time.

HGTV told NBC Connecticut on, January 30, 2018, “The person you reference in your inquiry appeared in a pilot that premiered on our network more than 2 1/2 years ago. The pilot was not picked up for series and is no longer on our air.”

Christopher was found guilty in December 2019 of molesting a 10-year-old friend of his daughter during a sleepover at his house. He was sentenced to serve three years of a seven-year sentence in prison followed by 10 years of probation upon his release. The former TV host was also required to register as a sex offender upon leaving prison, The Day of New London reported.