Tarek and Christina El Moussa no longer share a bed, a bubble bath or a home address.
But the former husband and wife will continue to share the small screen together for the foreseeable future.
In a piece of news both surprising and sensible, it has been confirmed that HGTV has picked up Flip or Flop for many more episodes…
… despite the fact that the hosts at the center of the series are no longer married.
Actually, it may be because the hosts at the center of the series are no longer married.
“Tarek and I have been working together for a long time and we look forward to continuing to work together on Flip or Flop,” Christina told People Magazine of the news.
Adds Tarek: “
From the beginning, HGTV has shown Christina and me tremendous support and we are excited to go out there and flip many more houses for Flip or Flop.”
For those keeping score at home (for some reason), HGTV is extending Season 7 to a total of 20 episodes; the network it not filming a new eighth season of the program at this time.
Christina and Tarek separated about a year ago.
They kept said separation quite, however, while continuing to toil away at their home buying and renovation show, which was the second most-watched series on HGTV in 2016.
Finally, toward the end of the year, the estranged couple was forced to issue a statement that acknowledged their status after word leaked that they had gotten into a monumental argument back in May.
To conclude this fight, Tarek grabbed a gun and stormed off into the woods.
Christina responded by calling the police. who eventually tracked her husband down and were told he was simply blowing off some steam with a hike; he took the weapon with him for protection from animals.
Since then, Tarek has filed for divorce and the reality star have said all the right things.
They’ve both repeated many times that the plan is to co-parent six-year old daughter Taylor and one-year one sold Brayden and that nothing matters more than the well-being of these kids.
But tabloid cover stories such as the one below have hinted at serious trouble beneath the surface.
Last we heard, Christina was angling for a new show without Tarek, as she’s conducted numerous interviews since the split and shared a number of revealing photos on Instagram.
She’s clearly been on a mission to make herself into a sympathetic figure/celebrity.
So… why would HGTV agree to more episodes of Flip or Flop with the El Moussas as host?
Because they’re legitimate stars now. D-List stars at best, but still much bigger names than they were previously.
Ratings have only gone up ever since the break-up was announced, with viewers likely tuning in each week to study and debate every interaction.
Yes, sex sells. But so does a lack of sex between two people who used to have sex and the tension that comes along with it.
Tarek is currently residing in Newport Beach and told People in March that he’s “adjusting” to splitting custody of daughter Taylor and Brayden “pretty much 50-50” with Christina.
“We had a talk and said, ‘We still want the kids to understand we’re a unit – that we’re still a family even if we’re not together,’” he said this spring.
Insiders have been saying, meanwhile, that Tarek has been pushing for an extended working relationship with Christina, if not even a reconciliation on a romantic level.
Flip or Flop premiered in 2013.
At the outset, the couple made a reported $ 10,000 per episode.
Over the past seven seasons, the series has become one of the network’s most popular, recently spawning spinoffs featuring house flipping experts working in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Nashville and Chicago.
“Tarek and Christina’s expertise and success flipping houses has made Flip or Flop an audience favorite on HGTV for many seasons,” says Allison Page, the general manager for U.S. programming and development for HGTV, Food Network and Travel Channel.
“The series is so successful because it shows how real estate and renovation savvy can lead to financial success.”
Following this new deal, Flip or Flop will run to the end of 2017.
