HGTV shows are basically interchangeable unless they feature hot twins or the hosts go through a highly-publicized separation that wouldn’t be out of place on Real Housewives of Atlanta. Today, I bring you news about the latter. Despite (or possibly because of) Tarek and Christina El Moussa’s scandalous split last year, Flip or Flop is set to film new episodes, and I, for one, am all about it. Watching exes interact after a divorce IRL is depressing. Watching them film a TV show while awkwardly dancing around the subject of their hella dramatic separation is entertainment.
If you forgot all the shit that went down in the El Moussa household last year, allow me to remind you. Back in May, Tarek booked it out of the couple’s Orange County house with a gun to wander the trails of a nearby state park for a few hours, like a totally rational and normal person. Meanwhile, Christina followed him into the yard crying, then called the police. Eventually, Tarek returned and claimed he took the gun to ward off mountain lions. Since police found five MORE guns in the house while they were waiting, this is clearly a man with a deep and abiding fear of wildcats.
Anyway, the couple separated not long afterward, and six months later, everyone found out when Tarek filed for divorce from Christina. A bajillion rumors began swirling around immediately, mostly claiming that Tarek was spying on Christina and Christina was having an affair with some older, grizzled contractor named Gary. It turns out she actually was dating that guy, but not until after Tarek moved out, so it wasn’t an entirely shitty move—but I gotta say, that’s a step down for someone as hot and rich as Christina. On the other hand, Tarek’s rebound wasn’t any better—he apparently had a fling with their 23-year-old nanny. So… healthy choices all around.
Everyone was worried about the fate of Flip or Flop after all this came out, natch, but it turns out we didn’t need to be. On Tuesday, Tarek posted on Instagram that the show is being renewed for 20 episodes “regardless of the circumstances.” Way to play it cool, bro.
So next time you’re nursing a hangover, you might actually catch some new Flip or Flop episodes between naps. Pro tip: Turn it into a game where you take a shot every time the schadenfreude becomes too much. You’ll be so wasted by the end your hangover won’t matter anymore.
