NKOTB’s Jonathan Knight Reveals the “Driving Factors” Behind ‘Farmhouse Fixer’ Season 3 [Interview]

HGTV’s hit series, Farmhouse Fixer, is back for a third season. The show follows Jonathan Knight as he travels and restores old New England homes known as farmhouses. The majority of these houses are centuries old, with some being built prior to the Declaration of Independence. Jonathan has a passion for renovating these homes, and he is doing these projects on his own and sharing them via social media, and that’s when he attracted the attention of HGTV. When the series first premiered in 2021 and saw Jonathan and his designer work on a variety of unique old homes. With such an immense history attached to these houses, maintaining the integrity of the homes also preserves a piece of early American history. But preserving this history is not easy. Oftentimes, homes like these New England farmhouses are seen as more trouble than they’re worth. They’re expensive to fix, and problems quickly arise when new projects begin. That’s precisely why Jonathan does this work. Old houses have a bad reputation, which is a shame, because they are worth so much more than people realize.

Collider spoke with Farmhouse Fixer host Jonathan Knight about the importance of these homes, as well as why they’re worth saving and investing in. The series is important to Jonathan, who first rose to fame in the boy band New Kids on the Block, now known as NKOTB. In addition to the excitement around season three of Farmhouse Fixer, he also shared some news about NKOTB’s new upcoming tour.

Jonathan Knight Explores the Past and the Present On ‘Farmhouse Fixer’

Season 3 of Farmhouse Fixer includes a return to the very famous, to a very famous old home, the Proctor House. Jonathan and Kristina Crestin had already worked on the Proctor House in the past but returned to work on the other side of the house when a new issue arose.

The home was once owned by John Proctor, a major figure who was condemned and put to death during the Salem Witch Trials. His home was also a tavern for Salem, something the current owners are very aware of. A house as old as that is bound to have issues, spooky history or not, and yet, both the owners and Jonathan are determined to maintain its history. When asked about why he is so passionate about preserving these homes, Jonathan said, “It’s so easy to tear down an old house; it takes a special person [to fix one], and that has been really fun for me– meeting like-minded people that also own these houses and appreciate them.” Old houses have their charm, but they also have, on occasion, unwanted guests of the paranormal kind. When asked if he had any ghost stories, Jonathan said he’s a skeptic. He did say, “I mean, there were times when I was, we’d be working on the house, and I’d see all the subcontractors packing up and leave. And I’m looking at my clock, like, ‘Okay, I need to wrap up as well because I’m not going to be in this house alone.’ So, you know, if it happens, if [ghosts are] real, or if it’s just in my head, I don’t know, but I’m not going to find out.”

RELATED: Lisa Vanderpump Won’t Turn on Andy Cohen

He also shared an interesting fact about the differences between houses that are currently being built and how they compare to these old homes. He said, “These houses have been around for two to three hundred years, and you look at a new house that [are] built now. I think the life expectancy of a new house is 50 years before it starts crumbling. We don’t have the old-growth wood that’s going to stand the test of time.” In addition to having stronger wood, these homes also hold American history in their foundation. And this doesn’t just apply to famous homes like the Proctor House. These homes have their own character in addition to their personal histories. Jonathan does what he can to learn about these things. This story is tied to the homes that he renovates. He shared, “The history of old houses is really one of the driving factors of why I love this so much.” He added later, “I’m only here in this house as a steward for a short period of time. I just try to put myself in the past and think, why did this house evolve the way it did?” The story of these homes’ past helps Jonathan honor the potential future it would have, making Farmhouse Fixer not only a look into the past but a peek into how Americans have evolved since the days of old.

To learn more about the new season of Farmhouse Fixer, Jonathan’s “ghostly encounters,” as well as get some exciting NKOTB news, check out his full interview with Collider above. Farmhouse Fixer airs weekly on Tuesdays at 9 PM and 8 PM Central on HGTV and is available to stream on Max at the same time.Watch on Max