Ty Pennington And His Wife Have A Bigger Age Gap Than We Thought

Home renovation expert Ty Pennington, star of shows like HGTV's "Rock the Block" and TLC's "Trading Spaces," sometimes seems like a big kid himself, just enjoying every adventure that comes his way. Therefore, it may not be surprising that he fell in love with a younger woman who's ready to match his ready-for-anything energy.

Pennington had known his future wife, social media manager Kellee Merrell, for several years, as they originally met through friends in 2010. They didn't start getting close, however, until just before the pandemic. The duo ended up falling in love throughout their time quarantining, and they married on November 27, 2021, when Pennington was 56 years old and Merrell was 33 years old, giving them a 23-year difference. "I have admired Kellee from afar for years. She's a beautiful person inside and out," Pennington told People after the two got engaged. "Luckily our paths finally crossed at the right time. It's one of those things where you just feel happy being around a person."

In 2022, HGTV star Ty Pennington looked back fondly on the day he and Kellee Merrell tied the knot. On the couple's first anniversary, he shared to Instagram a sweet video and a photo of them dancing together. "One year ago I made the best (and easiest) decision of my life! 10/10 recommend marrying your best friend," he wrote.

It's clear that Ty Pennington and Kellee Merrell have a lot of fun together, age difference notwithstanding. For Halloween one year, the couple dressed up together as Todd and Margo, the put-upon yuppie neighbors from the "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." They also enjoy taking care of the rescue dogs and traveling together to places like Aspen, Colorado.

Pennington also isn't afraid to share his feelings for Merrell on social media, as evidenced by a carousel of black-and-white photos featuring many photos he had taken of Merrell. "Life is so much better than I ever could have imagined with you," Pennington wrote as he marked Merrell's birthday in 2022.

While he may be more than two decades older than his wife, Pennington seems to be facing his own aging with a healthy attitude. "Listen, I know I'm no Brad Pitt. My skin might be hanging on by a thread and my hairline is receding faster than I'm mentally prepared for but you know what??! I feel pretty damn GOOD!" he captioned an Instagram photo showing him shirtless in a pool. "So cheers to getting older but definitely not wiser."