Scandals That Rocked HGTV Star Mike Holmes' Reputation

If there's one person you want to trust, it's the person fixing the roof over your head, and for years, Canadian HGTV star Mike Holmes was the best man for the job. The renovation king of Canada began his career when he went from handyman to television host after his big personality caught the eye of a television studio he was consulting for. Holmes would launch a fleet of HGTV shows, starting with "Holmes on Homes" in 2001, and become a beloved face on the network for the next 20 years. While he has weathered his fair share of tragedy, he has also been celebrated. In 2006, the Canadian House of Commons recognized Holmes for supporting skilled trades and helping improve building standards. And if that wasn't enough to make you trust him, in 2010, Reader's Digest named him one of the most trusted Canadians.

But with great trust comes great responsibility, and Holmes hasn't always lived up to his name. As his star has risen, he has been caught up in a number of scandals and scams that have rocked his otherwise sturdy reputation. While some of them border on the humorous or mundane, others are far more serious, with every instance ending with the sad story of people who looked up to Holmes being milked out of their hard-earned money. Holmes spoke out about the scams on his podcast, "Holmes on Homes," saying, "I'm not into doing these things. I'm into helping people. I'm into educating people. I'm sick and tired of seeing things like [these scams]." Still, some of the scandals make us wonder whether Holmes' motto of "Make It Right" is really a motto he lives by.

Mike Holmes has a big social media presence, with thousands of followers across his Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. While it has allowed fans to feel close to him, it has also become a fertile ground for casting call scams. In one instance that Holmes and his daughter, Sherry Holmes, discussed on their podcast, Holmes talked about a fake Facebook account that went by the name "Carl Wallace," which claimed to be a campaign manager for HGTV and a casting associate producer for fellow HGTV celebrities like the Property Brothers. The fake account then put out what appeared to be a call for applicants for one of Holmes' shows, asking for $50,000 upfront to do a $150,000 job to redo kitchens. The scammers would then try to get the money from Facebook applicants but never come through with any renovation.

Holmes was upset by the fake account pretending to use his fame and knowledge against him and made it known that he wasn't the only HGTV star affected. He said on his podcast, "They're doing it to the Property Brothers, they're doing it to Bryan Baeumler. These people are all of a sudden using my image and trying to get to you as a casting call, to get money out of you, that I'm gonna come and save your life." While Holmes has every right to be upset, his daughter Sherry admitted, "It is believable. You do put out casting calls online." This makes Holmes' use of social media a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps fans feel connected to him; on the other, it puts the burden on them to double-check if it's actually him or not.

Mike Holmes' word is supposed to be as solid as the homes he endorses, but that hasn't exactly held up — several properties he backed were allegedly found riddled with major defects and structural issues. In 2021, a lawsuit filed by Tarian — a government-backed agency whose role is to protect prospective home buyers — claimed the construction of several houses did not meet basic quality standards. The problem for Holmes' reputation was that TerraceWood, the name of the housing development, was supposedly "Holmes Approved," meaning that members of The Holmes Group had inspected and approved the construction. Shortly after moving in, residents of the new houses ran into a litany of issues, with some of the defective houses torn down, leaving many fans to wonder what happened to Holmes' good word.

As for Holmes, there has been much back and forth between his company and the actual builders, Third Line Homes, which Holmes had previously praised in a YouTube video. In the wake of the scandal, Holmes distanced himself from the project in a statement obtained by CBC, saying, "We do not deny we advertised our inspection services along with recommended material upgrades for the homes. ... If we are not contracted and given access to construction or construction information, we are unable to assist in verifying, or identifying any potential problems with, any installations. It's a real knock to Holmes' reputation, especially given that he proudly posted his thumbs-up approval of one of the houses in a photo on X, formerly Twitter.

Sometimes, Mike Holmes' scandals can even get a little intimate, with tricksters pretending to offer up Holmes' love and affection. On his podcast, Holmes talked about one particularly unnerving incident where someone pretended to be him in order to lure a woman into a relationship in exchange for money. Holmes said on his podcast that it grew into "somewhat of an intimate relationship," explaining: "He sent her videos of supposedly me, and said 'bad technology, I'm sorry,' because [the video] froze as he sent it." Holmes even found out that the con man went so far as to tell the woman that he loved her. Yikes!

The scandalous internet relationship culminated when the woman somehow found Holmes' address and showed up at his house to post a note on his door. A watchful neighbor called Holmes, who was then able to speak with the woman through his Ring doorbell camera. He said the woman appeared very nervous, and the first thing she asked him was, "Is this really you?" She then held up a picture that the con artist had sent her. Holmes had to let her down gently and say it was not, in fact, him, adding, "That day when she left my house, I'm quite confident that she still wasn't sure [if the relationship was real]." Let it be a lesson that while many may love Holmes' work and affable personality, it's always better to keep things professional and be a fan from a distance.

One of Mike Holmes' most annoying scandals was a persistent effort to make it seem like he was endorsing certain CBD oils. The fake ads proliferated on social media, with Holmes reposting a version of one on X with a statement saying, "I do NOT endorse CBD oil or CBD products. Scammers!!!" On his podcast, he spoke about how the widespread nature of the scam even resulted in people stopping him in the middle of the street to confront him about his supposed endorsement, saying, "I've had people stop me in the street: 'Do you really believe in the CBD oils? Because I bought it because of you ... And if you believe in it, I bought it.'"

To try to mitigate some of the damage to his reputation and the financial losses to his fans, Holmes put out a statement on Facebook, saying, "If you're second-guessing what I'm selling (whether it's CBD oil, performance-enhancing supplements, or something else that doesn't sound like me), odds are, it's not endorsed by me." However, Holmes admitted to there being some humorous irony to the situation, saying on his podcast that he actually does believe in some of the beneficial qualities of CBD oil, but added that, "I have never ever allowed them to use my face or told everyone about this." This might be a savvy business move, given that Holmes is worth more than you might think.

This scandal seemed perfectly crafted for 61-year-old Mike Holmes' demographic — that is, the shameless promotion and sale of erectile dysfunction pills. Holmes said on his podcast, "I supposedly claimed, 'Viagra's got nothing on this. Cialis has nothing on this.'" The scandal didn't just hurt Holmes' reputation but also got him in hot water with the real pharmaceutical companies trying to sell the actual performance-enhancing pills. Holmes told his daughter, "I got an email from Viagra that said 'cease and desist' to my company, and we laughed and sent it back and said this isn't us."

Despite the widespread nature of the scam, Holmes and Sherry were able to laugh about it, with Sherry noting the scammers' choice of product, saying, "I think that's being rude to you? Are they aging you a little bit?" Holmes played it off, saying, "Maybe I don't really worry about those things..." But what he did seem to be thinking about was his fans, who he hoped would do a little more of their own research before buying the bogus products. He appeared exasperated when he said, "I thought people would go to my website... And say, 'Mike, is this really you? Do you believe in this?' And we would answer you. But no, people they don't check." Maybe Holmes should remember that part of being one of the most trusted HGTV stars on TV means that fans feel like they shouldn't have to.