Kortney Wilson and Kenny Brain are back for a brand new season of Making It Home With Kortney & Kenny, and to say we’re excited is an understatement. We can’t wait to see how these onscreen “siblings” change the lives of families across Nashville with their renovation and design expertise.
Ahead of the October 11 premiere on HGTV Canada, we caught up with Kortney and Kenny to find out what they’ve been up to in between seasons. Read on to learn more about how their friendship has blossomed since meeting each other for the first time last season, what they’ve each been up to, and what to expect when the show returns.
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Kortney Got Engaged
If you ever want advice on online dating, Kortney is your gal. She fell in love with the first person she ever met online (and went on a date with), and now they’re happily engaged!
“I was filming a lot in Canada, and I met somebody significant in my life,” she explained. “In between seasons, we actually got engaged. I truly had never really been on a date before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I met my first husband when I was so young. Now I realize just how fortunate I was to go on one date and meet, you know, this amazing man.”
Kenny Will Be in the Wedding Party
Kortney and Kenny have grown pretty close as a result of doing the show together, and in between seasons, they got even closer. So much so that Kortney has asked him to be in the wedding party as the flower man.
“Ryan and Kenny hang out without me. Kenny comes to the lake with us and some of the rest of the crew, we truly have a great relationship,” Kortney says. “It’s so nice to be in a relationship with my co-host that is so positive and uplifting and fun. It’s honestly been one of the biggest blessings.”
“You can call it a flower girl. I don’t care; flower boy, flower man, whatever,” Kenny says. “Kortney asked me while we were filming if I would do it. I almost burst into tears because I was so honoured to. I can’t wait to figure out my outfit. I’m going to have a choreographed dance, and it’s going to be so much fun.”
Kortney is Working on Setting the Date
Now that Kortney is engaged, fans wonder when the big day will be. Turns out she and Ryan have yet to set the date, but it’s definitely on this busy couple’s to-do list.
“This is Ryan’s first wedding—and only wedding, I hope. So we want to get it right,” she says. “Things are complicated by everybody being out of town. I have my chosen family and friends here, but all of his family and his friends are in Canada. We’re trying to navigate post-pandemic stuff and travel and whether we should get married here or at a destination. We’re all over the map right now, but we do plan on trying to figure this out, like, by the end of October.”
Kenny Went on a Trip With His Dad
Fans will get to know more about Kenny this season, including learning more about how he grew up. That’s because his dad will pop by the show for a special appearance.
“My dad and I went to Arizona right before we started filming. We spent a week there,” Kenny reveals. “He goes there every year on his motorcycle, it’s perfect for riding his Harley. But he came to Nashville twice. While we were filming, he drove his Harley through. On his way, he stayed for a couple of days, and he’s going to make an appearance in the show.”
Related: Making Your House a Home — 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Renovating
Kortney Said Goodbye to Her Home
Kortney made a big move between seasons, moving out of the home she raised her kids in and into one on a random piece of property she snatched up during the pandemic.
“I never intended on moving out of that house. Post-divorce I bought that house,” she reveals. “I put a lot of money into it and had renovated it with the intent of staying. And you know, life just had different plans. There were a series of things that happened in my life that made me realize moving was going to be good for the kids and I,” she continues.
“I was already building another house that I was not intending on moving into; I was just doing it for fun and to challenge myself. I bought the lot while I was in Canada, believe it or not, the same week I met Ryan, sight unseen. You can’t even make this stuff up.”
Kenny Also Made a Big Move
Kenny made a move of his own between seasons when he and his dog Molly packed up their Vancouver home and headed to Calgary.
“My sister’s here, I have family here, my nephews. And it just kind of makes sense,” he says of the decision. “It’s right next door, but the cost of living here is drastically cheaper than in Vancouver. It was also just voted one of the best cities to live in North America. So, when it comes down to spending a winter in gray rain or spending a winter in the beautiful sun? Calgary.”
Kortney is Travelling Again
Despite moving and getting engaged, Kortney and her kids have also been taking some time to travel in between seasons. She says she feels blessed to have filmed this new season of Making It Home With Kortney & Kenny in Nashville because she could stay in one place throughout the school year, but the travel bug is biting again.
“We’ve been planning a trip to Africa that we’re going to take in December,” she reveals.
Kenny Had a Random Injury
Kortney mentioned how Kenny visited her and Ryan at the lake. Well, as it turns out, one of the activities they did there was noodling (that sport where you wrestle a catfish with your bare hands).
“It is exhilarating. It is terrifying. It is one of the coolest things I’ve done,” Kenny gushes. “I’m not gonna lie. I kind of got thrown into it and didn’t know anything about it until we were on the boat getting ready to do it. In the moment, you’re just so caught up in it. It ended up being so much fun. I may or may not have broken something along the way.”
The host reveals we’ll see more about the injury on this season of the show because he had to go to work a couple of days later. “All of a sudden, I have a broken appendage, and it’s hard to hide something like that,” he explains.
Expect More Colour This Season
As anyone who has watched Kortney Wilson over the years knows, this girl loves colour. But, because she’s always approaching these designs from a realtor’s point of view, she always has resale in the back of her head. This season though, she promises things will be slightly more colourful.
“All of the houses are really different this year. We got white-on-white and neutral last season because design trends just trended that way over the last few years,” she says. “It’s pulling back to a little more colour now. So we had a handful of our homeowners this year willing to let us go for it.”
Kenny Will Be a Lot More Comfortable This Season
Last year was Kenny’s first time ever hosting a show, and he got thrown right into it—he and Kortney only met in person for the first time while filming. So naturally, he was a little intimidated. This year though, he says he comes into his own.
“To say I was nervous to start last season is an understatement. My legs were shaking when I first walked in,” he says. “This time around just feels like everybody took a collective breath. It’s just relaxed, and it’s fun, and it’s easy. It’s like coming home. This time around, this is just us. We’re being ourselves, having a laugh, having the best time, and just making some incredible projects.”
Don’t miss the season premiere of Making it Home With Kortney & Kenny Tuesday, October 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada. Also available on the Global TV App and on STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels and Rogers.
Read More: 10 Things You Need to Know About Kenny Brain
