HGTV Dream Home Winner: Stephanie Dee
Well, I guess you all heard the bad news by now, but for those who didn’t–brace yourselves–contrary to expectations (mine), I did not win the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway. Shocking, I know. But at least someone who could really, really appreciate it did, right?
Well, the jury’s still out on that.
If you didn’t see the reaction of the winner, you have to watch this. I just wanted to shout, “Calm down! You’re getting yourself too worked up, Honey! Just take a deep breath!” To the host, that is. I thought she might hyperventilate. But the winner was already calm enough.
You have to wonder what winner Stephanie Dee thought Lauren Lake (host of “Spice Up My Kitchen“) was giving her. A knock in the head? The HGTV message boards have been lighting up with crazy speculation.
I’ve read that she was drunk, had been fighting with her husband, hadn’t really entered the contest and knew nothing about it, and–my favorite–had already been told what was going on but was expecting Joan Steffend from Decorating Cents to come through the door. She was so disappointed to see Lauren Lake burst into the house instead that she couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm (like you would care who gave you the keys to that house?).
Whatever the reason–she was camera shy, in shock, or already too rich to care about winning–this is the most awkward moment I think I can remember seeing on live TV in a long time.
If You’re Hooked on Home-Improvement Television:
March 21st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
What is with that woman? That’s all the enthusiasm she could muster? It was like the host had shown up at her door to sell her some insurance. Weird!
March 21st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I’m going to be honest and say it is too bad she didn’t win a new personality, because she needs that more than a dream house.That whole thing was so awkward to watch.
March 21st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I think everybody’s too used to seeing over-the-top reactions from guests on game shows and talk shows and Extreme Makeover. Don’t people realize *all* those reactions are fake? Those “guests” are cast by professional casting people, then producers coach them how to react and then practice with them over and over, pumping them up until they’re crazed with excitement. Heck, even Publisher’s Clearing House reenacts their “surprises”. What you see with this woman is true surprise - maybe even shock. I heard a few minutes later, after the live show was over, she started bawling as the emotion overtook her. You folks are just mean.
March 21st, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Wow! This woman is totally pissed that she won. What a reaction? Awkward.
March 21st, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Aw, tvwatcher, we just found it odd and a little amusing. This is a friendly site. We’re not trying to bash anyone. I’m sure she’s a perfectly nice person who was probably overwhelmed, but it was such an awkward moment we all witnessed that it’s hard not to talk about it.
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Strange reaction. She seemed angry and sad. Freaked us out to see it. Hopefully she’s happy with her family in her new home because there are a lot of people who entered who would have been thrilled.
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I think her reaction was legit–total shock. The intolerable part was indeed the host. I had to stop watching after the first minute, it was just too uncomfortable! Happy Easter Julie!
March 24th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Wow. That WAS awkward. Even if it was a “fake reaction” as someone suggested, was that the best take? Yikes.
March 25th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
How did I miss this? What a strange reaction. I had to stop it after a minute … I couldn’t stand the host or seeing the winner scratch her head any longer.
March 26th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Well… gezzzz! I’m glad I wasn’t the only one in disbelief over the reaction of the winner/winners when they learned of their good fortune. I think people frim the mid-west are a little subdued anyway, someone needs to teach them how to get excited! Watching this got on my nerves. The host was giving it all she had. She was trying to make up for the lack of enthusiasm! And the HEAD SCRATCHING… I hope there will be Head & Shoulders in the Dream Home! It made me itch just watching her! Maybe she had a huge staff infection that was causing her scalp to itch. I am always happy to see people win something, but you also like to see how excited they are too. Kind of makes me feel like… give it to someone who would appreciate it enough to seem greatfull. Ohio
March 27th, 2008 at 11:17 am
My take is that it was no surprise, that she had been tipped off and told to act surprised and delighted. Otherwise, how do you explain Lauren Lake just opening the door and going in??? This winner is so self conscious that she couldn’t bring herself to fake surprise. It was weird all right. So, now I know I don’t have to actually watch the damn giveaway show, that if I am the winner, I’ll know it in advance.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Lauren Lake is pretty much an idiot. I don’t watch her kitchen show because she lacks brains and the abiltity to connect with people. It shows in this interview as well. I hear she was a lawyer, I would not hire her to represent me. Lame personality very, very awkward tv moment.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
My mouth dropped to the floor when she was told the good news and acted as if she did not care. She scratched her head, didnt smile and seemed like she could care less. To me she is someone who is spoiled, has too much, and doesnt deserve any more then she has. She did NOT even know a name of her favorite shows to watch. She had to think about it and try to come up with a name. Then when her husband was asked about watching HGTV with her, he said he “When i have too” !!!!!! They just gave them a 2.2 million dollar house and then they are going to down HGTV? HELLO people! I hope they enjot thier house and thier children do not grow up as unhappy and miserable as they are! Sorry to be mean but for goodness sake be happy!!!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:55 am
CONGRATULATIONS to you, Stephanie and Your Beautiful Family! Your children are precious!!! Oh, I can’t imagine what this must have been like to have been the lucky winner of what all of us only DREAM OF!!! I would have been a wreck and a blithering nut case to have had the TV hostess and cameras come in from no where and put me on the spot. But it’s YOUR spot to revel in!!!! Way to go!!! You and your family seem SO down to earth and absolutely lovely. Enjoy this INCREDIBLE GIFT that came to YOU!!! All my best to you all!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
you are right - that was such a weird moment — so what are the dees doing now?
April 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Lauren Lake pretty much freaked me out from the get-go. I couldn’t understand why she had to be so loud and over-the-top. It was irritating. My husband asked if it wasn’t possible for them to make her leave! Guffaw!! Of course Stephanie is excited to win the house, but probably a little intimidated too. She’s going to have to sell it anyway.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I agree! I was never so disappointed to see such a seemingly ungrateful, unappreaciative itchy headed idiot win such a wonderful prize in my life!! I really do not think they should have given that wonderful home to her!! if she truly deserved it don’t you think she
could have said” WOW, LAUREN, THANK YOU AND HGTV SOOOO MUCH!I Poor Lauren, I guess she thought she had entered the
twilight zone. I just want to say I would have loved too have had that adorable Lauren Lake in my home in Tennessee. Maybe better luck next year and maybe hgtv should consider having runners up and interviewing the prospective winners before just handing over such a PRIZE to an absolute WEIRDO!!!!
June 8th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
She’s overwhelmed. She said it quite a few times and was crying but didn’t want it to show. I think once her family and friends came closer, she started to let her guard down.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:19 am
The body language doesn’t say hurray does it. She acts like this is a total intrusion. Or maybe the reality of two houses to clean has set in. I suspect a family fight was inprogress. or she was just mad that this woman just walked right into her house.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I totally agree with DMD. I does look like she was mad, and that constant flipping her hair back all the time, her husband didn’t even seem excited. I know if it was me, I’d be jumping up and down, I would be hugging Lauren, and thanking HGTV.
September 10th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
WEIRD! What’s with her?? OMG, she acted as if she couldn’t get over the fact that someone just walked into her house uninvited. Her husband wasn’t very enthusiastic either. Before the host walked in–I thought..oh-this is gonna be so amazing to see the looks/reactions on this family’s faces! But uh–no.. so boring. CRAZY STUFF.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Did this woman ever say thank you? Even if you were overwhelmed. wouldn’t that be like the very first thing you would say?? - but then she was okay when her friends were nearby, so the shock thing isn’t working for me. She acted mad - and really, so did her husband. I’m not crazy about Lauren either, but didn’t you just feel for her? It was like racing into a brick wall! They had to know she was coming - right? Lauren wouldn’t just walk into the house, would she? Sorry - just can’t get over this one . . .
October 29th, 2008 at 5:54 am
She of course sold the house back to the developer. Happened to be in Key Largo this past weekend and thanks to some local info, went to see it. It now sits behind a chain link gate. There were supposed to be several other houses in the development but none are started. It kinda sad to see it sitting empty. Original value is 2.2m. Don’t know what she sold it back for but it would be recorded in Monroe Country fl.
November 1st, 2008 at 10:11 pm
My kids and I couldn’t believe how unexcited she was. My kids were very upset that she didn’t at least pretend to be grateful. I guess there must of been a lot of things going through her mind…like how to I pay the taxes. Any idea as to how much money a winner of a dream house needs to come up with when they win a home? I wonder how much she finally ended up with when she sold the home back to the developer?
November 9th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I thought , my God, this woman doesn’t give a damn about winning this dream home that I have been trying to win for 10 of the past 11 years for my dear, wonderful husband who DESERVES IT SO SOOOOOOOO MUCH !!!! And I woulda been jumping up and down so hard the girls woulda bounced off the popcorn ceiling I’d've been soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo THRILLED !!!!!
This woman coulda give a s#!+ !!!!!!!!!!!! How awful for the host and all of us who wanted to win soooooooooo badly !!!!!!!
TOTALLY UNDESERVING !!!!!
December 1st, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Lauren Lake is weird! and she can’t design. If I have to see one more of her blue or green kitchens with cherry cabinets, granited coutner tops and wood floors..I will stab myself in the eye. EVERY one of her designs is the same. I stopped watching a long time ago.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:04 am
Do we know if she did sell it back to the developer? I was there two weekends ago and everything is overgrown in the developement. I had toured the site back in February of this year and was told all houses were sold but it looks like the developer might be in foreclosure with the developement.
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:22 am
You guys have to keep a straight perspective.
The reality is, YOU CAN’T KEEP IT.
HGTV pumps it up and makes everyone think you will live in the house. Listen to the ads. THEY MAKE MONEY ON YOUR LOSS.
They need to make a dream house at around 400 to 500 thousand so that a winner can ACTUALLY KEEP IT. HGTV does not expect you to keep it and know that unless you have a lot of money, YOU CAN’T KEEP IT.
MSNBC quotes HGTV spokeswoman Emily Yarborough as saying: “Our vision of the dream is that it enables you to do what you want to do.”
He ( winner Mr Cook ) said the electric bill on the dream home is more than 10 times what he currently pays.
( winner Mr. Cruz ) The contest’s 2005 winner, Don Cruz, moved from suburban Chicago to Tyler, Texas, to take possession of his dream home, a lakefront property valued at $1.5 million, plus furnishings. But taxes on his winnings are expected to total more than $650,000, and local officials slammed the door on Cruz’s plan to pay his bills by renting the boathouse and a master bedroom
HGTV spokeswoman Emily Yarborough emphasizes that the network still doesn’t expect winners to actually live in the Dream Home.
( 2004 winner Ms Nakao ) Ordinary people cannot keep a home like that,” she said from Sacramento, Calif., where she lives.
Mr Cruz states that he is not allowed to do anything to the property because you do not win the property, it is rented to you on a 30 year lease.
Monthly maintenance runs about $2500.
The intent is not for a winner to actually KEEP the house but to have to Sell it. WHy doesnt HGTV just hand you a check for the 2 million dollars and cut the BS????
Reality says you will be lucky to just sleep in the bed.
Try to win the contest but I would not be jumping up and down and screeming knowing the next day I need to find a realtor.
HGTV needs to get reality based.
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I don’t know Stephanie personally but I am from Solon and know others who do and it’s really ridiculous the amount of crap she’s had to take from this. There’s even websites saying her reaction is because she’s racist since Lauren is black. Firstly, she was confused and irritated because her friends wanted to have a party at her house for her birthday, which wasn’t for awhile yet and she had no idea why they were insisting on having it so early. Then either someone told her she won or she figured it out herself, but she was so nervous and emotional once she realized it that she didn’t know what to do. After they taped her reaction she was crying and everything, but she was too shy and embarrassed when the cameras were there. She was trying to keep a straight face so she wouldn’t be crying on TV. Not everyone jumps up and down and screams when they are happy. Lighten up people. Give the girl a break.
January 4th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Yes, it was very odd the way the 2008 winner acted. But, I am with HGTV realist (Jan.2 2009). Reality is, how many of us would be able to keep the house? I know people who live in the Keys and also in Calif. VERY expensive to own a home in these areas.
For the month of January it is fun to ‘dream’ and think how you would redecorate and etc, but try coming up with the tax money. How many of us can really quit our jobs and move our families to the dream home.
HGTV needs to take a survey on the income range the people have that enter their contest. Build a home that is less than 500,000. Or, cut cost by not putting so much knick knack’s in the home! My 1st thing I would do is have a garage sale and get rid of 3/4 of that crap! And, what is with the bright green paint in the master bedroom? HGTV needs to get rid of the interior designer. I love HGTV and watch it 6-7 times a week, but they do need to get down to reality on their ‘dream’ home.