Ellen’s Design Challenge Makes Comeback on HGTV

Premiering on 18 January 2015, the new and second season will see 10 competitors sketch, design, and innovate to avoid elimination

Entertainment pioneer, Ellen DeGeneres (pictured centre), is set to return to HGTV with a second season of her furniture competition series, Ellen’s Design Challenge. Premiering on 18 January 2015, the upcoming series will showcase 10 competitors as they sketch, design, and innovate to avoid elimination.

They will be introduced on New Year’s Day via the one-hour Ellen’s Design Challenge: Meet the Cast special, and tasked with designing pieces for the green rooms on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. At the finale, the last one standing wins $100,000 courtesy of Wayfair, and will have their work featured in HGTV Magazine.

Each episode will feature creativity-inspiring challenges. Meanwhile, the contestants will be paired with an expert HGTV or DIY Network carpenter to assist with the tasks. They include Chip Wade, Matt Blashaw, Jeff Devlin, Matt Muenster, Karl Champley, Brooks Utley, Stephen Zimpel, and Ali Azhar.

Each contestant also will have access to a “build team” and a large workshop. The weekly rounds are set to be judged by Cliff Fong (pictured left), a 20-year interior designer and owner of the interior design firm, Matt Blacke, along with Christiane Lemieux (pictured right), Executive Creative Director of Wayfair. Special guest judges will join the panel each week.

They include Sean Yashar, Owner of interior design firm The Culture Creative; interior designer Peter Dunham; Wendy Goodman, Design Editor for New York Magazine; furniture and industrial designer Karim Rashid; and Adam Blackman, owner of furniture gallery Blackman Cruz.

The rest are Thomas Lavin, owner of Thomas Lavin home furnishings; Rodman Primack, Executive Director of Design Miami; and Mallery Roberts Morgan, LA correspondent for Architectural Digest France. The show is produced by DeGeneres’ production company, A Very Good Production, A. Smith & Co, and Telepictures.

Its executive producers are Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Kleeman of A Very Good Production as well as Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, Ian Mallahan, and Jonathan Singer of A. Smith & Co. More series information, a sneak peek video, the inside scoop from the carpenters, and behind-the-scenes photo gallery are available here.

“Ellen’s signature style and wit make her relatable and so much fun to watch on HGTV. Ellen’s Design Challenge lets fans see her like they never have before—expressing a personal passion for home and furniture design,” said Kathleen Finch, Chief Programming Officer of HGTV, Food Network, and Travel Channel.