Ben Napier Cracks Us Up Explaining His Shoulder Injury On Home Town's Season Premiere
It's been a minute since we've seen Erin and Ben Napier transforming gorgeous Laurel, Mississippi residences on HGTV's "Home Town." Season 7 premiered in December 2022, but fans only saw half the episodes they filmed. The remaining ones of the season will finally grace our screens in January 2024. Erin shared on her Instagram, "You've waited so patiently [...] and we are BACK. The new season of #HGTVHomeTown premieres Sunday, January 7 at 8/7 ct."
During the wait, Ben faced some forced downtime due to shoulder surgery. In March 2023, the skilled woodworker underwent a procedure to shave off a bone spur, remove excess cartilage, and repair his rotator cuff. Fans were kept abreast of his recovery thanks to Erin's social media. But in the latest installment of "Home Town," we'll get a closer look at how the ordeal really affected the Napiers. Shoulder surgery is a big deal for anyone, but for someone like Ben, whose work involves a lot of physical labor, it was a major setback.
Fortunately, the "Home Town" host took it all in stride. During the premiere, he was only days away from the operation, revealing, "I hurt my shoulder, but it's not a very good story. So I want to make up a really good story." Throughout the episode, fans are treated to various tales of how he injured himself — and we have no idea how Erin manages to keep a straight face during his heroic retellings, which include bear attacks, wrestling matches, and more.
Erin had Ben's back
When they meet their clients at a local skatepark, Ben Napier takes his first crack at crafting an impressive story behind his shoulder injury. Erin Napier informs them that she wasn't a stranger to skate ramps in high school, and Ben pipes up that it was actually a skateboarding injury that caused his shoulder issue. The clients don't seem totally convinced by his story, so later, the Scotsman Woodshop owner formulates another plan. "Fighting a bull in Tijuana?" he offers up. Creating a believable tale was the least of the couple's worries, though, because it was soon time for demolition day, and Ben was on strict orders not to worsen his injury.
Fortunately, the Napiers brought in a special guest to help with their project, especially because Ben's surgery took place only a few days into the reno. Though he divulged the real reason to the closest members of his team, he couldn't resist spinning a few more tales. "This weird wrestling match in Peru," Ben claimed to two members of the crew. And later, "We were camping with the girls [...] and a bear attacked, and I fought the bear off to protect my family."
Though we can't see Ben being part of a fight club south of the equator (the Napiers' rare vacation photo was from Maine), the dad of two fending off a bear is slightly more believable. The entire time, his loving and supportive wife just nodded along and let Ben have his fun.
Ben's road to recovery is long
Post-surgery, it was plain to see that Ben Napier was feeling a little left out. The other half of the "Home Town" power couple, Erin Napier, took on the role of nurse for a bit. She posted a sweet photo of Ben on the couch with a pile of stuffed animals as he was about to receive a bouquet of dandelions and an adorable note from their daughter, Helen. It was likely the first rest he had taken in a while because, before surgery, Ben had been on a weight loss journey.
Erin shared an Instagram reel in July 2023 informing fans that her handsome husband spent much of the winter in the gym and "got hardcore about his health and fitness [...] ahead of his big shoulder surgery that was in March so he could sleep better on his back and lower his BP." Now, post-operation, Erin confirmed that her husband is back at it again, trying to rehab his shoulder and get back into good health.
As is clear in the "Home Town" season premiere, Ben isn't about to let a rotator cuff repair keep him from what he loves most. The woodworker was back on the job site as soon as he could get off the couch. Though Ben couldn't help install countertops or move furniture, he was more than happy to tackle small jobs whenever possible — even if that meant being relegated to water boy.