HGTV Star Erin Napier Had To Face A Big Fear On Home Town

Erin Napier is a mom to two young girls, and on top of that she's an experienced home renovator, so it's safe to say she has probably seen her fair share of unpleasant things. But in the January 2024 season premiere of "Home Town," we learned that the Laurel, Mississippi resident has a bigger fear than orange '70s shag carpets or snotty noses. Erin and a crew member were removing shutters on a house when she came face to face with a lizard.

Pulling away the decorative wood, Erin anxiously asked, "What do we have behind this one?" before letting out a scream and quickly dashing off the porch, dropping the shutter in the process. "I hate lizards," she admitted. The offending amphibian, which couldn't have been more than six inches long, held firm in his former home on the side of the exterior wall while Erin took a minute to catch her breath out in the yard.

Several types of lizards (or skinks) reside in the state of Mississippi. Many are brown or green, like the one Erin found that changed once its environment was altered, and most are harmless. In fact, some of them eat pests like termites that can wreak havoc on homes, making them a welcome guest in some cases — unless you are Erin.

Recalling the event in a "Home Town" confessional with her husband Ben Napier, Erin Napier confessed that she is "horrified with lizards," lumping them into the same category as snakes and frogs. "This is my irrational fear, I get scared of a lizard and someone thinks 'Well, this is funny' and they get the lizard and try to put it on me and then I would ... die," Erin explains while Ben nods.

Fortunately, there were no more unpleasant surprises for Erin as she and the team worked hard to finish the remodel, especially without Ben's help. As previously shared on Instagram by Erin, the "Home Town" woodworker underwent a procedure for his shoulder injury in March 2023, which coincided with filming for the premiere. Resulting in him being at home and away from the job site for a few days. Thankfully, the Napiers were able to reach out to their relative and family friend, cousin Jim, to fill in for Ben.

Together, they tackled the home renovation plus Ben's recovery. Erin played nurse for a day or two and then called and checked in on her husband regularly once she was back to work. Jim went above and beyond, tackling heavy lifting and putting his measurement skills to the test, which was a bit of a struggle for the financial advisor turned home builder.

While lizards and other creepy crawlies are valid fears, especially in the southern United States, Erin Napier is afraid of something more frightening than a skink. Before becoming pregnant with her first daughter, the HGTV star faced ongoing health issues centering around her digestive system. Doctors finally discovered she had a perforated appendix that had been bursting and healing itself for years but ultimately needed to be removed. In an Instagram post in January 2022 recalling the anniversary of her diagnosis, Erin wrote that the incident "left some deep ruts in my neuro-pathways that have left me with an extreme fear and preoccupation with sickness, nausea in particular."

She went on to confess that the deep-seated fear produced panic attacks and anxiety. She said that after talking with her friend, who is a therapist, she was able to recognize these traits and connect them to her previous experience. If there is one thing the author isn't afraid of, though, it's being candid with her fans. "This is something you don't know about me, but I don't mind if you do. It's not bad or good, it's just part of my weird brain and I'm trying to untangle it every day, even as you may see happy news and posts from me," she revealed.

The mom of two definitely seems braver than she makes herself out to be, and we applaud her for her courage to be open and honest, especially on television and social media.