The 'Weird' Part Of HGTV Stardom For Jonathan Knight

Jonathan Knight became a teenage heartthrob as one-fifth of New Kids on the Block, experiencing fame during the boy band craze of the '80s and '90s. When the group reunited in 2008, releasing "The Block" and announcing plans to resume touring, they were celebrated by their long-time fans, known lovingly as blockheads. The Massachusetts native is most famous for NKOTB, but there's a notable portion of Jonathan Knight fans who only know him from his renovations.

The boyband heartthrob became an HGTV star in 2021 with the show "Farmhouse Fixer," taking his long-time passion of revitalizing historic homes to the TV screen. While Knight was destined for HGTV stardom long before his boy band days, the pop singer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the strangest part of his newfound reality star fame is the discrepancy between fans. "Now there are people who stop me in the airport that don't even know I'm in with New Kids," he said. "Now I'm 'That guy on HGTV.' It's weird!"

Jonathan Knight opened up about how strange it is to be recognized as an HGTV star and not a New Kids on the Block member, telling TV Insider that it's happened more than he expected. "My brother and I were flying somewhere maybe a month ago, and the ticket agent met us," he said. "I thought she was going to say, 'Hey, I know you from New Kids.' Instead, she goes, 'Hey, you're that guy from "Farmhouse Fixer."' My brother looked at me and just started laughing. It has opened up a whole new fanbase."

This doesn't mean that there isn't any overlap between blockheads and HGTV fans, as Knight has had clients that were also NKOTB enthusiasts. In an interview with UPI, the pop singer explained that one homeowner had hidden the fact that she was a staunch admirer until they began filming. "It was halfway through that she finally let on, so that was really funny," Knight said, explaining that she had been to several concerts and even had a picture with the HGTV star. 

He went on to explain that he's also been recognized in the past while selling flipped houses, describing the look that women would give him upon realization. While this unexpected aspect of HGTV fame might be weird for Knight, we're sure the New Kid will adjust to the new spotlight in now time.