What You Don't Know About Lara Spencer

Another day, another HGTV series to put on your radar! While the network is known for bringing us some of our all-time favorite shows, like House Hunters, Property Brothers, Fixer Upper, and more, HGTV's latest series, Everything But The House, will premiere just in time to get you in the mood for some serious spring cleaning! Host Lara Spencer will help families clean out the clutter by going through every room in their home, and appraisers will help the families "cash in on hidden treasures hiding in plain sight" (via HGTV). The hidden gems found around the house will then be auctioned off for cash, and the families will start the newest chapter of their lives with a "clean slate," as well as some cold, hard cash.

And if you're wondering why exactly Lara Spencer looks so familiar, it's because you've likely seen her on your TV screen before! Read on to find out everything you need to know about Everything But The House host Lara Spencer.

Die hard HGTV fans may recognize Lara Spencer as the host of Flea Market Flip, but that's not the only gig she's had on the network. She also appeared in three episodes of A Very Brady Renovation in 2019 (via IMDb). "It is a dream project," Spencer told House Beautiful in a 2019 interview. "I grew up watching The Brady Bunch and I love all of that vintage design, so when they asked me to be a part of it, and specifically to be in charge of creating the vibe in the rooms with all the vintage accessories, I just thought it was a perfect fit."

Lara also opened up about the most exciting part of the renovation for her: designing Alice's bedroom! "Viewers didn't really get to see a lot of Alice's bedroom and you never saw her bathroom, but we imagined there was one and, in this house, there is one," she said. "It was really fun for me to give Alice the bathroom that we imagine she should have had after working all day for all those kids. We envisioned a room she could escape to."

Lara Spencer shared her top tips for flea market shopping in an interview with My Domaine, including what to do and not to do. "If you are like me and want to see all the good stuff, ask if the flea market has early shopping hours," she shared. "Sometimes you can pay a little extra to get in before the general public. That's how the big designers and antiques dealers do it!" If you can't make it until later in the day, though, Spencer says that not all hope is lost when it comes to possibly missing out on the best pieces. "If you can't get to a flea market until late morning or early afternoon, a lot of the really great finds might be sold, but it may still be worth the trip," she dished. "The last thing dealers want to do is load their trucks back up with their unsold stuff! They are there to sell and are often incredibly negotiable as it gets later in the day."

One thing she says not to do, however, is to not insult whoever is selling a piece you're interested in. "Don't insult flea market dealers by pointing out flaws in the piece you are interested in before offering a ridiculously low offer. I promise you, it will not go well if you do," she warned.

Lara Spencer is not only an accomplished TV host and flea market aficionado — she's also a talented writer, and has penned two books over the past decade. Her first book, I Brake for Yard Sales: and Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, Auctions, and the Occasional Dumpster, was released in 2012.

Her second book, Flea Market Fabulous: Designing Gorgeous Rooms with Vintage Treasures, hit shelves everywhere in 2014. Fans of Lara Spencer raved about her book and loved how it inspired them to tackle their own repurposing projects, with one Amazon reviewer writing, "Awesome book. I just started seeing things in a different light. I am turning a ugly bar stool into a wow stool. I took the back off, changed the seat padding and covering. Painted them a vibrate color all thanks to you and your team. I've brought several other pieces and am looking forward to refinishing them."

In 2019, Lara Spencer landed in some major hot water after the Good Morning America host openly laughed at the news that Prince William's son, Prince George — who was just six years old at the time — was doing ballet as part of his school's curriculum. "Prince William says George absolutely loves ballet," she said (via YouTube). "I have news for you, Prince William. We'll see how long that lasts." Her comment and subsequent behavior didn't sit right with viewers of the show, and many called her out for "bullying" and "mocking children."

"I thought you and your network care about inclusion instead of bullying. By dismissing a young boys love of ballet you are insinuating that there is something wrong or abnormal with his study," one YouTube user wrote in response to the segment, adding, "Would you be making fun of Princess Charlotte for wanting to become a scientist?"

Spencer apologized shortly after the backlash, saying, "I screwed up, I did. The comment I made about dance was insensitive. It was stupid and I am deeply sorry" (via New York Times).

One scroll through Lara Spencer's Instagram will show you that even though she's a busy mom of two who's always juggling multiple projects all the time, she always makes time for her special, four-legged family members, and is especially thankful to have them around during the pandemic we've been living through since 2020. On her very low-key Thanksgiving last year, Spencer posted a picture of her, her husband, and two of their dogs, writing, "A very different Thanksgiving than the usual 18 person beautiful mayhem. Miss you guys and wish all of you happiness and health today and always."

Spencer is also a huge advocate for adopting and rescuing animals, rather than purchasing them from breeders or pet stores. Most of her Instagram pics of her and her pups feature the hashtag #adoptdontshop, and her dogs have even been featured on episodes of Good Morning America in the past!

You can catch more of Lara Spencer on the premiere of her new HGTV series, Everything But The House, on March 19.