Melissa McCarthy Surprises Her Aunt and Uncle With Home Renovation on "Celebrity IOU"
Last week, the Property Brothers' new show Celebrity IOU premiered with Brad Pitt joining Drew and Jonathan Scott to surprise his makeup artist with a stunning new guest house. In the latest episode, the brothers head to Chicago, where they meet actress Melissa McCarthy and help her with a special renovation project for her “heroes.”
"They're like two of the kindest people and they just don't put themselves first," McCarthy says of her aunt and uncle, Connie and Jim Perusich, both career police officers. McCarthy—along with her cousin Jenna Perusich (Connie and Jim's daughter)—wanted to give the couple a more up-to-date space. Not only that, but a space that's safe for Jim, who was paralyzed from the waist down on the job, but has since regained his ability to walk. To get them out of the house, the cousins convinced Jim and Connie to go away on a three week vacation to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.
For this project, McCarthy wanted to focus on the first floor of the home. The old-school grass green carpet, outdated furniture, and closed-off kitchen were no longer ideal for a couple who loves to entertain. The first floor barely offered any natural light and Connie loved to cook, but her small, detached kitchen always separated her from her guests. Not only that, but Jim had a den where he'd watch his sports game from his favorite recliner chair—a chair he often slept in due to his injury. The chair was worn out from use and didn't serve him as best as it could. The brothers were tasked with replacing the chair and creating the ultimate "man cave."
During the episode, McCarthy shows off her impressive sledgehammer skills. "I compulsively knock down houses," she says, proving that she's no stranger to demolition. Nor was Jenna—Drew even jokingly pegs them as the "construction cousins." After saying goodbye to the kitchen wall and opening up the space, the brothers take the lead on the project. They install all new windows and doors, including a sliding glass door in order to bring more light into the home. They also add hardwood floors to help Jim navigate more effortlessly. Finally, the brothers test out several recliner chairs until they find one equally as stylish as comfortable for the "man cave."
When Connie and Jim see their new digs, they're immediately emotional. "Are you kidding?" Connie says, almost tearing up sight of her new space. "Are we in the wrong house?" Jim asks. The couple marvels at their refurbished home, growing even more ecstatic when the brothers walk in. The show ends in Jim's new "man cave" as Jonathan puts a doo-wop tune on the new turn table station which he created for Jim and Jim asks his wife to dance. In the background, pictures from when the couple first met hang the wall—leave it to the Property Brothers to always add a personal touch.
Catch Celebrity IOU on HGTV on Mondays at 9 pm. Other celebrities to be featured this season include Viola Davis, Rebel Wilson, and Michael Bublé.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
