'Secret Celebrity Renovation' Features Stars Like Max Thieriot — Do They Pay for the Refurbs?

Cheers to star power! CBS's Secret Celebrity Renovation is back for a third season and promises hours of feel-good entertainment. The series sheds light on the power of altruism. For each episode, a celeb sets out to redecorate a home or property owned by their relatives, mentors, or people close to them.

But who pays for the renovation works? Here's what we know...

CBS's website description of the show shares that "celebrities in sports, music and entertainment" are given "the chance to gift a surprise home renovation to a meaningful person who helped guide them to success." So, while we don't know for sure, it seems safe to assume that the celebs in question are likely footing the bill.

Keep in mind, similar debates have emerged in the past in conjunction with HGTV shows like Celebrity IOU, which has seen Drew and Jonathan Scott (of Property Brothers fame) team up with stars like Brad Pitt and Kim Kardashian.

At one point, there was some talk that Brad might have paid for the home renovation gifted to his makeup artist of 30 years, Jean Ann Black. It's uncertain how much truth there is to the theory, however.

According to The Cinemaholic, Drew and Jonathan contributed toward some renovations captured on their shows in the past. It's unknown if they were willing to do so in the case of Celebrity IOU.

What's more, HGTV and CBS likely operate with a different funding model.

Broadly speaking, the network that puts in an order for a show likely has to allocate a budget for the production. We have some information on how much HGTV stars like Christina Haack get paid per episode. It's unknown how each episode of Secret Celebrity Renovation was financed, however.

It's possible that Nischelle Turner, the host and producer of Secret Celebrity Renovation, worked in collaboration with the executive producers, Peter Devita, Lewis Fenton, and Robert Horowitz, to figure out the financial aspects of the show.

It's uncertain where the money exactly comes from, but one thing is for sure: Secret Celebrity Renovation puts into the focal point the relationships celebrities had with their close friends and loved ones at the beginning of their careers.

It's no secret that excitement is in overdrive with Season 3 of Secret Celebrity Renovation. In a August 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Nischelle shared that the show took things up a notch for the new season.

"We really have gone above and beyond," Nischelle told the site. "We've got our first international show, we've got our first conservatory."

Nischelle went on to praise actor Max Theiriot, notably on the cast of Fire Country, who appears on Season 3 to surprise Josh, his childhood best friend and firefighter with a renovation of a lifetime.

"He plays some of the roughest characters on television, but he's got a heart of gold,"

Aside from Max, Season 3 will feature an eclectic mix of celebrities that includes actor JB Smoove, NFL star Damar Hamlin, actor Niecy Nash, Betts, singer Elle King, and plenty more.

Catch new episodes of Secret Celebrity Renovation on Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.