The Amazing Life Of Love It Or List It Star Hilary Farr

Hilary Farr (born Hilary Ladlow) has a been a staple on screens for years thanks to her part on the HGTV show “Love It or List It.” Designed as a sort of competition series between herself and realtor David Visentin, Farr displayed stunning design skills on limited budgets and layouts, working magic to convince families to love their homes instead of move to one of Visentin’s recommended properties. The show launched Farr and Visentin to stardom, but before, during, and after the series, Farr has lived an amazing life.

Farr was raised in London, displaying an early interest in creativity and expression through dance and acting. She even landed roles in a handful of films, including the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” She later pivoted her career to interior design and staging before trying out for “Love It or List It” on a whim at the behest of a friend and quickly becoming a household name. Her clipped accent gave the air of a no-nonsense person leading the way, which proved to be a reality off-screen as she navigated health issues and later made the shocking decision to leave “Love It or List It” to continue following her own path.

Hilary Farr, the daughter of a British mother and a Canadian father, was born in Toronto, Canada, though she grew up in London, England. Farr showed an early interest in the creative world, influenced in part by her mother (more on that later), but Farr’s aspirations were focused on becoming a ballerina from an early age rather than following in anyone else’s footsteps.

“I grew up wanting to be a ballet dancer. And I actually went to the Royal Ballet School in London,” Farr told eTalk in 2016. “And then around 11 years old, I just exploded and grew. And so then I went theater school, and that led to reparatory and theater, and so that really is how I started.” Although the growth spurt made her apparently ineligible to become a ballet dancer, Farr continued finding fulfilment in the entertainment world. (As a side note, fellow Brit Princess Diana also never fulfilled her dreams of becoming a ballerina for the same reason).

Many “Love It or List It” fans might not know that Hilary Farr has an unexpected musical past. She already had several acting roles to her name when she was granted a small part in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in 1975. Farr played the bride, Betty Munroe, in the opening scene of the cult musical, featuring the late Tim Curry. Curry actually lived above Farr’s family at the time the movie was in the works, which led her to meet “Rocky Horror Picture Show” creator Richard O’Brien as well, and they decided to include her in the film.

When Curry died at the age of 80 in 2026, Farr shared a sweet tribute to the actor on Instagram, as well as a photo of the building they lived in. “Tim had a piano in his apartment which was always full of theater friends — including me. I loved to sing. We all knew he was uniquely creative and brilliant. Richard O’Brien, who wrote ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was at the apartment often. One evening he decided he would create a ‘moment’ for me in the movie — Betty Munroe. Just like that! It was as fun as it looks. RIP Tim — thank you for sharing your talents with us all,” she wrote.

After transitioning from ballet, Hilary Farr built a decent acting career. She appeared on stage in the 1973 London production of “Grease” as Marty, alongside a young Richard Gere, who played the leading role of Danny Zucko, and much later a 1989 Broadway production of “Run for Your Wife.” Farr also acted in films like “Legend of the Werewolf” and “City on Fire,” as well as one-off episodes in shows like “The Greatest American Hero” and “Days of Our Lives” (here’s a handy guide for those looking to get started with “Days of Our Lives”).

At one point in her career, Farr moved to Los Angeles and worked as Ted Danson’s assistant while he was on “Cheers,” along with producer Arthur Cohn. Farr left LA in the ’90s to live in Toronto where she began her design career. But she didn’t entirely give up acting, returning to the stage in 2016 as Malignicent in a panto variation of “Sleeping Beauty” by Ross Petty. It was her first singing role since “Grease.” She told The Toronto Star, “I’ve chosen not to be in any way daunted, overwhelmed, worried, nervous or any of that. I just have to make it my own.” Farr added, “I grew up with panto; it’s an English tradition. But I think what’s different about this one is that it’s so completely over the top. It’s huge. It has nothing to do with reality and it’s fabulous.”

Hilary Farr never planned on a career in design, having shown an early interest in theater, ballet, and then later acting. But after several years in entertainment, Farr decided to move to Toronto, Canada, in 1994. It was there that she began her career in design by initially staging homes. “The first thing I noticed here was that the houses on the market, compared to the ones in LA, were extraordinarily interesting with lots of value. So, I started buying houses, fixing them, renovating them, and that led to a huge business in staging,” she told  Post City in 2012.

Design was always in Farr’s blood, though. She credits her mother as inspiration for her career shift, as well as for giving her an artistic eye. “My mother was a big influence: very creative, curious about different cultures, and a collector,” Farr told Modern Wellness. “She had a great eye for design, and wonderful flair.” The HGTV star recalled shopping for home decor with her mom and admiring how selecting new wallpaper or reupholstering furniture could transform a space.

Hilary Farr was well into her successful design career when the opportunity to join “Love It or List” came around. But Farr wasn’t interested at first, telling Post City, “Well, first I thought [auditioning] was the dumbest idea ever … [My friend] pushed for it, and I ended up getting [the job].” Farr credited her theater background with helping her land “Love It or List It,” telling Vulture in 2023, “I had my own design company, but I was also completely comfortable just being me regardless of the cameras because my background is theater. I was a little too theatrical for a camera then, though, so I had to learn to really dial it back a bit.”

Farr was cast alongside realtor David Visentin for the show; the duo officially met during the audition process (one of the many things you didn’t know about Farr and Visentin). The show kicked off in 2008 and was one of HGTV’s most popular shows throughout the 2010s and beyond. In 2020, the show hit a series record with its 201st episode, drawing in 3.4 million total viewers and landing in the No. 2 spot for all shows for adults between 25 to 45 years old. Speaking to the show’s success, Farr told Vulture, “I am still gobsmacked sometimes by the people who tell me that they are fans. They’re incredibly successful, high-profile, busy people, and yet they watch my show. That is gratifying and mystifying and extraordinary to me.”

As “Love It or List It” was rising the ranks in popularity, Hilary Farr was almost sidelined with a breast cancer diagnosis. Doctors found a suspicious lump in 2012, which was initially determined to be precancerous and not malignant. But a 2014 mammogram revealed she had invasive breast cancer, and she had to undergo a lumpectomy. In 2015, she received radiation therapy, which she had initially been told she wouldn’t need after the 2014 lumpectomy, along with a third lumpectomy for another precancerous lump. Farr been in remission ever since.

Farr’s journey with breast cancer, including the multiple surgeries and misinformation regarding post-lumpectomy radiation frustrated the reality TV star, prompting her to be a voice for other patients. “I should have known better. I should have taken more time to do my own research. I should have asked more questions,” Farr told Survivor Net, who also revealed she wished she had gotten a mastectomy, but “was never really given the option.” Farr, one of the few HGTV stars who have open about their health issues, encouraged other cancer patients to face the situation head on. “Once you can face your fear, you know what you’re dealing with, what you’re grappling with, then you will not allow a doctor to say, ‘You’re all done, off you go!’ You will be taking control, which is so empowering.” 

Hilary Farr appeared on “Love It or List” for around 15 years and 19 seasons before she decided it was time to move on to other projects. The move was shocking to fans, many of whom were curious if Farr’s decision to say goodbye to HGTV’s “Love It or List It” may have been due to some kind of behind-the-scenes drama. But Farr had zero ill will toward the show, her co-star David Visentin, or HGTV. She was simply ready to do something else. “You know that saying, ‘If not now, when?’ That’s truly it. I’ve been doing the show for years and I have loved doing it. But in the last season, which we did in Canada, it just felt too much like work. It felt very stale. It’s a very formulaic show,” she told Vulture at the time.

Farr was also looking to feel inspired in other ways. As she told People, “I realized that everything that I am as a woman, which is [that I] look for challenges, look for inspiration, look for new ideas, be excited about all the possibilities that are out there, had really needed to bloom and to find their way.” So, Farr stepped down from her longtime TV gig and officially shared the news in 2023. 

Hilary Farr started her own show, “Tough Love with Hilary Farr,” in 2021 while she was still working on “Love It or List It” at the same. “The genesis of ‘Tough Love’ was having a very, very close person who developed cancer,” Farr told Entertainment Tonight in 2023. “We were living together and it was a really difficult thing to manage. I realized there are so many people who are going through this and how difficult it must be. ‘Love It or List It’ has competition in it, it has edge to it, and it’s really about will they love it, won’t they. This was about solving problems that are real problems within a family and then the design follows.”

As of 2026, there have only been two seasons of the show with no further information available about a potential third season. In 2023, after the second season had aired, Farr told People, “We’ll see what happens there. I’m not at all stepping away.” The interior designer mentioned some other projects and opportunities potentially in the works, as well as plans to focus for a property that she bought in Italy where she hopes to build a small home. And this is just one of the ways Farr spends her millions.

All of Hilary Farr’s hard work throughout her career has allowed her to live a fabulous private life. Farr has travelled all over the world, with the privilege of calling London and Toronto home. She also owns property in Italy and in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she filmed “Love It or List It” for multiple seasons. Despite the globe-hopping life, Farr considers herself a homebody, telling AZ Central, “I believe in spending money to make your home the perfect sanctuary away from work and the stress of everyday life. Great kitchens are a must-have. A place to relax and cook for friends and family. A gathering place for family of all ages and guests is a staple for me as well.” That philosophy extends to her hobby of gardening as well. “Look at the garden as an extension of the home,” she once told The Toronto Star.

Farr is also an avid animal lover, with a rescue dog from India, Suki, and a rescue cat named Puff. She once volunteered as a vet tech in Africa, sharing photos of her work de-worming and vaccinating stray dogs back in 2017. She also shared a photo on Instagram in 2018 in which she posed with a baby elephant to support anti-poaching efforts.