Wednesday, August 20, not only marked the beginning of Bargain Block‘s final episodes on HGTV, but also the birthday of one of its stars, Evan Thomas.
“Happy birthday to the sweetest, smartest, handsomest, and most lovable man I know,” Keith Bynum captioned several photos of himself and Thomas via Instagram on Wednesday. “ My life would have been so odd without you. I love and appreciate everything you do 🥰.”
Fans flooded the post’s comments with birthday wishes of their own. “Happy birthday 🎂 Evan! Wishing you good health, happiness and lots of love 💙 Can’t wait to watch you all tonight woohoo 🎉,” wrote one user, while another added, “Have a fabulous day, Evan. May this kick off an amazing year for you.”
“Happy birthday to your other half!” a different user commented. “Boy HGTV really messed up when it came to your show. Your show was very interesting. Met the needs of the lower end society and your work was wonderful. You were taking houses and you made them into homes. Shame on HGTV! I learned so much from the both of you. You will be missed..🎂🍦🫂❤️🙏.”
Thomas shares his appreciation in a comment of his own, writing, “Thanks everyone! And thanks Keith 😍❤️ Make sure to tune in tonight for the premiere of the final episodes!”
Long before they became TV stars, Bynum and Thomas met in 2013 through Match.com. The couple got engaged in 2018, the same year they produced a sizzle reel for HGTV, per Pride Source. Their series, Bargain Block, premiered in 2021. With the help of real estate agent Shea Hicks-Whitfield, Bynum and Thomas have given new life to homes in Detroit, Michigan, over the course of the show’s four seasons.
The series launched a spinoff, Bargain Block: New Orleans, in 2024, which saw Bynum and Thomas take their home renovation talents down to Louisiana.
Bargain Block aired the first of its final Season 4 episodes on Wednesday. Back in June, Bynum announced in an Instagram Story Q&A that HGTV did not renew the show for a fifth season. “They originally greenlit it, and I guess that was back in December,” he said at the time. “Then they decided in February, after we got everything ready for Season 5, that they weren’t gonna do it.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s new episode premiere, Bynum paid tribute to the series in a heartfelt Instagram post. “It’s amazing to be part of something so wonderful and it’s hard to say goodbye but I’m beyond grateful for the last five years,” he wrote on Tuesday, August 19. “Our amazing fans have welcomed us into their homes like we were their best friends and we felt that. The amount of people that come up to us and ask for a hug or a physical connection of some kind is beautiful to me. And while Evan still squirms we all can’t deny how special we have felt.”
In addition to calling working with Thomas and Hicks-Whitfield a “dream,” Bynum said he was happy to be “leaving HGTV at a high point.” He stated, “While the decision to leave was not ours, it’s clear we have fans that will support us no matter what network we land on and that is a comfort. I’ll admit, the anger we experienced in the last few months was tough to handle, but seeing how many of you were also angry helped us see a path forward. Out of the bad always comes some good.”
Bynum ended the post on an emotional note, writing, “I love you all. I hope you love the last four episodes. It was a joyride for the most part!”
Bargain Block was the first of several HGTV shows to meet the chopping block since June, including Married to Real Estate, Izzy Does It, Farmhouse Fixer, Battle on the Beach, Christina on the Coast, and The Flipping El Moussas.
Bargain Block, Season 4, New Episodes, Wednesdays, 8/7c, HGTV