There’s a simple reason why Alison Victoria is ready to move on from Windy City Rehab to her new HGTV series, Sin City Rehab: location.
“Some of my most important years were out in Las Vegas, and most people didn’t know that and don’t know that,” Victoria shared in an interview with House Beautiful published on Monday, September 15. “I always had a house out here and I always kept a life out here, but I would just mainly kind of pop in and visit.”
Though Victoria started her own design business in Las Vegas at the age of 22, the now 43-year-old is best known for transforming Chicago homes on Windy City Rehab, which premiered on HGTV in 2019. After several years in Illinois, however, Victoria was ready for a change.
“After what I went through with the multiple lawsuits and the building department in Chicago, it just… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like you’re in a relationship, right? I was in a relationship with the city that I loved and lived in, and then it didn’t treat me well,” she told the outlet. “It just didn’t, and I needed a break. I just needed to get out of there. I wasn’t my happiest self; I wasn’t living my best life.”
Victoria and her former Windy City Rehab cohost, Donovan Eckhardt, have been wrapped up in several lawsuits over the years with subcontractors, homeowners, and production companies, something Victoria said put a damper on her creative process.
“When I’m happy, I’m my most creative self,” she explained. “My creativity was dying in Chicago, and I felt that in my work.”
Victoria now resides in a Spanish-style villa in Henderson, Nevada, which she described as her “sanctuary.” Sin City Rehab will follow Victoria as she establishes her personal and professional life in her new home city, all while giving viewers an inside look at impressive renovations.
“What I love about this show is that it has nothing to do with the Strip,” she told the outlet. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the Vegas people think they know. It’s about the Vegas that locals know. It’s about the Vegas that I know and have known for 25 years.”
The series will see Victoria take on renovations, both big and small, from home transformations to multi-million-dollar commercial projects. “People are gonna see I’m really trying to establish myself in the city and I’m running across problems right away,” the TV personality shared. “And I think it’s interesting because people might think, ‘Oh, drama, drama, drama.’ It’s like ‘No, this is real life.’”
Victoria went on to clarify that she hasn’t completely cut her ties to Chicago. “We’re still there. I’m just gonna grow my team and extend my team to Las Vegas,” she said.
Sin City Rehab, Series Premiere, Wednesday, September 17, 9/8c, HGTV.