If there’s one person you want to trust, it’s the person fixing the roof over your head, and for years, Canadian HGTV star Mike Holmes was the best man for the job. The renovation king of Canada began his career when he went from handyman to television host after his big personality caught the eye of a television studio he was consulting for. Holmes would launch a fleet of HGTV shows, starting with “Holmes on Homes” in 2001, and become a beloved face on the network for the next 20 years. While he has weathered his fair share of tragedy, he has also been celebrated. In 2006, the Canadian House of Commons recognized Holmes for supporting skilled trades and helping improve building standards. And if that wasn’t enough to make you trust him, in 2010, Reader’s Digest named him one of the most trusted Canadians.
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But with great trust comes great responsibility, and Holmes hasn’t always lived up to his name. As his star has risen, he has been caught up in a number of scandals and scams that have rocked his otherwise sturdy reputation. While some of them border on the humorous or mundane, others are far more serious, with every instance ending with the sad story of people who looked up to Holmes being milked out of their hard-earned money. Holmes spoke out about the scams on his podcast, “Holmes on Homes,” saying, “I’m not into doing these things. I’m into helping people. I’m into educating people. I’m sick and tired of seeing things like [these scams].” Still, some of the scandals make us wonder whether Holmes’ motto of “Make It Right” is really a motto he lives by.
Mike Holmes has a big social media presence, with thousands of followers across his Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. While it has allowed fans to feel close to him, it has also become a fertile ground for casting call scams. In one instance that Holmes and his daughter, Sherry Holmes, discussed on their podcast, Holmes talked about a fake Facebook account that went by the name “Carl Wallace,” which claimed to be a campaign manager for HGTV and a casting associate producer for fellow HGTV celebrities like the Property Brothers. The fake account then put out what appeared to be a call for applicants for one of Holmes’ shows, asking for $50,000 upfront to do a $150,000 job to redo kitchens. The scammers would then try to get the money from Facebook applicants but never come through with any renovation.
Holmes was upset by the fake account pretending to use his fame and knowledge against him and made it known that he wasn’t the only HGTV star affected. He said on his podcast, “They’re doing it to the Property Brothers, they’re doing it to Bryan Baeumler. These people are all of a sudden using my image and trying to get to you as a casting call, to get money out of you, that I’m gonna come and save your life.” While Holmes has every right to be upset, his daughter Sherry admitted, “It is believable. You do put out casting calls online.” This makes Holmes’ use of social media a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps fans feel connected to him; on the other, it puts the burden on them to double-check if it’s actually him or not.
