"The pandemic played a huge part in my decision" - Hilary Farr reveals reasons behind her 'Love It or List It' exit

Love It or List It is almost incomplete without Hilary Farr in the driving seat, who has appeared in a magnanimous 19 seasons since the show started. The announcement came as a shock when Farr first revealed that she would not continue with the HGTV show. In fact, her co-host and realtor David Visentin dismissed it, thinking she was kidding.

But Hilary Farr had made up her mind and she recently discussed the same in a new interview with Vulture, where she cited multiple reasons for her exit from the wildly popular reality show.

Farr previously cited that her recent battle with breast cancer made her reconsider a lot of things, including the way she was spending her time and career. She also revealed how the pandemic played a "huge part" in her decision.

"Off-screen, there are challenges, and that’s another part of all of this, because the pandemic played a huge part in my decision. The degree of difficulty has been huge," she said.

Hilary Farr added:

"We were in the middle of filming Love It or List It in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I am right now, when suddenly the pandemic hit, and because I’m actually based in Canada, we were getting these alerts that said, 'If you don’t come now, you may never be able to get back into the country.' Suddenly I was in Armageddon."

Farr also elaborated on the decision and how she finally took it after working on the show since 2008.

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"It felt very stale, it’s a very formulaic show" - Hilary Farr on leaving 'Love It or List It'

Hilary Farr was asked upfront about why she decided now that she did not want to continue appearing on Love It or List It, which has gained a constant snowballing popularity over the years. The 72-year-old replied that she felt the show was too mono-directional and had little to offer after 19 seasons.

She said in the same interview:

"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."

While Farr finally got tired of the show, she has left a legacy that is worth comparing to the greatest of TV show works, mainly because Love It or List It has made itself the primary reason for HGTV's foray into the television world's peak.

Though Hilary Farr admitted that HGTV did not owe all its success to her show, she revealed how amazed she was at the diverse fanbase and how it makes her feel special even today.

"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....In terms of the exposure and the success globally, that elicits a combination of wonder and hilariousness."

The show is expected to return with a 20th season soon, but it will be drastically different without Hilary Farr. It is yet to be seen who replaces the veteran television host.