Filming a reality TV show while raising five kids has its drawbacks, from online bullies to crazy schedules. But for beloved HGTV couple Dave and Jenny Marrs, the positives far outweigh the negatives — including what Dave calls the “greatest benefit” of all.
During an interview with EntertainmentNOW in March 2025, Dave explained, “The greatest benefit for Jenny and I is that we’re going to have a timestamp of our family growing up, our kids growing up, and being a part of (the show) when they wanted to.”
As the Marrs begin filming their seventh season of “Fixer to Fabulous,” with season six episodes currently airing on Tuesday nights, they said they’re more committed than ever to ensuring their kids come first. That includes no more big travel adventures for the show and setting strict boundaries with everyone who works with them.
Jenny Marrs Says Kids’ Schedules Are Too Busy to Film on the Road Anymore
The Marrs, who will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in 2025, live and work on a farm in Bentonville, Arkansas, where they’re raising their five kids — 14-year-old twins Nate and Ben, 13-year-old Sylvie, 11-year-old Charlotte, and five-year-old Luke.
As the kids have grown older, juggling their family’s schedules is much more complicated, the Marrs told EntertainmentNOW. Fortunately, HGTV and the show’s producers at RIVR Media understand and respect the boundaries they’ve put in place, the Marrs said — including no longer filming far from home.
With spinoffs under their belt like “Fixer to Fabulous: Italiano,” in which their family made repeated trips to Italy to renovate a Tuscan inn, and the second season of “Home Town Takeover,” which required flying back and forth from Arkansas to Fort Morgan, Colorado, the Marrs said viewers won’t see them on the road much anymore.
“As (the kids) get older, it really does get harder,” Jenny said. “You’d think it would be easier to travel because they’re older, a little more self-sufficient, but their schedules are so busy, and we don’t want to miss games and things.”
“Our first calling is to our kids,” Dave added. “We have a great production company that knows if my kids have a soccer game or a basketball game, I’m not filming. I’m going to be at that game and they respect that, they honor that for us. I think that’s why the show has worked as long as it has, because they know that our family and our faith … comes before the show and it will be here long after the show is done.”
If the couple does have to travel for an appearance, they said they try to keep it to just one night away and are fortunate to have plenty of help at home, including a beloved nanny who’s been with their family since Luke was an infant.
Dave & Jenny Marrs Reveal How Their Kids Became So ‘Self-Sufficient’
To keep things rolling smoothly, from home life to farm life to client renovations, the Marrs told EntertainmentNOW their family relies on each other and trusted collaborators, from their show’s production team to product partners like Cornerstone Building Brands, which works with the Marrs on whatever they need for updating home exteriors.
“Everyone wants to help,” Dave marveled, noting that because their kids have witnessed how every person plays a role in the building of a house or the making of their show, it has likely influenced them to pitch in, too.
“People ask about our kids (being) very self-sufficient and independent in a lot of ways,” Jenny chimed in. “I think that’s also just part of being in a big family. Dave and I both grew up in a big family, and so there’s just an element of, like, ‘You have to do some stuff, because otherwise the ship is not going to sail.'”
“They do chores, but we don’t have, like, chore charts or allowance or anything,” Jenny continued. “It’s just, like, ‘We have to feed our animals, so you have to help.’ Like, that’s just part of our life, and it’s always been.”
The newest episode of “Fixer to Fabulous” premieres on March 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Dave & Jenny Marrs Open Up About the ‘Greatest Benefit’ of Having Their Hit HGTV Show (EXCLUSIVE)