Ray Romano Honors His Longtime Assistant’s Late Mother with Emotional Home Makeover: ‘She Goes Above and Beyond’ (Exclusive)

PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the ‘Celebrity IOU’ season 7 premiere episode featuring the actor's touching renovation

It’s a Ray Romano renovation!

In the season 7 premiere episode of Celebrity IOU on Monday, Jan. 1, the Everybody Loves Raymond alum, 66, teams up with Property Brothers stars Drew and Jonathan Scott to complete a heartwarming renovation for his longtime assistant and friend, Christy.

PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the premiere episode and chatted with the brothers, 45, about what it was like to help transform Christy’s bathroom and primary bedroom into a boutique hotel-style escape featuring a few sentimental touches.

During the construction process, the actor made sure to tell the brothers that Christy “goes above and beyond” for him and that she’s been through a lot since her mother’s passing. Drew tells PEOPLE all about the creative idea Romano had to incorporate her mother’s favorite bird, a crow, into Christy’s space.

Related: Drew and Jonathan Scott Reveal Which Season 7 Celebrity IOU Guest Is a ‘Property Brother from Another Mother’ (Exclusive)

“Christy has been with Ray for nearly 20 years,” Drew explains. “Ray actually admits he doesn't know design. It's not his forte, he's not handy. However, he brought up a few things that were great. The stained-glass feature that we did with the crows in the bathroom — that came from Ray.”

Romano and the brothers were originally set to refresh just Christy’s bathroom so they could maximize the space she shares with her husband and sometimes her teenage daughter. But the comedian wanted to take his appreciation for her to the next level and surprise her with a primary bedroom upgrade too.

Related: Ray Romano Says His Perfect Day at New Desert Home Includes Golf, Movies and 'No Sex, of Course'

Drew and Jonathan add that although Romano fully committed to the project and “was actually out there building with us,” he still found time to crack a few jokes along the way.

In the exclusive clip above, the actor partners with Drew to knock down a wall in Christy’s room.

“Smashing a hammer through a wall — it’s kind of therapeutic. I may not have to go to my shrink today,” Romano jokes. Drew then recalls telling Brad Pitt, who was a guest on the show in 2020, that demolishing walls is a great exercise for actors to get out any stress before an audition.

“Did Brad Pitt ever take a break?” Romano asks, followed by Drew bursting into laughter.

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“Ray Romano is one of those people who is not trying to be funny — he's just funny,” Drew tells PEOPLE. “We were laughing that we almost feel like we're three brothers. He's like a Property Brother from another mother who's a little less handy.”

Celebrity IOU season 7 will premiere with two new episodes on HGTV this Monday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET.

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