Tarek El Moussa Opens Up About the Pressures of Filming His New Show Without Ex-Wife Christina Anstead

From House Beautiful

In 2013, season 1 of Flip or Flop aired on HGTV and we were introduced to Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead. The synergetic, then-married couple captured our hearts each week as they transformed run-down homes into nifty new properties hot on the market. In 2016, they filed for divorce, but continued working together on the show. Last year, Christina Anstead came out with her own show Christina on the Coast, focusing on smaller-scale home reno projects. Now, El Moussa is going solo, too. Flipping 101 w/ Tarek El Moussa premieres March 5 at 9 pm. But as it turns out, the 38-year-old does miss the absence of his long time business partner.

In Flipping 101, El Moussa guides real estate rookies through some of their first flips. Essentially he is the teacher and the man-in-charge if things go awry—like the flip burning down (which yes, does happen during Flipping 101). While El Moussa surely has had to tackle countless real estate obstacles while on camera, he usually had another player on his team.

"Well you know, on Flip or Flop I had my costar, my ex-wife Christina, and we really got each other [and] helped each other," he tells House Beautiful. "We have on-screen chemistry and we've worked together for a very long time. Then I go to Flipping 101 and I have no one and I have no partners,” he says. Not only will this series feature real estate newbies, but these folks have no TV experience, which is worth noting as they'll be subject to a lot of screen time per episode.

"Obviously there's a lot more riding on my skills when I'm the only one there," El Moussa says. "So it's just a little bit more pressure.” However, despite the different setup “it's just so much fun and I love it," he says of Flipping 101. Plus, his girlfriend Heather Rae Young will make a guest appearance on the show, so he does have one helping hand.

Bottom line: Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead may not have been soulmates, but they were and still are a pretty powerful business duo. Also, fabulous co-parents if I might add. El Moussa expects season 9 of Flip or Flop to return most likely within the first quarter of 2021.

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