When it was announced that Trading Spaces was coming back to TV, people (rightfully) got excited. To hear that all the designers and hosts would be back to remodel homes across the country, it was just a breath of excitement for fans of the show. Part of the appeal was that it was the original cast coming back, and not a mix of newbies that we didn't really know.
But fans of the show will be sad to hear that Genevieve Gorder, one of the more popular designers, won't be returning for the second season. It's not in bad blood, though. It's all about scheduling.
"It was not my decision at all," Gorder admitted to People. "I had a previous series already scheduled for the same time that we were going to shoot Trading Spaces. So the only thing that happened was just a schedule conflict."
Even though the new series, which is still pretty top secret, is going to be a good thing for Gorder, she admits that leaving behind the show that was such a big part of her life wasn't easy at all.
"It felt sh"”y," she says. "First and foremost, these are my friends and my family and we show up for each other. But everyone understood, and everyone knows that we all have careers that we have to manage."
Gorder really only had one condition about not being in the second season, which is that she wanted to be the one to tell everyone she wouldn't be returning. She was worried there would be a "he said she said" situation.
"It was emotional," she confessed. "We were all crying about it because we're a family. The originals are a family. I wanted to make sure that it was very clear that I wasn't choosing to not be a part of the season. Rumors can fly and things can get twisted. So I was really clear about telling everybody how sad I was that I wouldn't be returning, but here's why and it's not that anyone thinks that they're above anything."
The person who took it the hardest, according to Gorder, was host Paige Davis.
"She cried," Gorder said. "She was like, "˜It's not gonna be the same without you. We can't do it without you.' I was like, "˜I know.' And I cried too. I mean, we're connected forever. She's the mama bear."
Despite her exit from the second season of the show, Gorder is not closing the door on returning should the show get a third season.
"Absolutely available," she said. "Absolutely. There's no way anyone would ever say no. It just feels good. I always want to do Trading Spaces until the day I die."
What makes the show so special, according to Gorder, is that everyone has stayed humble throughout it. No one feels they are above the classic show.
"Do I think anyone feels like they've outgrown [the show]? No. The brand is bigger than any one of us will ever be on our own. So to say you've outgrown, then it's time for you to go, because that's not really knowing what you're doing. Trading Spaces is beyond any of us."
It's sad that Genevieve won't be returning, but it's nice to know that all the cast members are so close with each other!
