With the new season of Crashers having made its debut, Jonathan Knight is now preparing to get crashed himself—on stage with New Kids on the Block in Las Vegas! The Massachusetts boy band is commencing their revamped Sin City show, New Kids on the Block: The Right Stuff Remixed Las Vegas Residency, on June 19, but Jon tells Country Living he’s in for a surprise with the changes given he’s been so busy filming Crashers.
The HGTV renovation series, airing Mondays at 10/9c, follows Jon, 57, as he ambushes homeowners in public and offers to redo a space in their home for free—on the condition that he can start right away and they vacate the property for 72 hours without having any say on his changes.
Jon filled us in on the show’s behind-the-scenes Blockhead moments, life in Vegas, and why he needs a goat-sitter…
Are there any New Kids fans that you overhaul spaces for in the show?
The second episode, I was at this small farm in Loomis, California, doing a couple’s primary bedroom and bathroom. We were talking and our youth came up and the homeowner said, “Well, what do you do?” She didn't realize I was a New Kid and she freaked out and fell off the chair! I wish it was on camera. She was like, “Oh my god, when I was little, you were my first concert.”
Have you ever crashed an event in your own life?
No, oddly enough. We’ve stayed in so many hotels and have been ushered through the back and through kitchens and we would see weddings going on, but I never have. I have to add that to my list now!
You could crash something in Vegas since you’re heading back for NKOTB’s residency. What can you tease about the changes for the “remixed” show?
I've only heard a few things because I've been so busy. The other guys are home and Donnie’s on hiatus [from Boston Blue], but I'm still working 12 hours a day. We’re going to do a few more songs and I think we have new clothes, but I'm not really sure. But I like surprises. It's like doing the ambushes at the hardware stores. If I know what's coming, it will just be on my mind and keep me up. I like just jumping in and swimming.
So, these changes are crashing you?
Exactly. I'm about to get crashed by the New Kids!
What's the first thing you do when you get to your room in Vegas—are you one of these people like me who’s moving furniture around and settling right in?
When I first got to Vegas, I bought candles, home décor, and a big cozy blanket for the couch. And I have rearranged furniture too! It's just trying to bring the comforts of home—the bathrobe, the slippers. And the bath products. I have to get rid of the hotel ones and use the good stuff.
What's this good stuff that you use?
Lately I've been using this stuff I found here in Colorado. I just put it on today. Have my wrinkles gone away?
Yes. Magic!
I met this lady on the show who grows her own herbs and makes facial creams and everything. So, I have raspberry extract on my skin right now.
It seems like the air up in Colorado is also good for you.
When I got here, we had to go up and down stairs in one episode and between takes, I was like, “I need a minute!” It's so different being in Colorado. One of the first days, I was driving up into the mountains and suddenly got shaky and lightheaded. I pulled over, called my friends and was like, “Um, I can't come up to your house. I think I have altitude sickness.” But now I’m used to it and am loving Denver.
What do you have coming up beyond the summer and NKOTB’s residency?
I get home in July for four weeks, then I have some more HGTV stuff coming up that will take me through August and September, and then back to Vegas in October. I’ve been home for four days since March, but I’m working and love it.
So, [husband] Harley's holding the fort at the farm?
Yes! I think he'll come out to Vegas, but it's hard for us having 10 acres of land and goats, horses, ducks, chickens and the dog. You can find a dog-sitter, but it's really hard to find a goat-sitter.
Well, your brother Jordan loved the goats on Farmhouse Fixer or I'm sure you could find some goat-sitter volunteers in the Blockhead world! If you were going to crash your bandmates, what’s one thing you could help them overhaul?
They all have amazing houses. But when Danny’s daughters got older and realized I did home renovations, they were like, “You need to come to Miami and redo our bedrooms. We want fancy closets.” So, it would probably be Danny’s daughters rather than any of the New Kids that I helped.
Crashers airs Mondays at 10/9c on HGTV and streams the next day on HBO Max and discovery+. New Kids on the Block: The Right Stuff Remixed Las Vegas Residency, commences on June 19 at Park MGM, Las Vegas.
Leena Tailor is an award-winning Los Angeles-based journalist with more than 20 years experience covering entertainment, lifestyle and travel for outlets around the world. Originally from New Zealand, she was lured to the endless sunshine of California in 2010 and has since interviewed some of the world's biggest celebrities for outlets including Rolling Stone, Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, Billboard and Entertainment Tonight. Leena’s love for beaches, boy bands, concerts and cocktails has taken her from Mexico to Germany, with her travel and lifestyle features appearing in Travel and Leisure, Vinepair and Vogue.
