'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2: Who are Rosemary and Newell Alexander? Late Leslie Jordon revamps friends’ home

Leslie Jordan surprised his close friends of many years, Newell Alexander and Rosemary Alexander with a stunning renovation of their home
PUBLISHED NOV 15, 2022
The late Leslie Jordan with his friends Rosemary Alexander and Newell Alexander on 'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2 (HGTV)
The late Leslie Jordan with his friends Rosemary Alexander and Newell Alexander on 'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2 (HGTV)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The renowned celebrity renovation show 'Celebrity IOU' has finally unveiled the second installation of season 4. The premiere kicked off starring none other than the late actor Leslie Jordan. And it was a tearful moment for many when the "darling" of the Internet was seen on the screens for the last time. The episode was shot just days before his tragic death, and seeing the star give back to his best friends was a wonderful tribute.

In the episode, Leslie 'thanked' his longtime best friends Rosemary Alexander and Newell Alexander. The tear-jerking episode shows fans the friendship between the trio as Leslie reunites with his best friends. The Alexanders and Leslie share a longtime friendship that dates back to Leslie's early days as a novice actor. According to Leslie, the Alexanders have supported him from day one and helped jumpstart his acting career. For those who want to know more about this couple, here are the details about the closest friends of the 'Will and Grace' actor.

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The late Leslie Jordan surprised his friends Rosemary Alexander and Newell Alexander with a renovation on 'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2 (HGTV)
The late Leslie Jordan surprised his friends Rosemary Alexander and Newell Alexander with a renovation on 'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2 (HGTV)

Who are Rosemary and Newell Alexander?

Rosemary and Newell were the late Leslie’s closest friends. The trio met nearly four decades ago when they were all new to show business. Together, Leslie, Rosemary, and Newell have starred in many projects such as ‘Sordid Lives,’ and the couple has also produced Leslie’s one-man show ‘Hysterical Blindness And Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far.’ Rosemary first met Leslie when the two starred in a play where she acted as his therapist. Rosemary and Newell, too, share Leslie's southern roots. The late actor said about the couple, “They’ve just always been there for me,” while also adding, “I had some struggles with alcohol, a little drug use. I’m 25 years clean and sober, but they were instrumental in that too, because they never judged me.” Leslie spent almost every waking moment of his youth at the Alexanders’ home and had become a part of their family. Leslie, too, viewed the couple as his family.

A young Rosemary Alexander and Leslie Jordan, who met while acting in a play (HGTV)
A young Rosemary Alexander and Leslie Jordan, who met while acting in a play (HGTV)
An old photo of Newell Alexander and Leslie Jorden shown during 'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2 (HGTV)
An old photo of Newell Alexander and Leslie Jorden is shown to viewers during 'Celebrity IOU' Season 4 Part 2 (HGTV)

Leslie, who died in a tragic car crash at age 67, surprised his friends Rosemary, 81, and Newell, 87, with a complete renovation of their old ranch-style house just weeks before his accident. Collaborating with the 'Property Brothers’ stars Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott, Leslie transformed their home into a modern abode that Newell described as “country western modern.” While redecorating the Alexanders’ home, Leslie showed plenty of deliberation as he picked out everything from door frames to faucets keeping in mind the couple’s likes and dislikes.

‘Celebrity IOU’ Season 4 Part 2 airs Mondays on HGTV at 9/8c and is also available for streaming on Discovery+

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