Who is Rico León? 'Rico to the Rescue' host makes history as first Latino HGTV host
DENVER, COLORADO: While there are plenty of home renovation shows airing on HGTV, what sets the network's latest offering- 'Rico to the Rescue' apart is the show's host, Rico León. This Denver-based builder is making waves as the first Latino host of HGTV!
The upcoming HGTV show will be following Rico as he resolves conflicts between emotionally and financially stressed homeowners and their builders to turn renovation and construction nightmares into dream homes. Thanks to his personal experiences with crooked contractors and builders, Rico has taken it upon himself to play the role of an advocate for desperate families who need an empathetic expert to fix their stressful situations. If you're curious to know more about the new HGTV host, then keep reading.
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Who is new HGTV host Rico León?
According to Rico's website, he is a successful realtor and construction restoration consult, based out of Denver, Colorado. Originally from the East Coast, Rico stumbled upon Denver when his car broke down while he was traveling to California in 2018. The charming Latino builder was so smitten by the beauty of the city, that he decided to make it his new home. Rico describes himself as, "A Puerto Rican raised in Pittsburgh PA, his blue-collar heavy surroundings cultivated his enthusiastic work ethic and success."
Like many of his HGTV host peers, Rico is no stranger to the world of the construction business. After entering the industry in his early 20s at a plumbing company, the builder quickly rose to ranks, as he went on to establish the emergency restoration division at his first job. "I grew in the ranks fairly quickly and realized my brain was wired to write contracts and help homeowners protect themselves,” he recounts during an interview with HGTV. Rico is currently the proud owner of two very successful construction and restoration businesses in the Denver area.
When he isn't busy playing an angel in disguise to frazzled homeowners, Rico enjoys spending time on the golf course. He shared, "It took 30-something years before I felt good about taking time off,” says Rico. “I picked up golf as a hobby and ended up being pretty good. The rest is history.”
Rico León on 'Rico to the Rescue
If you're wondering what Rico will be doing on 'Rico to the Rescue', then we got you covered. Each of the eight episodes of the upcoming HGTV series will feature Rico and his skilled team touring the houses to assess the projects, work to resolve issues with the builder, and create a renovation and design plan to turn the construction nightmare into a beautiful home. His team comprises of Matt Plowman, the chief estimator, and Poonam Moore, an interior designer. “I'm Captain Kirk and Matt’s my Spock,” says Rico. “He fights tooth and nail to get insurance to pay the homeowners. Poonam works with the homeowners to make sure the whole look comes together.”
Alongside helping the families navigate their renovation nightmares, the team also helps families with a small gesture. “Insurance pays for your life to be the same, not better,” says Rico. “Because it’s such a hard process and I want to make my clients happy, I’ll give them extra money out-of-pocket for their budget and say, 'Hey, use this wherever you want in the house.' It helps build my reputation and my relationship with the client.”
“Since I’ve been in so many bad contractor situations myself, I want to educate homeowners about what exactly to do in every type of scenario,” says Rico. “I hope with my knowledge, I can create real solutions between contractors and homeowners. That's my new ‘why.” "I’ve been through it all,” he adds. “On the show, I take what I’ve learned from [my own situations] and help mediate between the contractor and the homeowner. We meet with lawyers, we show you how to break contracts, how to solve issues without going legal. I come to the rescue.”
'Rico to the Rescue' premieres Saturday, January 7 at 9p.m. EST on HGTV and Discovery+.
