One day after the very last episode of “Bargain Block” aired on HGTV — on September 10, 2025 — Keith Bynum had a little something to get off his chest before riding off into the sunset. In a People interview published on September 11, Bynum opened up about the drama that took place behind the scenes when he and co-star Evan Thomas, his life partner and business partner, competed on “Rock the Block.”
Bynum and Thomas competed on two seasons of the popular renovation competition, during season three in 2022 and again on season five in 2024. The “Bargain Block” duo didn’t win either season of “Rock the Block” and revealed on social media in 2024 that there’d been some serious drama behind the scenes.
In his new interview, Bynum told People he felt “cheated” and “lied to” by a “certain producer” on the show, but that he found solace with several of his HGTV colleagues, including “Rock the Block” host Ty Pennington.
Keith Bynum Says Egypt Sherrod Offered Him a ‘Shoulder to Cry On’
HGTVLooking back on their experiences appearing on “Rock the Block,” Bynum told People, “There were several times with ‘Rock the Block’ that I butted heads with a certain producer to the point I had called and asked around if I had screwed my career up.”
Bynum even said he felt like the producer had “it out for me.” He told the outlet he leaned on three HGTV stars for support. In addition to receiving encouragement from Pennington, he told People he leaned on Egypt Sherrod of “Married to Real Estate” and Jonathan Knight of “Farmhouse Fixer,” both of whom saw their shows canceled along with “Bargain Block” in the summer of 2025.
“There have been many times that Egypt or Ty or Jonathan, like all these people, have kindly offered us help and guidance, condolences,” Bynum said. “Egypt was my shoulder to cry on for a little bit.”
Bynum told People that he was particularly grateful to have Sherrod in his corner during “those moments you realize that you’re going through something that almost no one else in the country could understand except for this small group of people. And you know, there are some that are amazing and some that are, like, I’m probably not gonna answer that call.”
Keith Bynum & Evan Thomas Called ‘Rock the Block’ Producers ‘Professional Liars’ in 2024
It’s not clear whether Bynum was upset during both seasons of “Rock the Block,” but things certainly came to a head as the fifth season aired in the spring of 2024.
“Unsellable Houses” stars (and twin sisters) Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis were crowned the winners of the show, which pits four pairs of HGTV designers and contractors against each other as they transform identical, newly constructed homes by completing weekly challenges.
The week before the season five finale, viewers watched the stars makeover a surprise bedroom and then blindly judge each other’s work to determine that week’s winner, which was Bryan and Sarah Baeumler. Many fans complained that the meditation space Bynum and Thomas created was far superior, and the duo seemed to agree.
“It was really disappointing to know we got a perfect score from someone and still lost,” Bynum wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
Evan Thomas & Keith Bynum Aired Their Frustrations With ‘Rock the Block’ Finale
Before the finale aired, Thomas wrote on social media that he wasn’t sure the season was judged fairly, and then shockingly revealed — in a since deleted post — that he “didn’t trust production at all,” claiming that “the lead producers are professional liars and manipulators.”
The day after the “Rock the Block” finale aired, Bynum posted a photo of himself with Thomas and wrote, “I woke up today knowing two things were true in my heart. First, I love @emuralit more than anything and no one can take that from me.” He also wrote — but later deleted — “The second is, things done in the dark eventually come to light. #ndasareforever?”
Though Bynum did not specifically say what went down, he reiterated to People in the September 11 article, “That was my big frustration: feeling cheated, feeling lied to.”
Since learning in February that HGTV was pulling the plug on “Bargain Block” — a move the duo didn’t reveal until June — Bynum and Thomas have shifted their focus to private client renovations across the U.S. with hopes of landing with another media outlet at some point.
