TLC is bringing back former Trading Spaces host Paige Davis, who will return to the air with the 2008 season debut in January.
Davis, an attractive fan favorite who also drew headlines in the tabloids, was dropped by TLC in 2005 after hosting Trading Spaces for four years. TLC reworked Trading Spaces into a program without a host after Davis left.
The network said Thursday that it was “responding to overwhelming viewer demand” in its move to rehire Davis.
“Trading Spaces was at its very best when Paige Davis was at the helm and the fans still miss her,” said TLC president and general manager Angela Shapiro-Mathes. “Paige is the heart of this series and with her return we’ll reinvigorate and reenergize the original format, adding an emotional hook to every episode.”
After leaving Trading Spaces, Davis returned to Broadway to star in the musical “Chicago” and later toured the country in the Broadway hit “Sweet Charity.” She also recently debuted in a solo cabaret show.
TLC said several other original cast members will return to Trading Spaces in January, including Doug Wilson, Laurie Hickson-Smith, Frank Bielec and Hildi Santo-Thomas.
Ratings for Trading Spaces took a big hit in 2004, the year TLC cut Davis, with Saturday-night runs of the programming dropping 45% to a 1.1 Nielsen Media Research rating average.
