Is Design Star's Cathy Hobbs already an HGTV employee?

Cathy Hobbs, Design Star Season 6 hopeful.
Credit: HGTV.com

Judging by the comments on HGTV's Facebook page and the HGTV Design Star Blog, Cathy Hobbs has got to be this season's least-favorite contestant. Mostly, fans are complaining about her poor, Nina-Ferrer-esque attitude.

Even posts that have nothing to do with Cathy spawn dozens of comments, such as this one on the Design Star Blog touting Dina Manzo's impending Design Star appearance. Among the comments: that Cathy Hobbs is already an HGTV Canada employee.

Huh? If you already know me, you know that in addition to fancying homes, I also am super-into TV and media (and doing research). So I just had to check it out myself.

What I found: Cathy Hobbs is not necessarily already an HGTV employee.

Here's what her bio says on HGTV Canada:

Emmy award-winning television personality Cathy Hobbs is the founder of the interior design firm aphereä, based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and the Co-Host and Executive Producer of Metro Residential.

Therein lies the confusion. People are reading that and thinking that Metro Residential is an HGTV show. When actuality, it's not. It's not even a national show. It's a local show that airs on WPIX in New York.

The reason she's on HGTV Canada's website seems to be because she's appeared on their "Top Ten" show, which is similar to a VH1 "I Love the 80s" countdown or clip kind of show. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she appears in a commentator-type capacity, not as a host or designer. Or to rephrase that, she does appear as an "expert" designer, but not actually designing rooms.

So, do you think this is a conflict of interest? Should HGTV should have disclosed this to us, the fans? Or are you a Cathy fan and think she should soak up any camera time she can get (and you'll be right there watching)?