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ORLANDO Soria became a household name thanks to his HGTV show Build Me Up.
Now, fans want to know more about the interior designer and his whereabouts.
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Who is HGTV star Orlando Soria?
Orlando Soria is an interior designer, social media influencer, and author who was born in 1982.
He is arguably best known for his work on the HGTV series Build Me Up.
On the show, he would often overhaul the homes of newly single clients to give them a fresh start.
“Interior designer Orlando Soria renovates homes for clients going through a major life change,” the show’s description reads.
“From an empty nester looking to revamp to a recent divorcee taking in his mom, Orlando helps each client transition into the next chapter of their lives.”
The show first premiered in 2020 but was later canceled after Soria decided to part ways with the network.
Where is Orlando Soria now?
While Soria might seem like a wealthy interior designer, his life has not always been that easy or glamorous.
In January 2022, Soria sat down with Dennis Scully of The Business of Home Podcast and opened up about his life as an HGTV show host, explaining why he left the network behind.
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“During [the early days of] COVID I was very publicly supportive of things that would keep us all safe, and I had a lot of people being like, ‘Oh you’re just a Hollywood liberal elite that doesn’t really understand what’s going on in the economy.’ Meanwhile, I was penniless,” he told Scully, via The Business of Home.
Later on, he explained that he was only paid $40,000 for a season of Build Me Up, which in reality was only $17,500 after agent fees and taxes were deducted.
“I spent two years feeling a lot of shame and embarrassment, and then I came to another conclusion: I was in a very exploitative situation,” he continued.
“My anger is not really anger for myself. It’s anger at what is going on in this country with people at the high end—CEOs, the one percent making a ton of money off the labor of people like me.
“And I can’t even believe I’m saying that as someone with a television show … I have a problem with the notion that if you can get somebody to do something for a very low rate, as a wealthy company, that’s OK to do.”
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Because of the tough working conditions and low pay, he deiced to walk away from HGTV altogether.
“I think sometimes you need to burn the bridges you no longer want to go over,” Soria added.
“While I have only goodwill towards the people I met at HGTV, I’ve realized that for now, that’s not an interest of mine. I think I could make more money on YouTube.”
Soria is now working on a new book and posts about his life on Instagram to over 195,000 followers.
How can I watch Build Me Up?
Build Me Up might have ended after two seasons, but that does not mean fans can’t watch the previous episodes.
Both seasons of Build Me Up can be streamed through HGTV GO.