Yesterday, Hallmark Channel announced that host Cristina Ferrare would be replaced as co-host by regular contributor Debbie Matenopoulos. The cable channel didn’t specify when the change would take place.
Today, co-host Mark Steines made a quick announcement that Ferrare had left the show and that Matenopoulos would be replacing her, effective immediately. Ferrare hadn’t been on the show for two weeks and didn’t return for a send-off.
Fans of the show have been concerned if Ferrare was sick and have been wondering if the decision to leave was her decision. On her Facebook page, Ferrare confirmed that she is not sick and essentially says that she was fired. She wrote:
Okay here goes, I feel it’s important to finally step up to the plate and let you know what is happening.
First may I say that my family and I have been so thankful and appreciative for all the love, support, prayers, and good wishes you have been sending me on a daily basis for the past three weeks. It pained me so that I was unable to let you know what was going on out of respect for everyone on Home and Family and the Network. I was asked to wait and I have but now I feel I should out of respect for YOU let you know.
It’s really very simple, Home and Family will have a season 5 which I am so happy for and the Network decided that they want a new co-host and that will be Debbie. She will do a great job!
You can still reach me here on facebook and we shall continue honoring love of family and friends. I truly LOVE you all. You have been my rainbow!
What do you think? Are you sorry that Ferrare is no longer a co-host on Home & Family? Will you continue to watch? Should the show be cancelled or, is Ferrare’s replacement a good idea?
Christina made the show! Her warmth and goodness carried over to her fellow co-stars, guests and to the viewers at home. I will drop the show. Woody you should realize that not all the viewers are under 30, Christina was a role model for the woman over 60!!!
I am still trying to watch the show but I feel I no longer belong. The age group is not as comfortable. I feel it has left me in a room with everyone younger. Christine was a good balance for the show. Not saying she is old but has a calm maturity yet fun. I think I will go back to reruns on the other Hallmark Channel.
I feel so saddened now that I understand the reason that Christina is no longer host of the show. I thought it was so wonderful that Hallmark was strong enough to have Christina, a slightly older, wiser, intelligent woman full of cheer and goodwill host their Home & Family Show. What an awful turn of events to let such an amazing woman go. I will never view the show in quite the same way. I truly looked forward to the show because of Christina. I wish her all the best. I feel that she deserved better!
IT IS DISGUSTING TO HAVE LIED TO THE VIEWERS AND THEN FIRE CRISTINA WHO IS THAT SHOW, WHO VIEWERS TUNE IN TO SEE- WHO BRINGS GRACE AND WARMTH AND A GENUINESS TO IT. I WILL NEVER WATCH AGAIN- YOU DO NOT TREAT FAMILY THIS WAY- THOUSANDS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT ON THE H&F FACEBOOK PAGE- THEY DELETED MOST OF THEM- THIS KIND OF SHADINESS SICKENS ME. THEY WANT A YOUNGER AUDIENCE- AND CRISTINA WAS LET GO BECAUSE OF HER AGE!
I agree, love Christina won’t watch anymore
I think that getting rid of Christina was a big big mistake. I like Debbie,but making Christina leave the show was wrong after all the years she gave faithfully to your program. I will no longer be watching your programs period if an employee can be teared in this way then your station will no longer be on my TV.
I am very upset that she has left the show. I will not be watching the show with Co host Debbie
Shame on Hallmark. Badly handled! Cristina did not deserve this.
Woody and Hallmark Executives, Most of us will most likely watch the first 5 or so minutes to see if you have come to your senses and put Cristina BACK in the place where she belongs as co-host. You can create what ever line you want as to why this happened but get her back in the place she deserves. What a cold calculated thing you did. If Christina isn’t back in her co-host spot we will turn the tv to one of the plethora of programs that are available, What a shame,as I and thousands of others looked forward… Read more »
will miss cristina. i like debbie but i prefer cristina and her style for the show. debbie seems a little phoney and is just so different from cristina. cristina should come back. if you make more decisions like this i most certainly will stop watching. i believe you have made a bad decision.
I agree with most of the commentators here. I won’t be watching and won’t record the show ever again. Not fair to Cristina. Her departure was handled terribly and to ask Cristina to remain silent was despicable.
No Cedar Cove????? What?????
I really liked Christine not sure if I’ll be watching home and family again,
I won’t watch any more . I loved Christina Ferrare ,she made the show homey and warm like Hallmark should be .
Awful, awful. Unless it was a medical reason, it was handled so wrong. Regardless, she did not get a proper send off. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I will not watch this show ever again.
Today I watched my last episode of Home and Family and have cancelled the series from my DVR. I can’t get past the fact that the network thought it was ok to lie (or have Mark lie) to us every day that Cristina was just on vacation. I believed it for the first week but when it was always just Debbie and not any other guest cohosts, I had a bad feeling. After watching Mark’s ridiculous announcement of Debbie being offered the position of co-host and (what a surprise) accepting it, I felt really sad for Cristina and manipulated by… Read more »