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?
We are so disgusted over the firing of sweet ,beautiful Cristina… We will no longer watch the show.
I do not watch the show anymore, Christina was the best, the most beautiful woman on show even though she was older. I am very disappointed. She was a natural beauty unlike the others. I loved to watch her cook.
I think it is a shame for a supposed Home & Family show to do what they did–hire his girlfriend!!I have stopped watching
I really miss Christina Farrare, on Home And Family. She has such a warm, compassionate, loving personality. Debbie, is nice, but I really do miss Christina. I only hope you did not replace her for a younger woman.
I switched over from the Today show to Home and Family with Christina and Mark as hosts. I was tired of NBCs liberal media who got away from the real purpose of news and entertainment. Christina & Mark were down to earth, unpretentious and just what this country needs for representing our great country, something the Today show has been sorely lacking. I just love Christina and have been a fan of hers for years and she is one of the main reasons I watched the show. She is so beautiful and easy to relate to. Unfortunately I had to… Read more »
Hallmark, and the producer of Home and Family, please try to keep the quality of the show Home and Family at it’s best. Impressionable young people are sometimes home and will watch this with mom or grams. Matt and his girlfriend who have chosen to live together have been the first thing mentioned again at the beginning of the program. He purposefully laughed off Debbie’s suggestion that they get married and THEN have a baby. I cringe when he is so freely talks about them living together. Marriage is still the sacred step in forming a “Home and Family”. Am… Read more »
You are not the only one who feels this way. Hallmark has an opportunity to be counter-culture. For us AND the younger generation. Instead of staying strong in family values, they became weak and caved in to what’s popular in society. Marriage is the building block of society and now Hallmark jumped on the destructive bandwagon along with all the other shows.
I am just angry now that the person whose girlfriend moved in with him has been given the chance to co-host AGAIN. And today he gleefully ignored Debbie’s hint to “marry her and have a baby”. I sit here wondering if this is the direction that Woody Frasier is taking the show in? If so you are WAY off base and out of touch with your viewers. I truly love Home and Family but please don’t be careless on what you allow and accept as family viewing. Thanks!
I’m very disappointed. I will not be watching the show anymore. Poor choice to fire her.
I miss Christina on the show – the show isn’t the same without her. I hope it
continues to do well but I won’t be watching.
I am not sure why the Hallmark Channel thinks it needs to follow the trend of our society with younger people and edgy topics? We watch Hallmark because of their humane and family values. Hallmark is a breath of fresh air from today’s low brow entertainment the big players are shoving down our throats. Hallmark is the rock we need most today while we try to find our way in this cold digital place we call Home. I for one will be taking a recess from your channel and giving the powers that be a chance to right this ship.… Read more »
I looked for mo’ for Christina on the show. Debbie, reminds me of a wined up doll, too much of being up all the time! In our society their is a need to replace older people, w/ younger, prettier,etc.why? In this case Christiana was right for the job, being I am her age! Bring HerBack !! Home&Family is about Family ! Some of the topics they now discuss on the show are stupid, like living together,really who wants know about this !! Very sad,I will not be watching the show! Actually the only reason I watched the show was because… Read more »
I too miss her. I am 47 and a mom of 4,grandma to six. Not to disrespect younger people but society needs as much wholesome topics that we can share with younger people. Are we just going to have mindles talk shows? I stopped watching and turned to pbs channel. She was the show. She is an elegant and beautiful perdon. Her replacement seems with no life experience and hard to take her serious.
I used to be a faithful listener when Christina was hosting with Mark, I am no longer interested in the show, very much dislike the direction it is taking. There was a warm inviting aspect that is no longer present. The show is hosted by “models” and therefore do not reflect the everyday family type. Furthermore Debbie’s screaming is annoying. So, to answer your question NO I AM NO LONGER WATCHING HOME AND FAMILY NOR DOES MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THAT MATTER
Total agreement.
Debbie is just too hard. Christina had a softer side.
I’m very disappointed tht home n family let Christina go she had a heart for the show I have been watching this for a few years and it will not be the same without her and it’s not right to have let her go like they did Bc they didn’t even give her a proper goodbye and I thought the company was about family n friends and that is not being a example of a friend Bc she gave her dedication to the show at least they should’ve done was give her a proper goodbye . I prefer not to… Read more »
I am worried about the direction that Home and Family is embarking upon. This WAS a family show , fit for all the family excepting children under 12. I saw on todays’ program that someone mentioned his girlfriend was moving in with him. They even let him have a segment on it. Since when is living together a “Hallmark approved” subject? I was giving this wonderful program a chance to recover from the “loss” of Christina Ferrare. They were doing very well, but little by little the program has taken a dive into off color topics and jokes and guests.… Read more »
I agree with you Cindy. After today I don’t think I want to watch this show anymore!