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?
I no longer watch Home and Family. Cristina was a poised and gracious host and her replacement is not. The lack of closure was truly disheartening as well. Shame on Hallmark.
Wrong decision for the network to make. Cristina was the reason most people watched the show, it surely wasn’t because of her cohost. No longer a fan of the show.
i haven’t watched since christina was left go due to her age , futhermore the show represented a false impression by people whom i thought were genuine ,from my perspective this isn’t what home and family means ,friends don’t treat friends the way debbie,kim matt and mark treated her with friends like them who needs enemies i will never watch hallmark channel again
I think they should have left well enough alone. I always liked Christine and it seems odd without her. Maybe she could have a once a week segment on the show or something else similar to that. Not that the new host is bad but it’s unfair to Christine!!!
My whole family and friends will never watch again
Stopped watching the show once I realized what was being done to Cristina. Home and Family is not a family when the powers that be do something as underhanded as they did to her. Shame on Woody and Mark! This was a very bad decision! Cristina brought heart and life to this show! Count me out as a viewer and I will not purchase anything from Hallmark again!
I miss Christina terribly on H&F. Definitely have not watched since she left. No respect for a management that would do that or for the person who replaced her.
Taking Cristina off the show was a horrible decision. I don’t tune in anymore.
Christina was the glue that brought this show together. Hallmark “the family channel” is a bit hypocritical when they oust a member of the “family” so disrespectively. She deserved much better and the audience deserved more. You have lost an enormous amount of viewers – myself included. The show is stilited and boring.
I loved Home and Family but I just can’t watch anymore and trust me I’ve tried. the cooking parts are not at all something I would do since most are unhealthy. Everyone talks over each other, which to me is rude, when they are trying to tell you how to make what they are cooking. You can’t hear the cooking host. I could go on and on but is it really going to do any good? Is hallmark even listening to us? And why so many give a-ways? It’s like they are trying to buy us to watch?
Cristina is so sweet and informed on the show. She came off as a real person that truly seemed to enjoy what she was doing, which in turn made me enjoy watching her and the show. It’s not the same without her and. I no longer enjoy watching the show. Her replacement seems like she is just there because it is her job. She comes off as being disinterested in what she is actually doing. I like Hallmark, but in this case I think that they made a bad move.
Cristina Ferrare was the Princess Grace Kelly that H&F needed. I am still extremely disappointed with The Hallmark Channel & Woody for making this Co-Host change. For a show that prides itself as being a “family,” this is not how one treats their family, especially since Cristina resurrected this show in the first place. This whole situation was handled horribly, not only for us viewers, but for Cristina. The show is definitely not the same show and I believe “they” will eventually regret this decision. I have always liked Debbie, but she is definitely a style expert and should have… Read more »
I just can’t watch the show anymore. I think the firing of Cristina was a horrible decision and now that she is sick I am even more disappointed in the H&F for making this decision. They lost a viewer.
Cristina was the Heart & Soul of H&F. I never missed a show until she was so HORRIBLY let go. I no longer watch. I think the whole feel of the show has changed and not for the Better.
I was saddened and disappointed when Cristina Ferrare was replaced on Home and Family. I have not had any desire to watch the show since. Cristina did a great job as co-host and I always enjoyed watching her and Mark Steines together.