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 couldn’t believe my eyes when the new season of HAF started and my favorite host of two, Christina, was replaced!! Her energy, confidence, experience, Faith, and honorable passion for people and life has been replaced by a co-host that can’t seem to be quiet long enough to realize she isn’t the only face on the show!! She never stops talking and if someone manages to get a line in she quickly butts in and finishes statements. Ferrare has an unreplaceable presence that will be terribly missed. Christina and Mark completed each other where the one had strength and one… Read more »
Is is maybe age related? We women lose jobs because we are too old and men do not. I hope this was NOT the case but I really want to know. No more Home and Family because I have NEVER like Debbie.
Miss Christina. The show is not the same to enjoy. I miss Christina’s imput. She was a beautiful real person not another young face. I watched the show for the balance and could relate to the family with Christina. Now what? only young people belong to families? Discussed. another fake show. You ruined the family idea.Where are the grandparents, aunts and uncles?
I really liked Christina. Too bad she’s still not on.
I did not know what had happened to Christina, and did not like the way that Debbie was holding hands with Mark so much the show that I was watching. She is probably very nice, but I liked Christina more. She was not trying to be a super model image. Bad choice of replacement. I was new to the program just a few months ago and tape when I am not home.
I stopped watching the show when the network decided that Christina should be fired and replaced with, of all people, Debbie. Christina has always embodied grace, charm and a delightful sense of humor. Conversely, Debbie seems loud, silly and oftentimes obnoxious. Home and Family has now become just another daytime mess-of-a-program to be avoided. In my opinion, the network made a huge mistake with the firing of Christina and compounded that mistake by replacing her with Debbie. I suspect that the show’s ratings have taken a hit, but I doubt that the network will ever acknowledge its mistake. I applaud… Read more »
The showner should be cancelled. Not the same. Poor choice.
Since the departure of Cristina the show is not the same!!! I’m done with it. The new cohost is so many steps down!!! Very bad decision home and family. I am not loyal to you anymore
The fact that the H&F show’s ratings have dropped by 50% shows how ignorant the move was, to remove Cristina Ferrare from the show. Cristina WAS THE SHOW!! She not only garnered a humongous following of fans & viewers to support the show, she actually made us all feel like REAL FAMILY. We bought into the “Home & Family” vibe, and considered these people our tv family…our “tribe”…full of every aspect a “family” has…the crazy “Aunt”…the goofy “Cousins”…the sweet “Sisters & Brothers”…and most of all, the Matriarch, the HEART OF THE FAMILY, Cristina Ferrare. Not only beautiful on the outside,… Read more »
Thanks Deanne.
Well worded Deanne!! You wrote my heart out in words the way that I could not. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!! I hope it makes a difference!
I agree Deanne the best wording so far! Sums up H&F with Cristina beautifully! Makes me ill rest of the clan (Mark, Debbie, Sopie, Kym, etc) supported the Execs decision! But only addition I could add is I feel the same about Tanya being terminated from the show too!
I have been looking for the ratings how did you find them?
I, too have read a large number of the posted comments and couldn’t agree more with them. Christina and Mark had such a warm connection that just clicked and made the viewer wonder at times if they were blood related siblings, that type of chemistry is rare and H & F , as well as the us TV viewers, were lucky to have been a part of their Family. As much as I like Debbie M., enjoy her qwerky humor and feel she is a great part of the team, she just can’t (nor could anyone else) replace the Heart… Read more »
I so enjoyed H&F with Christina. I can’t be critical of Mark or the other hosts/contributors as they do a fine job, and I tried watching an episode after Christina was let go. But even with everyone else staying the same, the show is not the same. It no longer feels like home, and it’s a family that’s missing its matriarch. The wisdom, classiness and grace that Christina contributed are strikingly absent. One less show for the dvr to record.
Christina represented my type of woman, there are so few left. I don’t watch the show anymore
Cristina was the glue that held Home and Family together. She will always be missed by her fan base.
Debbie may be a very nice person in real life , but she is NOT co host material. She is rude, over talkes everyone, her hair hangs over the food she is helping to prepare, she always has to win everything, she is LOUD, thinks she knows it all. I could go on and on!
The show is not the same, I miss her, Tge new hostess does not have her genuine personality, Now, I do not watch the entire show