Home & Family has a new co-host. Today, the Hallmark Channel announced Debbie Matenopoulos will replace Cristina Ferrare as co-host of the daytime talk show.
Ferrare has hosted the series alongside Mark Steines since 2012.
Read the full details below:
STUDIO CITY, CA, June 21, 2016 – Cristina Ferrare, longtime co-host of Hallmark Channel’s Daytime Emmy®-nominated daily series “Home & Family,” will depart the network’s popular original lifestyle program, it was announced today by Hallmark Channel. The network also announced that current “Home & Family” member Debbie Matenopoulos will immediately join Emmy® Award-winning journalist and series co-host Mark Steines as the series’ new co-host.
“Cristina Ferrare has been instrumental in making ‘Home & Family’ one of daytime’s most popular lifestyle series,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming & Publicity, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
“Cristina’s natural flair and expertise, along with her warmth and grace, set a standard for all of us at ‘Home & Family,’ and we are forever indebted to her.
“It is a great pleasure to promote ‘Home & Family’ regular contributor Debbie Matenopoulos to become Mark’s co-host. Debbie has quickly become an audience favorite among our family of multi-talented lifestyle experts and we look forward to Debbie’s continued unique and exciting contributions going forward.”
What do you think? Do you watch Home & Family? Are you sad to see Cristina leave?
i want to know WHY they fired her.
Because they thought she was outdated and they wanted “young fresh blood.” That’s why. I personally could relate to her and appreciated her style and grace and manners. That makes me outdated too. I don’t need to see the forced hysteria that they’re pushing now. You can get that on any other channel. I cared about people like Tanya Memme and how her life was going. I cared about Christina and her daughters and her husband. I cared about these people. Christina was what made the show so very different from the rest. And now she’s gone, and sadly, so… Read more »
I totally agree with you Valerie, but maybe they will change back to the values they emulated before with Cristina. I miss her too!
No one will say. They say there are two sides, but nobody will tell us the other side. Matt R. posted on fb to me that it is none of the viewers businness to know.
Matt R is a self serving, egotistical,untalented hack. The only thing that kept us watching was the very delightful Cristina . She kept him from looking like a fool. So NOT funny.
I enjoyed Christine tremendously! I have not watched since the change has happened!
I was so very disappointed to learn of this devastating news; I’ve always loved Cristina and she was the only reason I began watching the show in the first place. NO the show is not the same without her and NO I will no longer watch!!! It’s ridiculous how Debbie M. has replaced her; she was the only person on the there I did not care for. She is way too annoying & obnoxious, tries to be funny but just isn’t. I am heartbroken and hope that this will bring a new and better opportunity for Cristina.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING HALLMARK FIRING CHRISTINA? DUMB MOVE…REALLY REALLY REALLY DUMB MOVE.
Tina, you’re reading my mind. Could not have said it better.
I was going through the channels a little over a year ago. I came across Home & Family and was so impressed by what it wasn’t. It wasn’t your typical talk show. It was full of laughter-not silliness, it was genuine not at all phony, it had class due to Cristina, it had a serious side to it. It seems that there is a lot of fake and even over the top smiles since Cristina is no longer there. Cristina has an aura about her that can’t be duplicated. None of the segments are up to the standards that they… Read more »
Dear Tina,
I agree totally with everything you said. This show has turned into a farce. Shame on everyone at Hallmark responsible for the stupid decision of firing Cristina.
Debbie is awful as co-host. She just doesn’t have the same style that Christina had that made the show great. Get rid of her.
It was a much better show with Cristina. Her contribution was huge. I’m thankful for the many good shows on the Hallmark Channel and the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel, but Home & Family doesn’t have the same appeal now.
I was sad when I heard that Christina was no longer on Home & Family. Also, that it was not announced and there was no farewell party for her on the air. They were not honest as to why she wasn’t there. I no longer watch the show.
This was always such a pleasant, calm and happy show…good for the soul. I guess it needed a little spice…louder and sillier, I guess. I guess I have depended on the DVR to help me through the last two years and so enjoyed Hallmark’s Home and Family. I’m sure that I can find Christina in another avenue. Many of my friends in their sixties were avid viewers, not so much now. I’m sure it had something to do with advertising and the groups needed to buy products, sort of like the pandering in this election. As I have been hearing… Read more »
I will no longer watch Home and Family. Cristina was classy and open and friendly and helped make the show exactly what the title of the show called it!! Home and Family?! This new young woman is nothing of the sort. So what if she’s young. She needs to be welcoming and friendly. Cristina is what helped make the show a warm friendly place to go to watch. No more!!
Wow, I see the clock struck 12:00am and the Carriage disintegrated down to a mashed pumpkin pulp with little mice scurrying around trying to find their way to get away from the sticking pulp entangling their way back mice holes where they belong now. The Fairy God mothers are out of work as their wands have melted down to scrap. The Fairy tale no longer exists and for awhile I was fooled that their could be a gracious, sincere, humorous and a beauty over the age of 50 while co-hosting a show all the while giving elderly and middle aged… Read more »
Very well put. I agree with your statement, except about the show going on as it usually does. I felt a clear loss of balance without Christina. These people are trying so hard to fill the gap. It just doesn’t work for me. Stopped watching a while ago because it wasn’t entertaining anymore. What used to be a happy program made me feel bad, and sad that they ruined a good thing. Unbelievable.
I will no longer watch Home & Familyy without Christina.
The show was working well the way it was. I’m sad for Cristina. I will no longer be watching.
Yes, I am sorry to see Christina go! But, I do like Debbie. They should have left things like they were. Everyone seemed happy!
I TOTALLY agree!