Things You Might Not Know About HGTV Star Tarek El Moussa

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8. Suffered Financial Issues

Just like many other Americans in 2008, Tarek and Christina El Moussa went through a pretty tough time when the market crashed. They lost almost everything. In a sweet tribute to Christina on Mother’s Day in 2016, Tarek wrote, “We did not know how to pay our bills. I will never forget going to Subway to split 5$ footlongs because that is all we could afford.” Their real estate business went belly up during the market crash, so they sold their home and opted for a rental (with a roommate). In order to save their real estate business, they started buying cheap foreclosed homes in Southern California and taught themselves how to flip them for a profit.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Aug 30, 2016 at 4:48pm PDT

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7. Flipping Houses

Tarek’s background is in real estate, not construction, but he got into the business of flipping homes after the market crashed and he and Christina were forced to explore other options with their business. “When I first started the company, we didn’t have any money. We literally put a business plan together and pitched it to family and friends and everyone said we are crazy. They didn’t want to give us any money because we were kids,” said Tarek. Fortunately, his friend, Pete De Best did take them seriously and when Tarek asked if he would help him flip houses, he agreed. The next day, Tarek and Pete went to an auction, bought their first house and made a profit of $34,000.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Dec 16, 2016 at 8:57pm PST

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6. Thrill of the Chase

One of the reasons Tarek loves flipping houses isn’t because he gets to be on television or anything like that, it’s because he gets a “natural high” from the thrill of the chase. “I enjoy the chase of the properties, the rush you get when you find them, the design and transformation, and the profit at the end. There are many stressful steps in between with a lot of gambling but this is the best way I can simplify it,” said Tarek.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Nov 9, 2016 at 2:01pm PST

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5. Auditioned on a Whim

Tarek and Christina’s rags to riches story is what laid the ground work for them getting their own show, but he admits it was never something they set out do to. “Being on TV is the last thing we ever imagined doing in our lives. I always tried new ways to grow our business and one night I said, ‘Honey, I am going to get us a TV show,’ kind of as a joke. She laughed and told me to go to bed. I looked online and randomly found a casting,” he said in an interview with Realty411. He went through the process of emailing the production company and made an audition tape. A year later, they were offered a weekly time slot with their own show that would be about buying and selling homes in Southern California.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Jul 29, 2016 at 6:28pm PDT

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4. Pilot License

Tarek revealed to David Bromstad in an interview with HGTV that not only is he a successful real estate agent and now a reality star, he’s also a pilot! He got his pilot license and once convinced Christina to fly in a plane with him while he was learning. “I got her in like a 1950s plane and there was like a wind storm, but I told her everything will be OK. We got up there and the guy told me to make a left turn. I pull (the yoke) and we went straight up. All of a sudden everything starts beeping and the plan is stalling because I was going up too steep…Yeah, I almost killed her,” he joked.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Aug 27, 2016 at 5:49pm PDT

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3. Diagnosed by a Fan

In 2013 Tarek El Moussa shared the devastating news that he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. What’s so amazing about his story is that he was actually diagnosed by a fan. While watching reruns of Flip or Flop, registered nurse, Ryan Read,  wrote to the production company about a lump on Tarek’s neck. Read was concerned and urged him to seek medical attention. The note said: “This is not a joke. I’m a registered nurse. I’ve been watching Flip or Flop. I noticed that the host Tarek has a large nodule on his thyroid, and he needs to have it checked out.” He had previously visited the doctor about the lump and was told it was nothing, but after he received the note he sought out a second opinion. A biopsy revealed the lump was cancerous, so he had his entire thyroid removed. Unfortunately the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, but not past his neck so he underwent radioactive iodine therapy.

Rough couple of years.. Today I Went in for another cancer screening and it was all clear! I remember the day we took this photo.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Nov 23, 2016 at 8:42pm PST

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2. Testicular Cancer

Fans of Flip or Flop knew that Tarek had battled thyroid cancer, but many did not know he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer back in 2013 at the same time. He only went public with the news after he appeared on The Today Show on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. Both cancers are now in remission, but he admits he was once terrified he was going to die. He felt the need to come forward with his second diagnosis because his stepfather was battling testicular cancer and he wanted to raise awareness. “I literally thought I was going to die. I know that when I came out with thyroid cancer, a lot of people also found out they had thyroid cancer. I felt like it’s something I had to do,” he said.

Press Association

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1. Dated the Nanny

According to TMZ, Tarek began dating his family’s nanny, Alyssa Logan, after he and his estranged wife, Christina, split. He began developing feelings for her while she was working for him, but he fired her in September before they officially started dating. Logan was only 23, while Tarek was 35. Their relationship didn’t last long as they were reportedly broken up by October after being seen together at a Florida Georgia Line concert. Tarek and Christina split up in May after seven years of marriage, but didn’t go public with their split until December. Tarek officially filed for divorce on Jan. 9, and she only responded to his filing in August 2017.

A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa) on Sep 6, 2016 at 10:59am PDT

Katherine G

Katherine is the Managing Editor for Health and Parenting, but she has a soft spot for entertainment. She loves binging shows on Netflix, reality TV is a guilty pleasure, and country music is her go-to playlist. When she's not writing, she's spending time outdoors, especially with her puppy Zoey!