Spoiler alert! This story reveals who won HGTV’s The Flip Off Season 1. If you haven’t watched the finale, which aired March 5 on the 2025 TV schedule, you can stream it with a Max subscription.
The houses have been sold, ROIs calculated and a winner declared on the HGTV reality competition show that pitted Christina Haack against her ex-husband Tarek El Moussa and his wife Heather. I was intrigued by The Flip Off's awkward premise of the ex-spouses going head-to-head, and after watching the six-episode season, I am happy to say I really enjoyed it — especially how Haack and Josh Hall’s breakup played into it. If The Flip Off returns for a second season, though, I think there’s one big change they’d have to make.
I Think Josh Hall’s Unexpected Exit Ended Up Being The Best Part Of The Flip Off
Going into the series, I was casually familiar with Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa. I watched a good bit of Flip or Flop back in the day but never tuned into their spinoffs like Christina on the Coast or The Flipping El Moussas. As for Josh Hall, I knew nothing of him, but let’s just say I was instantly turned off when he said in the season premiere that his wife was pissing him off, so I was on the same page as other fans who celebrated Hall’s exit.
In fact, I think the way The Flip Off handled the unexpected curveball of Christina Haack’s divorce — and choosing to continue without Josh Hall — brought about some of the best moments of the series so far. It wasn’t the mud-slinging and subtle jabs made at his expense, either. It was the more wholesome moments that won me over.
Christina Haack and her first ex-husband shared a really raw moment in the first episode, when Tarek El Moussa took responsibility for the pain he’d caused her in the past, and she apologized for her part in their split too. Haack said in the finale:
Everything that happened with Josh, it actually brought Tarek and I closer together. There were so many things he and I never got to say to each other. So many regrets that we both have, and we were able to have the closure that we never had before.
Her most recent breakup also helped to mend her relationship with her second ex, Ant Anstead. While I can understand why Tarek El Moussa was so frustrated with him giving Christina that win in “The Ex Factor,” Renée Zellweger’s boyfriend was giving full Mark Darcy “just as you are” vibes with his speech about always being connected to Christina through their son and how they would always be on the same team. Anstead announced that round’s winner by saying:
My parents raised me in a way that says when you know who your family are, you stick with your family. Regardless of rules, regardless of performance, when I left the house this morning, Christina had already won.
Oh my god, why am I getting choked up?
Going into The Flip Off’s premiere, there were questions about who would replace Josh Hall as Christina Haack’s partner, and I actually love that she didn’t recruit anyone else. That was a huge undertaking, and she did it during a really tumultuous time in her life. It sent a strong message about her strength and resilience and not needing a man to get the job done. It sounds like it was an empowering experience for her, too, as she said:
This has been a very difficult past few months. I’ve learned that I need to slow down, not be around someone who’s putting me down and just being much more comfortable in my own skin. I am proud that I finished this without a partner and made a really great profit.
She’s always got her eye on the bottom line! That mindset, of course, means that a moral victory is not enough for this house-flipper, and she has made it known she’s down for a rematch.
If The Flip Off Season 2 Gets The Green Light, Christina Haack Needs A Partner
The credits hadn’t rolled on Season 1 before Christina Haack was throwing down the gauntlet for Season 2. She said she wants a rematch, and guarantees a win next time around. If and when HGTV gives her that chance, I’m hoping they make one big change — Haack needs to find a partner.
I know it’s strange to say that the best part of Season 1 was that she was able to complete the flip against one ex while going through a divorce from another (somebody cue up “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”), just to turn around and say that next time she shouldn’t go it alone, but hear me out. She proved she can do it by herself, but she deserves to not have to.
I’m not saying that Christina Haack needs to find a fourth husband or even that she should recruit her current boyfriend Chris Larocca. Many fans suggested she could team up with James Bender, a designer she’s worked with a lot on HGTV for projects like Christina on the Coast and the Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge. There’s also Cassie Schienle, Kylie Wing and Michael Lange, who all pitched in at different points to help her on The Flip Off.
The fact is, The Flip Off Season 2 would need to level the playing field. Nobody would want to see another round of Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa double-teaming their competition. Josh Hall’s unexpected exit served the show well for Christina Haack’s story, and plenty of shade thrown his way, but to continue on that route would be too much. I’d rather keep the focus on the blended family. As Tarek said in the finale:
This whole challenge of flipping a house against each other kind of changed all of our lives, and the kids are doing better than they’ve ever done. I just feel like we’re finally at peace as a family. On all sides.
You have to love that. Tarek and Heather El Moussa may have won the majority of the challenges and come in with the higher return on investment, but you absolutely can’t say Christina Haack lost. If there is a Season 2, I will be tuning in. If you want to rewatch Season 1, all six episodes are available to stream on Max.
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