The premise of HGTV’s The Flip Off was awkward — to say the least — when it aired on the 2025 TV schedule. The reality competition pitted Tarek El Moussa and his, wife Heather, against El Moussa’s ex-wife, Christina Haack. Even back in the Flip or Flop days, before El Moussa and Haack divorced, those two couldn’t stop bickering at each other, so why did he want to work with her again? He gave a surprisingly genuine answer to that question, but of course it didn’t come without a jab at his ex.
Tarek El Moussa paid a visit to the Trading Secrets podcast to talk about how he became “world’s best flipper” or “king of flipping” or whatever he’s calling himself these days. It’s no surprise that Christina Haack’s name came up — both because she’s closely tied to her first ex-husband’s career and because podcast host Jason Tartick comes from the Bachelor world and often discusses relationships with his guests. El Moussa spoke candidly about maintaining a good rapport with his ex, saying:
Something that's important to me, when I leave this planet, is knowing I did the right thing, and I was a good person, and I brought value to this world. Another thing that's important to me is making sure I am the best parent possible to make sure my kids have the best shot at the best life possible.
Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack share two children, while El Moussa also has a son with current wife Heather Rae, and Haack shares a son with her second ex-husband Ant Anstead. Co-parenting and blending families has taken some work, but the HGTV star said there was no other option because of the children, and that’s one reason the Flip or Flop alums were able to do The Flip Off. El Moussa continued:
So the second I start letting my adult feelings, emotions, insecurities, and egos get in the way of what's important for my kids, I lose. So no matter what, I will always do whatever it takes to protect my babies. If that’s filming shows with their mom and being nice with their mom — and I’m not doing it because of that; time has helped with that — but even if we hated each other, I would still do it for my babies.
Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa rallied around Christina Haack following her breakup with Josh Hall, saying that her well-being was important to them, both because it was best for the kids and because she’s part of the family. HGTV fans were all too happy to see Hall leave the show (especially after his fight with Haack in the premiere), but it was the love El Moussa showed to his ex that they appreciated even more. To other parents who might be facing co-parenting struggles, his advice was:
It’s not about you. All these adults out there, act like an adult. It's not about you.
It’s great to see that the Flip or Flop stars have gotten to this place. The couple went through literal hell together, with Tarek El Moussa hitting rock bottom after being diagnosed with throat and testicular cancer and undergoing back surgery that led to an opioid addiction. There was also a scary incident with a gun, and then screaming tirades on set after they decided to keep the show going when they broke up.
Thankfully, they seem to have come out on the other side, but the bickering of yesteryear is still alive and well. Tarek El Moussa used the podcast interview to remind his ex-wife of the terms she agreed to on The Flip Off (which he won). He said:
By the way, Christina, I’m waiting for my vacation. She owes me a vacation.
Dang, I don’t know which is more brutal — Christina Haack not holding up her end of the bargain to pay for the El Moussas’ family vacation or Tarek El Moussa calling her out publicly. Sounds like somebody’s stoking the fire for a possible second season of The Flip Off. Stay tuned to see if HGTV agrees.
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