Is 'House Hunters' Really a Fake TV Show?

HGTV has a lot of explaining to do.

New evidence suggests the network's hit TV program House Hunters is fake. The show revolves around new young couples in search of their affordable dream homes. The A.V. Club, who first reported the news, says the rumors have been around for some time.

EW reports:
A woman named Bobi Jensen shared her experience about being featured on House Hunters with the blog. She explained that the producers changed her and her husband’s story about why they were moving, and also shed some light on how those three houses that potential buyers choose from are selected. Jensen explained that prior to being selected, they had already chosen their new house. The other two “options” were just their friends’ houses that weren’t even for sale.

Producers from the show are denying the claim and say their show is absolutely not a fraud or scam.

The publicist for House Hunters told EW in a statement:

We’ve learned that the pursuit of the perfect home involves big decisions that usually take place over a prolonged period of time — more time than we can capture in 30 minutes of television. However, with a series like House Hunters, HGTV viewers enjoy the vicarious and entertaining experience of choosing a home — from establishing a budget, to touring properties and weighing the pros and cons of each one. We’re making a television show, so we manage certain production and time constraints, while honoring the home buying process. To maximize production time, we seek out families who are pretty far along in the process. Often everything moves much more quickly than we can anticipate, so we go back and revisit some of the homes that the family has already seen and we capture their authentic reactions. Because the stakes in real estate are so high, these homeowners always find themselves RIGHT back in the moment, experiencing the same emotions and reactions to these properties. Showcasing three homes makes it easier for our audience to “play along” and guess which one the family will select. It’s part of the joy of the House Hunters viewing experience. Through the lens of television, we can offer a uniquely satisfying and fun viewing experience that fulfills a universal need to occasionally step into someone else’s shoes.