An ASMR equivalent — shows like PBS’s This Old House, now hosted by Kevin O’Connor, are the ultimate guilty pleasure for design and home improvement enthusiasts. The first episode of This Old House premiered on February 20, 1979, and was hosted by Bob Vila, introducing viewers to a whole new genre of TV. Founded by Russell Morash, the show is still going strong and is currently on its 45th season, drawing viewers into the exciting world of home improvement. This Old House has won a whopping total of 20 Emmy Awards as well as 92 nominations and is the longest-running home improvement show.
Kevin O’Connor has been hosting the Emmy Award-winning series since 2003, with his down-to-earth personality quickly making him a fan favorite. Having been a lifelong fan himself, O’Connor’s stint on the show is a classic example of being at the right place at the right time. Viewers found the financier-turned-host widely relatable as he sauntered about sites with the crew, prompted valuable insights, and raised questions that an average homeowner would ask. A TV host, published author, podcaster, and TikTok celebrity, this guide gives you a peek at Kevin O’Connor behind the scenes of This Old House.
How Did Kevin O’Connor go from Finance Bro to a TV Personality?
Growing up in Maplewood, New Jersey, with a civil engineer father, Kevin O’Connor and his six siblings grew up on various job sites, cultivating a natural inclination towards construction. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Business Administration degree from Boston University. Hence, a career in TV was the last thing on O’Connor’s mind. After graduating and before pursuing a television career, he worked as Senior Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Group and a Sports Finance Group for Fleet Bank.
Interestingly enough, Kevin O’Connor never auditioned to host This Old House, but he was featured on an episode of Ask This Old House as a homeowner along with his wife, Kathleen O’Connor. The couple owned a Queen Anne Victorian home built in the late 1800s in Beverly, Massachusetts, which they realized badly needed a fixer-upper. Being a longtime fan of the show, he sent an e-mail to This Old House experts and was featured in Season 1, Episode 22, where they sought help to remove wallpaper. The producers were so impressed by Kevin O’Connor’s personality that they offered him the host position after Steve Thomas’ departure.
Taking a Look at Kevin O’Connor’s This Old House Career 
After the unexpected offer from the producers of This Old House, Kevin O’Connor joined the show alongside names like Richard Trethewey, Roger Cook, and Tom Silva, brimming with excitement to be sharing screen space with his idols. Although he didn’t expect to last long on the show, a couple of episodes in, he quickly realized that this was his calling. But like any lucky rookie, he built his skill set through on-the-job training, be it digging ditches with plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey or cutting wood at the behest of general contractor Tom Silva. When Kevin arrived, it became a show with several teachers and one on-site student who smiled and learned throughout.
O’Connor loved working with the crew, terming it the best part of his job, and also enjoyed the shift between hosting and being able to get down to do some hands-on work. Viewers particularly appreciate that O’Connor does a great job interrupting the crew at the right moments with questions that would be running through their minds. Kevin O’Connor, therefore, is now a crucial part of This Old House’s popularity, known for bridging gaps between the viewers and crew and taking full responsibility for the flow of events in each episode.
Exploring Kevin O’Connor’s Endeavors Outside of Television
Kevin O’Connor also explored his love for home improvement by publishing his book The Best Homes of This Old House in 2011. The book features some of his favorite homes from the show and gives you an exclusive look into the design-thinking process of each home improvement task. The book also offers fans of This Old House insights into the finished spaces that are rarely shown otherwise — with more than 200 photographs, including before-and-afters of the best houses on the show, stories from O’Connor and the crew members, and much more. Some of the homes featured are the New England farmhouse in Carlisle, Texas, the Bungalow in Austin, and Brooklyn Brownstone in Prospect Heights, to name a few.
What Is Kevin O’Connor Upto Now?
Kevin O’Connor lives with his wife and three children in a home north of Boston, and in addition to hosting This Old House, he is also TikTok famous. He is currently hosting This Old House Season 45, which premiered on September 23, 2023, with a new episode airing weekly every Thursday on PBS. The new season kicks off with the total renovation of a 1960 mid-century modern home in Lexington, MA, for a family of five. The objective this season is to make the house wheelchair-friendly for the middle child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and carry out renovations that fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This home renovation will help many viewers looking to proof their house to accommodate the needs of a member with physical impairment. It has been four decades and the show continues to build its audience — thanks to the brilliance of the likes of O’Connor and his crew. Here’s everything you need to know about Jeff Probst, host of Survivor.
Follow Us
