Anna Camp Embraces Ariana Madix in A Very Haunted Renovation
Anna Camp draws inspiration from a beloved reality TV host in her role leading HGTV’s A Very Haunted Renovation.
“I must admit, I’m a massive Love Island aficionado, and everyone would ask, ‘What are you up to now, Anna?’ And I replied, ‘I’m sort of the Ariana Madix of HGTV’s Haunted Renovation,” Camp, 43, tells Us exclusively while promoting her latest home renovation series.
“Ariana has always been my hero—my idol in the realm of reality hosting, you could say,” adds the Pitch Perfect actress regarding Madix, 41, who has hosted Peacock’s Love Island USA since its sixth season in 2024.
A Very Haunted Renovation, which debuted on HGTV on September 15, features six designers spending 31 days inside the notorious Bihl Manor in Fremont, Ohio—a haunted Victorian residence—to renovate it and vie for a $50,000 cash reward. The contestants are required to eat, sleep, live, and work within the haunted estate while facing elimination challenges and confronting their own fears, cultivating an atmosphere of intense competition.
“At times, when you observe them making statements like that, you think, ‘Wait, they aren’t kidding,’” Camp shares with Us about contestants who profess they aren’t there to make friends. “‘Oh no, they’re genuinely serious right now.’ It made things quite tense in those elimination moments. I found myself getting emotionally invested in everyone, hoping everyone would find happiness.”
She elaborates, “I began trying to lighten the mood with jokes to ease the silence, but then a producer would be in my ear saying, ‘Anna, this is serious—be scary,’ and I’d respond, ‘My bad, I have to refocus!’ I really did get deeply engaged watching the competition unfold and listening to the wild things contestants would say to each other.”
Camp is no stranger to horror, having starred in the supernatural film From Black in 2023 and the slasher sequel Scream 7 earlier this year. Plus, she tells Us that she’s been an HGTV enthusiast for a long time, making A Very Haunted Renovation a fitting project for her.
“I have always been intrigued by the volume of work the designers manage to accomplish and the timeframe within which they do it,” she explains. “So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to host the show, particularly since it revolved around ghosts.”
Camp adds, “I welcome the spooky ambiance and the frightful elements. Plus, plenty of wild occurrences took place during filming. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience.”
Of course, a reality series about hauntings wouldn’t be complete without some ghostly encounters—something Camp knows all too well.
“Just recently, while staying at an Airbnb in New York, I suspect it’s haunted. I keep returning to my closet, where all my clothes are neatly arranged, yet one shirt repeatedly ends up on the floor. I just don’t get why this particular shirt keeps falling off the hanger, and the garbage can lid mysteriously keeps opening. I push it back in place, then a moment later it’s open again!” she recounts.
“Maybe the spirits from Bihl Manor are trailing me. I feel like the ghosts are tagging along. As long as they’re friendly, I don’t mind,” Camp concludes.
New episodes of A Very Haunted Renovation air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on HGTV.
