Bridget Cleary

HGTV has a host of fan-favorite shows, whether it’s a classic like “House Hunters” or a comedy like “Ugliest House in America.” No matter the show, you can likely find Bridget Cleary behind the scenes.

Cleary’s interest in HGTV started when she was a kid and would watch reruns with her mom. But her professional career at the network didn’t start until 2011, when she scored a role as an intern. After working in scheduling for a few years, Cleary moved into her current role as director of programming and development in 2022.

“Growing up watching [HGTV], I’ve always loved it,” Cleary said. “So, to be able to do that for my career was a great moment. It’s such a dream for a lot of people to become a homeowner, and the fact that we showcase it almost every single night has always been a fun thing.”

Cleary and her team oversee HGTV’s current slate of programming at any given time, which can range from five to seven shows. She’s in charge of developing the programs with external production companies, casting the series, coming up with ideas for all the episodes, shooting the shows, and editing the cuts that eventually make it to air — essentially, she’s in charge of it all.

And her work reaches a lot of people. HGTV is distributed to 60 million U.S. households, according to the channel, and its website averages 10 million visitors each month. As of early October, HGTV is the 12th most popular TV channel in the country, according to the U.S. Television Database.

“We do a lot of big, exciting competition shows, but a lot of our shows are helping a homeowner with a project they’ve been stuck on or an issue in their house and giving them a beautiful transformation,” Cleary said. “Everybody wants to live in a beautiful home, and that’s what we get to do. Seeing those reveals and seeing a really happy homeowner is always a great part of my job.”

Besides the classic home transformation shows, Cleary has some fun series currently in the works, including “Scariest House in America” — a spinoff of “Ugliest House in America” that explores haunted houses and is entering its second season — and “The Flip Off,” where exes Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack reunite in a head-to-head competition.

“I think anytime you get to come back for a Season 2, you ask, ‘How do you raise the stakes and make it even more exciting and compelling?’ ” Cleary said. “So I’m excited to see what we can come up with.”