"I Was Terrified": Chelsea DeBoer Reflects on Her Scary Jump From 'Teen Mom' to HGTV's 'Down Home Fab'

   

From MTV to HGTV, Chelsea DeBoer has redefined her public image — not with drama, but with demo.

The 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom 2 alum has swapped teen motherhood for tile samples, while raising a family on Down Home Fab, her hit home renovation series with husband Cole. As the couple gears up for Season 3, Chelsea reflects on nerves, growth, and how fans who watched her grow up are now growing with her — from parenting teens to picking paint swatches.

To viewers, Chelsea does it all; from caring for her family and opening a store to expertly working with clients – all on camera. But this confidence seen on the show didn't come to immediately, and she admits to being "terrified" about moving from Teen Mom to Down Home Fab, which premiered in 2023. "I can tell watching it that I was scared," she admits. "I was terrified because it's intimidating. It's scary because people knew my story before, so I don't want people to be like, oh, she doesn't deserve to be here or whatever. But I feel like now I do feel very comfortable with being here. We've put in a lot of hard work and time into it and it's been great. But, it was definitely a weird transition, and we're happy to be on this side of things."

Chelsea DeBoer Says 'Teen Mom' Fans Are Growing Up Right Alongside Her

"I mean it's wild."

Despite having massive jitters before Season 1, Chelsea quickly realized her Teen Mom fanbase was on a similar journey. "A lot of the people who watched me on Teen Mom were around my same age, so they kind of grew up with me and they all are in that time when they were buying houses, building houses, starting a family and so it kind of just was like the natural progression of where we all were at that stage of life, which I think was perfect," she reflects.

Which means probably quite a few fans are facing some of the same milestones – like teaching your child to drive. Chelsea says Down Home Fab viewers will see much more of Aubree this season, including how she tackles driving. "I mean, it's wild," she says. "It's so hard to let them do things. It's so scary, but you have to let them learn and give them freedom. It's just been a whole new world."

"She thinks we're strict, because I mean, it's hard these days just to be like, here, just go roam the world, you know, you're free," Chelesa adds. "But I remember my parents had no clue where I didn't either. I was out in the cornfield. I think back to that, but I just think times are different. Yeah, but she's a really good kid."

 

'Teen Mom' No More — Chelsea and Cole DeBoer’s Family Takes Center Stage in a Bigger, More Personal Season

'Down Home Fab' viewers will see more of Aubree this season.