‘Celebrity IOU’ Stars Drew and Jonathan Scott on How They ‘Upped the Stakes’ for Season 2 (Exclusive)

Monday night, Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott return for another season of their blockbuster hit Celebrity IOU on HGTV, spotlighting heartwarming renovations from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars for individuals who have made a lasting impact on their lives. While the series broke records for the network in its first year, the twins reveal exclusively to PopCulture.com how they raised the bar with their sophomore season, sharing it all came down to who they were working with.

“I was so amazed with Allison Janney, how in-depth she knew every detail of what did and didn’t work in the house for when she was wanting to give back to Ilana,” Drew told PopCulture in a telephone conversation on Dec. 1. “It’s really great to see that side of these celebrities and again, we’re so used to seeing them on stage, or on TV, or in film, but we’re not used to seeing this connection that they have to somebody. It’s almost like seeing them almost as kids.”

The Canadian personality goes on to share how in the Season 2 premiere featuring Zooey Deschanel giving back to her best friend, Sarah May Bates, the experience was not only a fun one but an incredible moment to watch unfold. “You literally see the two of them interacting, it’s like they’re back in elementary school,” he said. “It’s just hilarious to see, so it’s extremely heartwarming.”

When asked if there was an added pressure to a renovation like Deschanel’s for Bates considering Jonathan has been dating the New Girl actress for over a year now, the 42-year-old revealed it was important to get this particular renovation right.

“Unlike other clients where, if there’s a piece of furniture they don’t like or a piece of art, we may not hear about it because we aren’t living with them. Well, I’m living with Zooey, so if there’s something that’s not right in the design at the end, I’ll probably hear about it, so this is definitely one that we upped the stakes,” Jonathan told PopCulture. “But it’s also nice because I like getting that immediate feedback, so having the ability to get that feedback instantaneously, I think there’s like this joint sense of responsibility for both Zooey and me.”

Jonathan further states the one thing he has really admired about these glittery renovations with the stars is how personal the entire process has been for everyone involved. “Usually when we’re working on Property Brothers: Forever Home, we’re working directly with the homeowners that live in the house, and they tell us the things that they’ve always dreamed of having, or what doesn’t work for them,” he said. “But the connection that the celebrities have with the person they’re giving to, they really know them through and through.”

Without giving too much away for this season’s starry home makeovers featuring Deschanel, Janney, Rainn Wilson and Justin Hartley, Drew reveals the renovations weren’t without their fair share of challenges when it came to designing spaces in a “very short” period of time. “Because in many of the episodes we’re surprising the person that’s receiving the big gift from a celebrity, they don’t know exactly what we’re doing so we can only distract them or get them out of there for so long,” Drew said. “You look at Justin’s episode, that’s an outdoor space, and this is basically like a wasteland. The pool looked more like a cesspool — it was drained and just all mucky.”

Trying to give a family the “perfect outdoor space” is “definitely a challenge,” Drew says. “I don’t want to give things away, but whether it’s something like in the Zooey episode, where it’s a spatial challenge, it’s such a small area to try and maximize the use of it; or it’s something running into last-minute issues with problems with the home — we have a ton of issues to deal with this season.”

Celebrity IOU airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV, check your local listings. For more with the Property Brothers, Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott and all your favorite reality TV shows and stars, stay tuned to the latest from PopCulture.com!