Ty Pennington Bio

Ty Pennington, born Gary Tygert Bruton Pennington in OCtober 1964 in Atlanta, is a TV host, philanthropist, former model and carpetner. Pennington is most well-known for hosting the show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", airing on ABC, and in Britain, he hosts Ty's Great Birtish Adventure on UKTV. Pennington also once hosted a TLC reality show, "Trading Spaces". He grew up in a single-parent household until his mother remarried, and his stepfather adopted both Ty and his brother Wynn.

He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a teenager, but he has overcome that diagnosis to become a carpenter and Jack of all trades. His interest in woodworking began when he was twelve, and he took carpentry classes all the way through high school and college. Pennington earned a degree in graphic design from the Atlanta College of Art, all while holding down carpentry jobs.

During his last semester of college, Ty Pennington was approached by a modeling recruiter, and he soon began taking modeling jobs. In his early career, he got print work for Swatch, J. Crew and Sprite, and TV work for Bayer, Levi's and other clients. His modeling career took him all around the world, and during that part of his life, he lived in Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and Thailand. He used his carpentry and design skills to enter the entertainment industry, working as a set designer on Hollywood films before beginning as host of "Trading Spaces". Since that show has ended its run, he has starred in independent films and TV series, as well as a country music video.

When ABC began the concept for a show that would revamp the homes of in-need families in just one week, Ty Pennington was selected as the head of the design team. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was originally intended to be a thirteen-part miniseries, but it was such a hit that it became a full series. Pennington's work on the show led to a lucrative endorsement contract with Sears, which sponsors the show. Since it began, Ty has become famous fr working through various illnesses and injuries, and he spends between 240-260 days per year doing work for the show.