HGTV’s New Show ‘Castle Impossible’ Features High School Sweethearts Who Inherit Dilapidated French Chateau
HGTV is heading to a chateau in France for its newest series, Castle Impossible, which will see high school sweethearts Daphne Reckert and Ian Figueira attempting to renovate a 500-year-old castle.
The network unveiled its spring lineup on Thursday (April 3), which includes Castle Impossible, premiering Tuesday, April 29, at 9 PM ET. The show follows married couple Reckert and Figueira as they abandon their plans of living in California when Reckert inherits her late grandfather’s 130-acre estate just outside Paris, France.
According to the official description, the castle once welcomed guests like King Louis XIII and now hosts weddings on its main floor. However, Reckert and Figueira will be taking on the daunting task of restoring the remaining dilapidated floors and buildings on the grounds.
The young couple, who have been together since high school, have experience in carpentry, conservation and landscaping expertise, as well as having family members with backgrounds in construction, design and renovation.
“With passion, determination and grit, Daphne and Ian will confront budget constraints, battle bug infestations, hunt for rumored hidden treasure and tackle a seemingly endless list of projects head-on to breathe new life into the historic estate and preserve her grandfather’s legacy,” the synopsis reads.
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While Castle Impossible is new to the HGTV lineup, Reckert and Figueira have actually been documenting their renovation attempts on YouTube since 2022. Per the channel’s official description, the castle includes a “500-year-old medieval dungeon, hunters lodge, 18th-century farmhouse, 28 horse stables, and a large forest with two lakes.”
“Our lives changed forever when I inherited my grandfather’s 500-year-old chateau in France,” Reckert said in a statement. “If we don’t keep up the renovations, the chateau will become a ruin.”
“We don’t exactly have a financial safety net,” Figueira said.
Reckert added, “If we lose the chateau, we lose everything.”
The April 29 premiere will see Reckert and Figueira transforming the castle’s bell tower into a luxury bedroom suite. “With the tower in a dilapidated state, rotten roof beams and a windstorm could turn this project into a catastrophe,” the episode description teases.
Are you excited for this new show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Castle Impossible, Series Premiere, Tuesday, April 29, 9 pm et, HGTV
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