‘Celebrity IOU’: Melissa McCarthy Surprises ‘Real Superheroes’ with Renovation

Emmy award-winning comedian Melissa McCarthy wanted to give back to her aunt and uncle on Monday’s edition of Celebrity IOU, a new HGTV show with Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott. Chicago police officers for more than 30 years, McCarthy considers her Aunt Connie and Uncle Jim her heroes. To repay them, she asked the Scott brothers to help her redo their home and give their living space an “emotional home makeover” that will “change their lives.”

Her family lives in a neighborhood that is filled with police officers. McCarthy, whose family is Irish Catholic, joked that everyone in her family is either an office or a nun. She teased that at one point someone (later revealed as Aunt Sally) was an officer, a nun and a nurse all at the same time.

McCarthy’s Aunt & Uncle Are ‘Real Superheroes’ to Her

“Connie and Jim are career-long police officers. They’ve spent their whole lives taking care of other people, and they’re real superheroes to me,” McCarthy told the Scott brothers.

After her uncle got hurt, she wanted to help make their home more functional for them. That’s why she reached out to Celebrity IOU. “My Uncle Jim was hurt on the job, and there are just some things that make it difficult for him to get around. It’s needed for them, and I couldn’t think of anyone else that deserves it more.”

“Getting the chance to do this for my Aunt Connie and Uncle Jim is amazing. They’re two of the kindest people and they don’t put themselves first. It’s just not who they are,” she said in a confessional to the HGTV cameras.

She talked about their professional, saying “You’re spending your whole like in the service of other people.” McCarthy then shared that her uncle was paralyzed from the waist down. In a confessional, which likely happened after the reveal, her aunt says that it wasn’t easy after her husband got injured. “Your life changes in the blink of an eye,” she said.

Doctors weren’t sure if Jim would ever be able to walk again, but he ultimately persevered. “He is a hero,” Connie said. “He’s this family’s hero.”

McCarthy learned about generosity from her aunt and uncle. “Connie and Jim look to the positive,” she said. “They look and see what they do have and how lucky they are. It’s really easy to give back to two people who have done nothing but give. From the lessons they taught me it made me want to give.”

The Scott Brothers Will Renovate the Kitchen Area & Uncle Jim’s ‘Man Cave’

To successfully surprise them, McCarthy and her family “aggressively” suggested they take a vacation for their 35th anniversary. Her cousin, Jenna, was in on the renovation and helped the Scotts redo the home.

She grew up in the home and said she would like to take down some of the walls because her parents love to entertain and definitely get rid of the “Irish Catholic” green carpet. “I want to Hulk the walls out!” McCarthy tells them, before accidentally ripping the sink out. The Scotts agreed the home needed an update and even called the kitchen “hideously ugly.”

To find out how the renovation turned out, don’t miss Celebrity IOU when it airs at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV.

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