Late this summer, Philadelphia-based contractor Jeff Devlin came to the Twin Cities with an odd goal: finding ugly, outdated bathrooms and the homeowners who hated them. As host of DIY's "I Hate My Bath," Devlin was in town to film 13 episodes of the new series, which premiered in September. Devlin and his crew knocked down walls, laid tile and installed sinks across the metro area. We chatted with Devlin, who has the skills to match his looks, about bathroom bling, low-cost updates and whether or not he hates his own bathroom.Q Were bathrooms you saw in the Twin Cities worse than those in other cities?
A A bad bathroom is just bad regardless of where it is. I'm always amazed at how people can live with a toilet that's not functional or a sink covered with mold.
Q Tell us about some of the surprises you encountered during the demolitions.
A A colony of ants came pouring out the walls. And evidence of a lot of DIY renovations gone bad. That's why it's nice to rip out the walls and start fresh.
Q Since this is a DIY Network show, the homeowners are expected to pitch in. Did you run across people who weren't so handy?
A Lord, yes. Some of them are holding a tool for the first time and there's terror in their eyes. One guy cut a piece of wood that was 2 feet short. He did it by eye instead of measuring.
Q Have you ever goofed up a project?
A It's tough because there's a camera over your shoulder and everyone is watching you. I cut a hole for a countertop and made it too big so the sink would fall through. The homeowner was laughing hysterically. I cussed like a banshee, but they didn't show that on TV.
