Google Mike Holmes and the first thing that pops up is a paid advert for a plumber tagged ‘Contractor of Mike Holmes.’

Now that’s a sure sign of success – when tradespeople are leveraging your name to get more business.

The brawny buzz-cut contractor with a penchant for muscle shirts and righteous indignation has long been HGTV’s most recognizable face. And his reno show Holmes on Homes is HGTV’s most popular program, according to the channel.

Never mind that the guy’s got the charisma of a bag of potato chips. What he does have is expertise and integrity – and that’s TV gold.

‘Host is almost the wrong word now,’ says Tanya Linton, HGTV’s director of original production. ‘When you hear ‘host’ you think of a traditional host holding a microphone: ‘Let me show you around.’ We’re looking for big personalities, someone who’s instantly memorable.’

For seven seasons now, Holmes has had it all. Viewers love the show’s premise – Holmes as an honest contractor passionate about swooping in to fix the shenanigans of the rip-off artists and incompetents among his trade.

‘It’s something that everyone can relate to,’ says Linton.