| Reston
Resident Hosts HGTV Show |
By Leslie Perales
Observer Staff Writer |
| Fans of the Home & Garden Television network probably recognize
the name Shane Tallant. A Reston resident, Tallant is one
of the hosts of "Designed to Sell," which airs weeknights
at 8 p.m. On the show he provides real estate advice and offers
tips and tricks on how to sell a house. |
| While the world of television has become Tallant's career,
that type of work was not part of his original plan. The Pittsburgh
native attended Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Fla.,
on a baseball scholarship and intended to play professional
baseball. "I had an injury and it made me step back and take
a long look at what I really needed to do," he said. |
| An interest in the entertainment business and his TV and
radio broadcast major led him to where he is now. "I was in
the right place at the right time and got my foot in the door
and nine years later, this is what I'm doing," he said. |
| Tallant started his television career at CBS/UPN in Pittsburgh
and soon moved to San Francisco where he worked for the WB's
"The Mixx" and Oxygen Network's "Making it Big." Tallant interviewed
celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams, Owen
Wilson and Diane Keaton as an entertainment host on "The Mixx."
|
| When Tallant got the call to join HGTV, he was still working
in San Francisco. He made the decision to leave the Golden
State after talking to his mother, who told him to take the
job. The show is widely broadcast so it was a good opportunity,
he said. |
| "I knew I was going to get to interact with real people,"
he said. "These people have never been on TV before for the
most part. It's nice to see their emotion and their excitement." |
| He said he likes working with people in a real life setting
because it allows him to use his strongest asset—thinking
quick on his feet—when guests get crazy. "Sometimes I have
to corral them back in or let them go," he said. |
| Tallant works for the East Coast edition of "Designed to
Sell," and several of the shows have featured houses in Northern
Virginia. He said they are also filming an upcoming episode
at a house in Arlington. |
| He said since he works in the public eye it is not uncommon
to be recognized, but the Reston community has been very welcoming
and respectful of his privacy. |
| Tallant said he has received all positive feedback since
joining "Designed to Sell," and his future endeavors could
be in music or sports. He also said he thinks he would excel
in a talk show setting. He said he could see himself working
on a program like "Good Morning America," where the show is
broadcast live and anything goes. |
| "It's not all just fun and entertainment," Tallant said.
"If something big is happening, you get to report that to
America." |
| In addition to hosting a popular reality show, Tallant also
spends time making appearances at home and garden shows. He
will attend the Capital Home and Garden Show in Chantilly
later this month, and at the show he will talk about design
and real estate tips and behind-the-scenes stories. Tallant
said he is excited to attend a home show that is so close
to the community he now calls home. |
| His appearances are scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m. Feb. 23 and
noon and 2 p.m. Feb. 24. Visit www.CapitalHomeShow.com. |
