The Big Picture

The Great Christmas Light Fight is now in its 11th season, and every year it gets bigger, brighter, and better, according to host Carter Oosterhouse. The show always surprises viewers with new and innovative Christmas light displays. In addition to hosting the show, Carter runs a non-profit called Carter’s Kids, which builds playgrounds across the US. He believes that encouraging child-like wonderment and imagination is important for children and for the world as a whole. Carter has seen something on this season of The Great Christmas Light Fight that left him speechless. This mysterious display was so astonishing that it had him in awe, sparking interest in watching the new season of the show.

Carter Oosterhouse has become a hosting staple in many shows over the past decade. He was the host of the reality TV classic Trading Spaces, which was an experience he loved. Carter shared with Collider, “We shot so many episodes of [Trading Spaces], right? Like we shot so many episodes of, of we’re just kind of like [a] traveling circus. Essentially we would go into home, after home, after home. But what it did was, it prepped me for a show like this, The Great Christmas Light Fight, where we still travel a ton.”

The Great Christmas Light Fight is now in its 11th season on ABC. The series follows four families each week of the season that compete against each other to see who comes out on top with the best Christmas decorations adorning their homes. The holiday classic is hosted by Carter and Taniya Nayak, who also act as the judges. The series has been a fun one for Carter. He said, “The beauty of this show is that these people put their heart and soul into these lights. And they do it for their communities and their passion behind it.” The series certainly evokes memories of childhood drives through fancy neighborhoods to see their fantastic Christmas lights, and it is definitely fun to see what creativity is lurking in every corner of the U.S. The holiday season has just begun, and The Great Christmas Light Fight is doing its part to provide the holiday warmth and cheer to its viewers.

‘TGCLF’s’ 11th Season Is Full Of Surprises and the Holiday Spirit
Image via ABC Studios

One would think that seeing different Christmas lights for 12 years would get boring. Carter shared, however, that this does not apply to The Great Christmas Light Fight. Carter states, “You’d think, if anything, it might get a little mundane after a while, but it doesn’t! Every year is different. Every year is bigger. It’s brighter. It’s better. You show up to a house, you think, ‘All right, maybe I’ve seen this. Nope. I haven’t seen this one before. This is new. This is different. This is better.’ It always keeps you on your toes. I love that.” This season, especially, has a design so shockingly good that it left Carter speechless. He said, “There is something on the season this year that we’ve never seen before. When I saw it, I had to go back and watch it again because our producers like, ‘You didn’t say anything’, and I was like, ‘I couldn’t say anything.’ I was so surprised. I was literally– my jaw was on the floor. I didn’t know what to say because I’d never seen anything like what I saw.” His response to this mystery house certainly sparks interest in watching this new season of the series.

The holidays revolve around the spirit of giving, and in addition to his hosting duties, Carter also runs a non-profit called Carter’s Kids. He shared, “I started [Carter’s Kids] in 2006, and we build playgrounds all across the US. I’ve been very fortunate right out the gate after a year of working on TV. So I’m like, ‘I got to figure out how to give something back.’ I like working with kids. I thought it’s gonna be a teacher. And then I thought, why don’t I just go build playgrounds?” Carter also mentioned that his non-profit plans to go to Maui later this year to build a playground for the children affected by the fires that recently occurred. Carter’s Kids provides an opportunity for the children who need fun places to play the most. Much like The Great Christmas Light Fight, it encourages child-like wonderment and imagination, something Carter believes the world could use right now. He said, “That’s what Christmas is– Just, you know, excitement and fun and enjoyment. And that’s what the world needs right now, too. That’s what we all need right now– this climate that we’re in and this era that we’re in; it’s fun to have something family-oriented that is fun and exciting. It’s a fun project to be on.” Carter’s enthusiasm is infectious, and based on that, fans are in for a treat this Christmas.

Check out the video above to watch Carter’s full interview with Collider. The Great Christmas Light Fight premiered on November 26th at 10 PM ET on ABC.