Longtime HGTV star Izzy Battres, who got his television start as the beloved contractor on “Flip or Flop” and now has his own show “Izzy Does It,” is opening up about his sordid past and how he made it through.
On May 14, 2025, Battres appeared on Richard Taite’s podcast, “We’re Out of Time” and revealed his past addictions to alcohol and drugs, including methamphetamine, which led to jail time and an uncertain future. But he’s hoping that by sharing his story, it will inspire others to get clean and know that change is possible.
Addiction Recovery Specialist Calls Izzy Battres a ‘Miracle’
During their hourlong discussion, Taite, an addiction recovery expert, marveled at Battres’ climb from rock bottom to HGTV star.
“Methamphetamine, man,” Taite said. “You are a miracle … it must have taken you at least a year to two years to clear your head.”
“Two years,” Battres responded. “Two years and I think I still see things, and I’m still paranoid.”
Growing up, Battres said, he started drinking at a young age, smoking marijuana, “dropping mushrooms and acid” and eventually “smoking PCP.”
The son of Mexican immigrants, Battres saw his dad working hard to build their family’s construction business. But Battres’ life went sideways when he got involved in experimenting with drinking and drugs at an early age, from smoking marijuana to “dropping mushrooms and acid,” and more.
“Back in the hood, it was so inexpensive and that’s what you did,” he told Taite. “You know, you’d drop PCP. Put joints in PCPs, they’d call them lovelies and that’s what we did.”
He confirmed to Taite that he was arrested and spent time in jail. Battres said he had a breakthrough one day when he visited a movie theater that had been converted to a church, thinking he’d just give his confession and then go get high again.
“I just started walking toward the cross,” he told Taite. “It was dark, no church service. And then the minute I got to the front of the altar, I just broke. I never felt bad about doing people wrong and I didn’t feel guilt about stuff. But (in) that moment, I just felt all the heaviness of all the madness and dirt that I did. And I felt remorseful. And I felt like I just needed to get forgiveness.”
Izzy Battres Spent a Year in a Recovery Home & Hopes to Help Others Find the Help They Need
After the day in that church, Battres told Taite, there was “no more meth, no more madness. It was just a miracle.” But that didn’t mean he didn’t need help getting clean. According to HGTV, he spent time in a recovery home.
“After a year there, I realized I could be a productive member of society and make a living in construction,” he told the network in an interview. “I’ve learned that second, third, fourth and fifth chances are a gift from God and that failure is not final. You can learn and grow from your mistakes and that when you’re down, you really find out who your family and friends are.”
In March, Battres paid tribute to Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni Sr., an evangelical minister who Battres credited with saving his life. After Arguinzoni’s death at age 85, Battres wrote on Instagram that “Pastor Sonny Sr. wasn’t just a pastor—he was a warrior for the broken, a lifeline for the lost, and a father to those who had none.”
Although Battres opened up more than he thought he would on Taite’s podcast, he told him that he hoped to inspire others like those who helped him on his darkest days.
“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “There’s a lot of people out there who find themselves in that place and think they’re never going to get out, there’s no hope. And I’m just here to tell you guys that there is hope.”
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HGTV Star Bravely Reveals He Spent 2 Years Recovering From Meth Addiction: ‘Just a Miracle’