Leslie Jordan Returns to TV in Posthumous Appearance
The late Jordan's previously-recorded 'Celebrity IOU' episode aired Monday night.
Leslie Jordan recently made his way back to the screen in a posthumous appearance on HGTV's Celebrity IOU.
In one of his last TV appearances, Jordan prepared a dramatic home renovation for Rosemary and Newell Alexander with the help of Property Brothers stars Drew and Jonathan Scott.
The previously-recorded Season 3 premiere of the series aired on Nov. 14, with the comedic actor surprising his two close friends as a gesture of gratitude for the support they've shown him over the course of their 40-year friendship.
Before the episode began, Drew and Jonathan Scott appeared on camera to share a touching remembrance for Jordan. "Working with him on Celebrity IOU wasn't just a highlight for the show, but really of our careers," Jonathan said.
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"Just the most gracious and kind human being who you’d ever meet and he was over the moon to give back to Rosemary and Newell, who are in the episode you're about to watch. He lived his entire life with the same loving gratitude for everyone he came in contact with," Drew concluded. "Leslie, we miss you very much."
The recipients of the renovation, Jordan divulged, befriended him soon after he arrived in Los Angeles from Chattanooga, Tenn., while he struggled with addiction issues. "I had some struggles with alcohol, a little drug use," Jordan told the expert design duo in the episode. "I'm 25 years clean and sober, but they were instrumental in that too because they never judged me. They were always so supportive."
When they arrived at the couple's home, the Hollywood veteran emotionally explained to his friends why he chose them to receive the gift of an updated living space.
"They said pick somebody in your past who helped you and pulled you through some hard times— I'm gonna cry — And so we're gonna redo things," he said. "We go so far back. They're family."
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The Will and Grace alum also shared a valuable life lesson. "I really found out the secret for happiness is to do for others. So I kept thinking over the years, 'You know if I ever got a chance to do something for people that were there for me that way, wouldn’t that be something?' But it never happened," he commented. "Then this came together, which is pretty amazing to be approached, and asked if there was anybody I would like to give back to. I didn't hesitate. It was like, 'Yeah, Rosemary and Newell," Jordan noted.
For six weeks, the actor worked on the Alexanders' house upgrades alongside the Scott brothers until the project's completion. "To be able to give this back to them is such an amazing feeling," he shared, jokingly adding, "They better invite me over."
The program ended with a touching epilogue that read: "Leslie Jordan: 1955-2022."
Jordan died on Oct. 24, 2022, in a tragic car accident. He was 67.
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