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Waterbury Couple Angelina and Steven Jacobs Win Battle on the Beach Premiere, Reveal Homelessness Struggles
HGTV’s home‑renovation competition Battle on the Beach returned on June 1 with a new season and a fresh lineup of teams. Among the first to appear on the beach were married couple Angelina and Steven Jacobs from Waterbury, Connecticut. The pair, who are mentored by Sarah Baeumler, won the first design challenge of Season 5, impressing judges Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama with a living‑room and entry‑way makeover.
The Jacobs team’s victory came after the couple chose the houses they and their competitors would renovate. In a post‑win confessional, Angelina called the experience a "one in a million" opportunity and urged the team to keep the momentum. The win also gave the couple a boost in a season that has already drawn attention for its high‑profile mentors and competitive format.
Angelina and Steven have been together for 18 years and married for 11. They have four children. In an interview with The Hour, Angelina said, "We’re very close, me and my husband… we really do this, you know, as best as we can and with everything that we got." The couple’s partnership extends beyond the show; Angelina owns the home‑renovation company She Buildz Things, which she founded seven years ago. She added that she learned most of her construction skills on her own and that her husband joined the business two years ago.
The couple’s background in renovation also includes a self‑taught approach. Angelina explained in a Season 5 premiere confessional that she had faced comments such as, "You’re too pretty to do construction. You’re too beautiful to do construction," but she remained committed to the trade. She and Steven showcase their projects on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Behind the scenes, the Jacobs team faced significant personal challenges. After winning the premiere challenge, Angelina revealed that she and Steven had been experiencing homelessness during filming. "This win is very important because we’ve been going through our own situations, you know, from sleeping on other people’s couches…" she said before becoming emotional. Steven added, "It’s OK. I know." The couple had been staying on a relative’s couch and transporting belongings in a U‑Haul truck while continuing to work on jobs. According to the interview, they remained homeless for one month after filming concluded, moving into a new apartment on May 18.
Mentor Sarah Baeumler spoke about working with the Jacobs team. "Our teammates, this is their craft as well. This is their business. They’re emerging talent, and also some that have huge followings already and are well respected in the industry," Baeumler told TV Insider ahead of the premiere. She added that she was there to support and guide the team, noting that the competition involves a lot of money and that the contestants are there to win for themselves.
Angelina also expressed enthusiasm about future opportunities. In her Hour interview, she said she had told producers that she and Steven would like to appear on other home‑renovation series, including redemption or all‑star shows. "Whatever I’m allowed to do and able to do, I’ll do. I’ll travel. I’ll go to Canada with Sarah. I’ll do it all," she said.
The season continues to showcase a range of couples and teams, each paired with a mentor from the HGTV roster. The show’s format, which has been praised for its blend of design competition and personal storytelling, remains a staple of HGTV’s summer programming lineup.
As the season progresses, viewers will see how the Jacobs team navigates the challenges of renovating beachfront properties while balancing their personal lives and the pressures of a televised competition. Their story highlights the resilience of contestants who bring real‑world experience and personal adversity to the set, adding depth to the show’s narrative.
The Battle on the Beach Season 5 will air on Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HGTV, continuing the network’s focus on home‑improvement reality programming.
The Jacobs team’s victory came after the couple chose the houses they and their competitors would renovate. In a post‑win confessional, Angelina called the experience a "one in a million" opportunity and urged the team to keep the momentum. The win also gave the couple a boost in a season that has already drawn attention for its high‑profile mentors and competitive format.
Angelina and Steven have been together for 18 years and married for 11. They have four children. In an interview with The Hour, Angelina said, "We’re very close, me and my husband… we really do this, you know, as best as we can and with everything that we got." The couple’s partnership extends beyond the show; Angelina owns the home‑renovation company She Buildz Things, which she founded seven years ago. She added that she learned most of her construction skills on her own and that her husband joined the business two years ago.
The couple’s background in renovation also includes a self‑taught approach. Angelina explained in a Season 5 premiere confessional that she had faced comments such as, "You’re too pretty to do construction. You’re too beautiful to do construction," but she remained committed to the trade. She and Steven showcase their projects on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Behind the scenes, the Jacobs team faced significant personal challenges. After winning the premiere challenge, Angelina revealed that she and Steven had been experiencing homelessness during filming. "This win is very important because we’ve been going through our own situations, you know, from sleeping on other people’s couches…" she said before becoming emotional. Steven added, "It’s OK. I know." The couple had been staying on a relative’s couch and transporting belongings in a U‑Haul truck while continuing to work on jobs. According to the interview, they remained homeless for one month after filming concluded, moving into a new apartment on May 18.
Mentor Sarah Baeumler spoke about working with the Jacobs team. "Our teammates, this is their craft as well. This is their business. They’re emerging talent, and also some that have huge followings already and are well respected in the industry," Baeumler told TV Insider ahead of the premiere. She added that she was there to support and guide the team, noting that the competition involves a lot of money and that the contestants are there to win for themselves.
Angelina also expressed enthusiasm about future opportunities. In her Hour interview, she said she had told producers that she and Steven would like to appear on other home‑renovation series, including redemption or all‑star shows. "Whatever I’m allowed to do and able to do, I’ll do. I’ll travel. I’ll go to Canada with Sarah. I’ll do it all," she said.
The season continues to showcase a range of couples and teams, each paired with a mentor from the HGTV roster. The show’s format, which has been praised for its blend of design competition and personal storytelling, remains a staple of HGTV’s summer programming lineup.
As the season progresses, viewers will see how the Jacobs team navigates the challenges of renovating beachfront properties while balancing their personal lives and the pressures of a televised competition. Their story highlights the resilience of contestants who bring real‑world experience and personal adversity to the set, adding depth to the show’s narrative.
The Battle on the Beach Season 5 will air on Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HGTV, continuing the network’s focus on home‑improvement reality programming.
