Hallmark Channel Abruptly Fires Home & Family's Mark Steines

Home and Family co-host Mark Steines is no longer with the Hallmark Channel.

The network's Twitter account announced Thursday night that the network has "parted ways" with the co-host of the daily morning talk show.

"Today Hallmark Channel has parted ways with Mark Steines as the co-host of the network's lifestyle series Home & Family," the statement reads. "We are extremely grateful to Mark for his incredible work and wish him all the best success in his future endeavors."

Steines' rep told Deadline that Steines' firing came as a complete surprise. He went in to tape Thursday's episode on Wednesday and was told he was being let go. He reportedly had time left on his contract, too, so this is not just him not being asked back.

"The network's given explanation for making the change was 'creative reasons;' there were no other reasons given," the rep told Deadline, adding that "we had had nothing but positive reviews and feedback from Hallmark for the entirety of the time he has been on the show including this year."

Matenopoulos announced Steines' exit during Friday's show, which was taped Thursday. "We have a very hard announcement to deliver," she said. "Our dear friend, our very good friend, and my wonderful co-host for years, Mr. Mark Steines, is no longer with Home & Family."

"He has been an amazing friend to all of us here at Hallmark Channel, the cast, the crew and a wonderful friend to all of you at home as well," she continued, choking back tears. "And we are grateful to Mark, and we want to thank him from the bottom of our hearts for six of the most incredible years that he has had here hosting this incredible show that he helped build. He really did. He's been here from the beginning and a lot of this show has Mark's handprint on it, so we support him in everything he does in the future, his future endeavors. We will miss him dearly and we will think about him fondly and often and we thank you all at home for your kindness and understanding and your support and for being part of our family everyday."

Steines, who was previously a correspondent on Entertainment Tonight, co-hosted Home and Family, a talk show focused on crafts and cooking, since 2012, first with Cristina Ferrare and with Debbie Matenopoulos since 2016. Ferrare left the show under similarly abrupt circumstances when the network replaced her with Matenopoulos. Matenopoulos is currently listed as the show's sole host on the network's website.

Home and Family airs weekday mornings at 10/9c on the Hallmark Channel.