Netflix’s hit renovation reality series Dream Home Makeover is just as much about the show’s married host/designers Shea and Syd McGee as it is about the families whose homes are upgraded to fit their own unique style. The couple and their kids are certainly at least half of the show’s charm and their legions of fans are more curious about them than ever before now that Season 3 has dropped on Netflix. The couple has never expressly discussed their religious beliefs but many viewers are wondering if the couple are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints (members are often referred to as Mormons).
Shea McGee is definitely an alumnus of Brigham Young University. The university was founded by and named after Brigham Young, the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, AKA the LDS Church. The LDS Church has sponsored the university since it was established in 1845. Shea was a public relations major from Texas when she met Syd McGee, who was her brother’s roommate at nearby Utah Valley University. The two began dating one day after they met.
Although it is not a requirement that BYU students previously belong to or join the LDS Church, the vast majority of the student body are members. LDS Church members who attend the school are required to be religiously active by the school mandate. All students, regardless of religious affiliation, are required to uphold the school’s honor code at all times. According to the BYU undergraduate catalog, the honor code statement is as follows:
“As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, administration, staff, and students of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii, Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to demonstrate in daily living on and off campus those moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will
- Be honest
- Live a chaste and virtuous life
- Obey the law and all campus policies
- Use clean language
- Respect others
- Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
- Participate regularly in church services
- Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
- Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code
Specific policies embodied in the Honor Code include (1) the Academic Honesty Policy, (2) the Dress and Grooming Standards, (3) the Residential Living Standards, and (4) the Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement. (Refer to institutional policies for more detailed information.)”
The pair are also residents of Salt Lake City, Utah, a state that has the largest LDS population of any state. So far, the pair has neither confirmed nor denied that they are or were active members of the church, although they are listed as such on MormonWiki, a free online wiki purportedly edited by Church members, but the page does not cite any primary sources. The pair haven’t talked about their relationship with any church or denomination in either their hit design show or their two books. Until they choose to inform the public, their religious affiliation will remain their own secret.