Scott McGillivray and his wife, Sabrina McGillivray, have appeared together on a home renovation reality TV show
Scott McGillivray and his wife, Sabrina McGillivray, know that love makes a house feel like a home. For nearly two decades, the HGTV star has been working on making a name for himself as a home renovation expert, but it's not his success in business that defines him.
Scott holds many titles when it comes to his career -- including entrepreneur, investor, television host, author and educator -- but it's his role as a girl dad and husband to Sabrina that makes him most proud.
While it's almost certain that Scott has inspired many home improvement enthusiasts over the course of his career, it's Sabrina whom he credits as being the one to look up to.
"To the perfect role model," he began an Instagram tribute to her in May 2024. "The one who never misses a beat, the one who holds it all together, the one who manages to do it all and make it look easy. Happy Mother's Day Sabrina. And Happy Mother's Day to all the incredible moms out there."
In fact, Scott rarely misses an opportunity to celebrate Sabrina and their daughters, Layla and Myah. For International Women's Day in March 2024, Scott gushed: "Blessed to be surrounded by the best brightest and most beautiful family I could ever ask for. I wouldn't have it any other way!"
So, who is Scott McGillivray's wife? Here's everything to know about Sabrina McGillivray.
Sabrina has worked as a teacher at a catholic school in Ontario, Canada for years, and while much of her career-life is kept private, Scott has been open about how he admires her dedication to her work.
"Sabrina is an incredibly hard-working woman," he wrote in a post for HGTV Canada's website in February 2019. "She's a full-time teacher, a full-time mom, an amazing caretaker, and the best partner I could hope for."
Scott went on to share that it's up to him to spoil her every now and then "since she rarely takes time for herself."
"One of my favourite surprises for her was last year when I hired a personal shopper to come to the house and bring the stores to her," he explained in the post. "She had a ton of fun, made even more so by the fact that it's not something she ever would have done for herself in a million years."
Scott and Sabrina tied the knot in June, 2008 in Vaughn, Ontario, on a day that he once described in a post on X (formerly Twitter) as "incredible" with "so many amazing memories."
Reflecting on 15 years of marriage in 2023, Scott wrote on Facebook, "Has anything changed in 15 years? Well... Yes. And I couldn't be happier. Not to brag, but this is the best investment I've ever made! Happy 15th babe!"
Prior to having kids, Scott and Sabrina enjoyed date nights which included dinner and drinks.
"Back in the early days we really knew how to do it right," he wrote, in part, on HGTV's website in 2019. "Dinner, drinks and a couple of sombreros equals the perfect recipe for romance!"
Speaking about Sabrina's unwavering support for him, Scott penned: "I need to be clear that while I love to give Sabrina great gifts, she's done a million amazing things for me too. She has always supported everything I've done with my career, but one thing she was never interested in was joining me on camera. But when the idea for Moving the McGillivrays came along, I knew it could never happen without her. Despite her hesitations, she agreed, because she knew how important it was to me. It's not an easy thing to allow strangers into your home and to put yourself out there, but she did it for me. How awesome is that?"
Scott also explained that he doesn't wait until a special occasion to celebrate life with his wife.
"You know, as much fun as it is to be romantic on Valentine's Day, my favourite thing to do is sit back any night of the week after the kids have gone to sleep and have a glass of wine with my wife," he wrote. "It's the perfect time to reconnect, let go of the stress of the day, and remind each other why we chose to spend our lives together. I'm a very lucky guy, and I'm reminded of it each and every day."
The couple welcomed their first daughter, Myah, on January 24, 2012, and their second born, Layla, on October 29, 2013. In celebration of Layla's arrival, HGTV shared a sweet photo of Scott and Sabrina holding their newborn, writing. "Welcome to the newest member of the #HGTV family! Introducing Layla Chloe Mcgillivray. Born today and a healthy 6lbs. Congrats to the happy parents!"
During a 2022 podcast interview, Scott opened up about how being a father changed his mindset.
"I find as a parent, I'm living in the future a lot," he shared. "I'm always thinking down the road, I'm always trying to think, 'am I setting them up for success?' "
While reflecting on Valentine's Days over the years and how life has changed since welcoming their girls, Scott wrote on HGTV's website in 2019 that he is dedicated to making a lasting impression on how his daughters should expect to be treated.
"Valentine's Day used to be all about romance, but since our two little girls have entered the scene things have changed a bit," he wrote. "Champagne flutes may have been replaced with juice boxes, but I still like to make it a special night. So every year on February 14th I take all three of my girls on a "date." We dress up and go to a nice restaurant and I treat them to whatever they want."
He added: "As my daughters grow up I hope they'll remember that this is how they deserve to be treated."
In September 2016, Scott wrote a heartful post about what an amazing mom Sabrina is.
"Not only is she insanely beautiful, Sabrina's also the most incredible mother & a saint of a wife," he captioned a Facebook post. "Thank you for being especially patient & loving this year as we make big moves (pun intended) towards our bright future."
Sabrina joined her husband on the reality show Moving the McGillivrays in 2016, which followed the couple and their children as they built their dream home together. "With Scott's toughest and most demanding clients yet -- his own family -- he's under pressure to deliver big results," a synopsis for the show on Scott's website teased.
In the show, Sabrina's sewing skills were highlighted, even surprising her own husband that she was the talent behind their living room throw pillows.
"Scott may not have realized that Sabrina made their current living room's throw pillows, but she's been known to dig into some sewing projects every once in a while too," an article on HGTV revealed. "Having a designated space makes it easier to get to them; now she doesn't have to worry about hauling the sewing machine out of storage every time she wants to use it."
Scott previously dished on Sabrina's creativity while describing his favorite Halloweens, saying his wife is a great costumer.
"The family that plays together, stays together and we definitely like to play together. Sabrina is the best at making costumes and decorating the house," he wrote in 2019. "And she really goes all out at Halloween. But to be honest, sometimes I think Layla's just humouring us."
Sabrina, along with Scott, uses her creativity for good, having partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help build a home for local, hard-working families.
"Sabrina is a dancer, and I am not," Scott explained in a Valentine's Day post on HGTV's website. "When we got married I knew the first dance would be a big thing, so a few months before the big day, right around Valentine's Day, I surprised her with some dance lessons. She didn't need them but I did, and she really appreciated how hard I worked to try and master the dance."
"Little did we know at the time that the video of our wedding dance would end up on YouTube and get hundreds of thousands of views!" he added of the viral video in which the couple danced to Edwin McCain's "I Could Not Ask for More."
In Sabrina's Instagram bio, she also refers to herself as a "dance mom," seemingly hinting that at least one of their daughters has followed in her footsteps.