Why Veteran On New HGTV ‘Extreme Makeover’ Episode Reminds Guest Star Laila Ali Of Muhammad

Laila Ali is set to appear on Sunday’s new installment of HGTV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” During the episode, the four-time undefeated world champion boxer teams up with host Jesse Tyler Ferguson, a bunch of local volunteers, and designers Breegan Jane, Carrie Locklyn and Darren Keefe to help rebuild a military family’s home in Pomona, California.

Father, husband and veteran Pedro Jauregi works for the United States Veterans Initiative to help get homeless veterans off the streets. His years of service and generosity touched Ali. In fact, the guest star said Jauregi reminded her of her father, world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali.

“Pedro is a guy who loves his family, you know, but at the same time goes out into the world and gives back to the community,” Laila told the International Business Times. “So, sometimes, you know, your family might have to suffer. You’re not around as much...because you’re giving your time to the community. But as a whole, you know, it makes the world a better place for everybody.”

Laila added, “It just reminded me a lot of my dad because my dad growing up, he was gone a lot. I had nannies. I had different people taking care of me because he was out doing his work in the world...He had the kind of heart that my father had in terms of caring for people and being willing to give the shirt off his back.”

Muhammad, who died in 2016, also helped many in his lifetime. He spent a lot of his time promoting various causes surrounding world peace, civil rights, and hunger relief. His goodwill missions included trips to Cuba, Afghanistan, and North Korea. He even traveled to Iraq in the 1990s to help 15 American hostages escape in the run-up to the Gulf War.

Jauregi, a father of three, served eight years as a marine and four years in the United States Army.

“So, you know, [Pedro] just had a lot of pride and had great character and integrity about himself just from what I saw from his story,” Laila told IBT. “I was just so happy to be apart of this episode. It really felt special to me because of that connection. He really did remind me of my dad.”

Furthermore, the “Home Made Simple” host said her boxing career has helped her power through her personal challenges so that she can help families like the Jauregis.

“I’ve learned a lot of mental power fighting and, you know, that’s something that’s strong that you can take with you with anything that you do,” she explained. “I have a coach in my head... It’s like, ‘Girl get up, you’re doing something good for somebody.’ Cause it’d be easy to say, ‘No, I think I’m just going to take this day off. I’m not shooting my show let me just stay home and relax,’ but then you say no because it’s going to make a difference in somebody’s life.”

In the upcoming episode, viewers will see the mother of two use her skills to help the “Extreme Makeover” crew build a playhouse for Jauregi’s youngest daughter.

“I think that was just the perfect project for me to be a part of because I would put the same energy into it I would have if I was building it for my own child,” Laila explained. “And I could imagine what she would like.”

However, Laila warned that the renovation lifestyle for shows like “Extreme Makeover” isn’t glamorous.

“You’re going to kind of get messy sometimes,” she revealed. “With these kind of shows you don’t have hair and makeup people around fixing you up. It’s not a show for somebody who’s trying to be perfect all the time, for sure, because it’s like real work happening.”

You can catch Laila Ali on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on HGTV.