Maria Menounos: Designed to Last and Learning to Listen

In this inspiring and high-energy episode of Backstage Pass with Gentry Thomas, Maria Menounos joins Gentry to talk about her new Hulu series, Designed to Last. The show brings together teams of architects, engineers, and inventors as they compete in intense build challenges, creating homes designed to stand up against the worst Mother Nature can throw at them, including wind, water, snow, ice, and fire.

Fans can watch Designed to Last on Hulu here:
Designed to Last on Hulu

Maria gives Gentry a behind-the-scenes look at the wild production of the show, including the damage, destruction, and chaos that made filming so much fun. She talks about the excitement of watching these builds get pushed to the limit and how the series blends entertainment, science, design, and real-world preparedness.

The conversation also turns deeply personal as Maria opens up about surviving hardship, learning to roll with life’s punches, and becoming the CEO of her own health. She discusses how she discovered she had a brain tumor, the lessons she learned through that experience, and why resetting the nervous system has become such an important part of her healing and wellness journey.

Maria and Gentry also talk about her incredible career, from interviewing multiple U.S. presidents to growing up as an 80s and 90s kid, and the mindset that has helped her keep moving forward through every challenge.

From Hollywood stories to health wisdom and the chaos of a destructive design competition, this episode is full of heart, humor, resilience, and ins