Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known as a judge on RTÉ's Home of the Year, has died suddenly at the age of 68. His husband, Martin Corbett, announced the news on Wallace’s Instagram account, saying he passed away at home.
In a statement, Corbett wrote: “It is with deep sadness and shock that I share the news that my beloved husband and soulmate, Hugh Wallace, passed away suddenly at home last night. I am heartbroken. Please respect my privacy at this deeply painful time.”
Wallace was the only judge to appear in every series of Home of the Year since it began in 2015. He also featured on The Great House Revival and My Bungalow Bliss. Away from television, he was a founding partner of Dublin-based Douglas Wallace Architects, working on hotels, retail spaces and homes across Ireland.
RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst paid tribute, saying Wallace’s passion for design made him “a hugely popular figure with audiences and across the industry”. He added: “On RTÉ’s hugely popular Home of the Year, Hugh… inspired viewers to engage with the vast possibilities of innovative design.”
Interior designer Sarah Cosgrove, who worked with Wallace on Home of the Year, described his death as “devastating”, adding: “He was so full of life. I think that was the energy that Hugh brought to everything he did.”
Wallace spoke openly about his struggle with alcoholism and his decision to seek help, describing it as a “second chance at life”. He is survived by his husband, Martin Corbett.
