For the first time in years, Tessa Barrera has nowhere to be. On a recent afternoon, that meant walking the fairways at Sharpstown Park Golf Course, scanning the grass for a ball that veered off course and laughing about how that’s just part of the game.
“This is what golf really is,” she said at one point, pausing mid-interview to watch another player line up a shot. “It’s literally just looking for your ball.”
Just a day later, Barrera would sign off from Houston Life for the last time. Her final day co-hosting the KPRC 2 lifestyle show alongside Derrick Shore was on Tuesday, closing out a three-year run that ended more abruptly than viewers may have realized.
“Three weeks ago, I didn’t know I was leaving,” Barrera told Chron.
Tessa Barrera joined co-host Derrick Shore on Houston Life back in July 2023. (Houston Life)
Her contract was set to expire on March 31, but negotiations with station leadership didn’t land where she hoped. Barrera said she asked for a more significant raise than what was offered and ultimately chose to walk away.
“It sucks, but it was about money, and that’s okay,” she said.
The decision marks another pivot in a career that has rarely slowed. A Corpus Christi native, Barrera joined Houston Life in July 2023 after a series of guest appearances following Courtney Zavala’s departure. Before that, she built a following on Houston radio’s 94.5 The Buzz’s The Rod Ryan Show, juggling both radio and TV before leaving the morning show in December 2024 to focus on television full-time.
That stretch, she said, was both rewarding and exhausting.
“The long days are really long,” Barrera said. “You don’t turn off who you are ever.”
Tessa Barrera said she didn’t expect to leave Houston Life when her contract was set to expire. (Ariana Garcia)
Even after stepping away from the radio, the pace of daily live television left little room for anything else.
“I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a doctor’s appointment,” she said.
Out on the course, though, the pace is different. Golf, she said, forces her to slow down, even if it means wandering off the fairway to track down another shot.
“The more you try to hit that ball, the more the ball’s like, that’s not how you do it,” she said.
Tessa Barrera is trading studio time for the golf course as she figures out what’s next. (Ariana Garcia)
Now, for the first time in years, she’s stepping into that same kind of uncertainty by choice. Barrera doesn’t have a full-time job lined up yet, but opportunities are already starting to trickle in. She’s heading out of town this weekend to work as an analyst for an Indoor Football League game, a gig she said “just kind of dropped in my lap.”
She’s also looking to rebuild her podcast, relaunching Tess Talks 2.0, and is open to leaning further into digital content and brand partnerships.
“Maybe a full-blown influencer,” she said, laughing.
For now, flexibility is the goal.
“I think that’s a key word for me in this change-open,” Barrera said. “What feels good, what sounds good, what really feeds my soul.”
Tessa Barrera is entering a new chapter after stepping away from Houston Life. (Ariana Garcia)
Part of that shift is practical. Barrera said she saved money during her radio career and plans to rely on that cushion while she figures out her next move. But it’s also personal.
After years of tightly scheduled days, she’s looking forward to slowing down in ways her job didn’t allow, spending more time with family, reconnecting with friends and simply being present.
“Maybe actually getting out on the golf course a little bit,” she said.
Tessa Barrera is making time for golf after leaving the daily grind of Houston Life. (Ariana Garcia)
That reset also comes with a creative shift. Barrera said she’s excited to show more of her personality online without the constraints of traditional TV.
That could mean anything from social media content to trying stand-up comedy-something friends have already encouraged her to explore. “Try something new and just be bold and brave and be fun,” she said.
Even as she steps away, Barrera said she hopes viewers understand the decision wasn’t easy.
“I just hope they don’t think I’m abandoning them,” she said.
Tessa Barrera is planning her next move after stepping away from Houston Life. (Ariana Garcia)
If anything, she sees this moment as a chance to build something on her own terms after years of helping elevate others as a co-host.
“It’s important sometimes to be your own co-host and pour that into yourself,” she said.
Out on the course, that kind of reset looks simple: a swing, a miss, a walk through the grass, and another try.
“I am excited and terrified,” she said.
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This article originally published at What’s next for Tessa Barrera after leaving ‘Houston Life’.