When Fixer Upper ended, it left many fans of the super-popular HGTV show wondering why. And now, Chip and Joanna Gaines are finally opening up about just how “desperate” they were to step out of the “whirlwind”.
In 2017, Joanna and Chip Gaines blindsided fans by announcing the last season for Fixer Upper. Given the incredible success of the show, fans couldn’t help but ask, why?
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For the beloved HGTV sweethearts, it was just time. A combination of being spread too thin and a desire for more family time seemed to drive the decision. And it wasn’t too long before another big announcement hit — Chip and Joanna Gaines pregnant.
Even so, many continued to wonder why Fixer Upper ended when it did. And when Chip and Joanna Gaines announced on Jimmy Fallon in 2018 they’d be starting their very own TV network, the confusion deepened.
But recently, Joanna and Chip Gaines provided a bit more clarity around their decision to ultimately split from HGTV.
The Unexpected Success Of Fixer Upper
Though it may have come as a surprise to fans when Fixer Upper ended, it turns out Chip and Joanna knew it was coming a full 2 years before the shocking announcement.
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You see, Chip and Joanna Gaines became home improvement superstars by accident.
A reality-TV producer named Katie Neff just happened upon a blog featuring one of Joanna’s homes. The instant success of the show surprised everyone, including Chip and Jo. They’d expected Fixer Upper to do well in the heartland but it quickly became a hit all across the country.
“It was defying all of those logical boundaries that were put on it,” Chip explained. “We realized people care about home, no matter where it is.”
This idea of home — the place you where you live with your loved ones — became the couple’s primary focus, shaping their Magnolia brand.
Meanwhile, the focus of their HGTV show became more and more about Chip and Joanna.
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Joanna And Chip Gaines Reach A Fork In The Road
According to Chip Gaines, the direction they were getting from the show’s producers was more like, “We need you to always be together. Chip, if you’re hanging drywall, we need Joanna to be standing there making cupcakes.”
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And while their time filming Fixer Upper was a blessing, Chip and Joanna Gaines realized it was getting in the way of the true focus in their hearts — their Magnolia brand.
“The show was limiting our involvement in what was taking place here in this office,” Joanna says. “We were pouring so much time into doing this thing that had to fit in this format, and it was a conflict with our growing business.”
Why Fixer Upper Ended
As the act of balancing their hearts desires with the filming of Fixer Upper grew more and more “complicated”, Chip and Joanna Gaines finally realized something had to give.
At the height of the show, before Fixer Upper ended, the couple says they were putting in “100 hours a week”. And now, they are opening up even more about why they made the decision they did.
“I think for Jo and I, as we look back on the whole Fixer Upper thing, the reason we were so excited and almost desperate to step out of it was just because we felt that whirlwind had gotten so complicated to that it was hard for us to coexist in it,” Chip said.
The end of Fixer Upper was a tough pill for fans to swallow. But as faith-filled Christians, Chip and Joanna know God has a season for everything.
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And today, they have no doubt they made the right call walking away when they did, despite the success of the show.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Ecclesiastes 3:1
h/t: Showbiz Cheatsheet
Featured Image: Instagram/Joanna Gaines