Home renovation masters Joanna and Chip Gaines shocked fans in September 2017 when they announced
the end of their popular HGTV series, Fixer Upper.
Considering the show's popularity, and the estimated $30,000 the Gaineses made per episode,
the confusion was legitimate.
So, what's the actual story?
Although they've given many interviews on why they left Fixer Upper, some viewers don't
believe their claim that they quit due to exhaustion.
Let's explore some of the real reasons Chip and Joanna bid farewell to HGTV.
Family first
Being in the public eye when you have kids can be scary, especially if you have a huge
fan following like Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Case in point: a source claimed to Us Weekly in October 2017 that Chip and Joanna pulled
the plug on Fixer Upper because people were supposedly treating their home like a tourist
destination, saying.
"People drive by and like to take pictures in front of their house.
I think they just want to take a step back from it."
In addition to safety concerns, their kids are growing up quickly, and the Gaines welcomed
a new baby, Crew, to the household in June 2018.
It makes sense that the two left HGTV to spend more time with their family.
In an interview with People, Chip said,
"[The kids] would ask, 'Mom and Dad, do you guys have to film again today?
When is this going to be over?'"
“We have this young, growing family… and I just think that was one of the biggest reasons
why we wanted off."
Now that Chip and Joanna have decided to walk away from the show, they look forward to enjoying
everyday activities with their children.
Committed to each other
Rumors of marital problems have plagued Joanna and Chip for years, so it was only natural
that many fans assumed the couple walked away to save their supposedly failing marriage.
Asked by Today if there's any truth to this theory, Chip's answer was a bit complicated.
"Well, yeah.
I give them a little credence.
There is always what’s next.
For us, the most important thing in the world is Jo and I's relationship."
Translation: Chip and Joanna broke ties with HGTV, in part, in order to preserve their
union.
Better to be safe than sorry.
No longer inspired
As hard as it may be, sometimes you just have to admit when something doesn't inspire you
anymore.
Chip and Joanna, who devoted their lives to home renovation for four years, had to deal
with this scenario when they decided to move on from HGTV.
In his book, Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff, Chip wrote
"It's difficult to give your heart and soul to something that no longer inspires you,
and for us, that's the show.
[...] Our fifth, final season is our favorite yet, even if getting to the finish line has
been a struggle."
Sometimes the truth hurts.
Taking a break
It can sometimes look like Chip and Joanna are robots who run on endless energy, but
these two aren't immune to exhaustion, and after four years of tirelessly working on
Fixer Upper, the pair was physically depleted.
Chip talked about the reality of filming the show 11 months out of the year with People,
saying,
“Nobody told us that was unique.
Nobody told us that that was a little bit irrational."
The good news: Joanna and Chip made the wise decision to practice self-care and to step
back from the limelight for a minute.
Joanna weighed in on the couple’s bittersweet decision, saying
"We gave everything we had to this show, the beautiful homes and those sweet families,
but this just felt like the right time to catch our breath for a bit."
Magnolia Table
When Joanna announced plans in June 2017 to open a restaurant in their hometown of Waco,
Texas, fans wondered how the duo would find time to become restaurateurs amid their busy
filming schedule.
The answer arrived in September 2017, Chip and Joanna walked away from HGTV to focus
on their stylish eatery, Magnolia Table.
From planning the restaurant's menu to designing the establishment's interiors, Chip and Joanna
were completely hands-on during the entire process, and just six months after Chip and
Joanna announced their breakup with HGTV, their restaurant opened its doors in March
2018.
Well, at least fans get to chow down on Chip and Joanna's favorite recipes for years to
come.
We think that's a pretty fair trade-off.
Other projects
For years, Joanna and Chip proved to be powerhouse entrepreneurs even in spite of their hectic
HGTV schedule.
In fact, according to People, by the time they called it quits on Fixer Upper, they
had already lined up a staggering amount of existing and future projects to pivot toward.
On top of a cookbook from Joanna, their restaurant, and Chip's aforementioned memoir, this busy
couple also runs vacation rentals, a magazine, and Magnolia Market at the Silos, which includes
a flea market, a garden, food trucks, and their Silos Baking Co. eatery.
Don't forget about their booming Waco real estate business and Pier One and Kilz brand
product lines.
They also have multiple collaborations with Target, as well as plans for a new line specifically
for kids.
Frankly, it's amazing these people had time to eat or sleep, let alone shoot a TV show
11 months out of the year.
Is it really such a mystery that they decided to take that one giant, time-consuming commitment
off their plates?
They're already rich
It's no secret that Chip and Joanna Gaines have a nice nest egg thanks to Fixer Upper.
In fact, the couple is rumored to have a combined net worth of about $18 million.
Impressive, right?
Given the fact that Chip and Joanna are pretty well off, it doesn't necessarily make sense
that they would continue working at HGTV.
It's not like they'll run out of money anytime soon.
Plus, Chip isn't too concerned about finances — a piece of info that might surprise some
fans.
"Losing all your money is only a one on a scale of one on a scale of one to ten.”
“That wasn’t a big deal to him.”
Tell us how you really feel, Chip.