It turns out that Chip and Joanna Gaines feared they would not make it before the launch of their HGTV show. The financially rocky period for the do-it-yourself power couple came as the housing market fell into a downward spiral. For the Fixer Upper stars, things became a question of survival.
Chip and Joanna Gaines were talking at Hubspot’s annual INBOUND conference when they opened about those rough times. Fixer Upper premiered in 2013, putting the time frame that Joanna Gaines references occurring around 2008 or 2009. Discussing that problematic period, Joanna Gaines said (via People):
The four or five years before we did the show, when the housing crisis hit, things were so hard for us. We kept pressing through, even in those hard times. The value of what we learned in that is something I’d never want to do again, but I’d never not want that. The hard is what makes us appreciate this.
Every Friday, the two were left to wonder if they would make it -- and that went on for four to five undoubtedly exhausting years. That tough spot has given Chip and Joanna Gaines an appreciation for what they have now. They kept pressing, and the determination paid off for the former Fixer Upper duo.
It is not the first time that the couple has opened up about the struggles they endured before finding fame. Joanna Gaines previously discussed the financial issues that filled the early years of their marriage. Little did they know what would eventually await them.
The Gaines’ renovation reality show launched in 2013 and became a massive hit with viewers. It even got a spinoff. The duo found the light at the end of the tunnel and it has shined bright. The brilliant light that awaited them did not mean the couple stopped taking chances.
Despite the overwhelming popularity of their HGTV show, Chip and Joanna Gaines decided to end the uber-popular Fixer Upper. Considering the popularity of the couple’s series, emotions ran high. Their move totally freaked out the network’s CEO, and fans were probably not far behind.
It was a lot to take in when Fixer Upper came to an end with its fifth season. The final installment finished airing in 2018, a milestone that Chip Gaines acknowledged. Gaines celebrated the series’ last episode with a sweet post on social media. While they were done with their days on Fixer Upper, they decided to expand their family.
In early 2018, the couple announced they were expecting their fifth child. Chip and Joanna Gaines welcomed their baby boy in June 2018. Married for sixteen years (and counting), parents to five kids, reality stars, and home design moguls. What is next for the dynamic duo? For those who missed seeing the couple on HGTV, great news arrived with the announcement of their TV return.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the Gaines would be starring in another fixer upper. This time, a network instead of a home. Chip and Joanna Gaines will be the stars of Discovery’s replacement for the DIY network. It is set to arrive next year. The new network will also reportedly include a streaming app and their own new TV show.
You can catch back up with Chip and Joanna Gaines when they make their TV return sometime in 2020. While you wait for the Gaines’ upcoming venture, check out this fall’s premieres.
