Almost two years after the final episode of Fixer Upper aired, you could still make a case Chip and Joanna Gaines are the biggest names in reality television’s home restoration department (sorry to other possibilities there). The couple are still in demand when it comes to interviews. They still have a successful business marketing their sense of style. They’re about to launch Magnolia Network, and reruns of Fixer Upper are still being streamed by adoring fans. No doubt many of those same fans are still clamoring for the couple to make new Fixer Upper episodes, but the couple seems very at peace with their sudden decision to walk away.
Speaking to E! Online in a pretty candid interview, the couple both said it ultimately came down to time or lack thereof. Apparently it felt like they were working “100 hours a week” and like their lives were just a blur. Between doing TV, looking after their real life business and trying to be a family, it got very chaotic. Here’s a portion of Chip’s quote…
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.
In a way, this gets to the heart, I think, of why people connected with and continue to connect with the Gaines family so honestly. They’re very relatable (even if they have their own line at Target), and it feels like they’re always trying to do the right thing. Some of that may be for the cameras, but it’s difficult to fake authenticity. They seem to have it, and their hearts seem to be in the right place.
You also just can’t do everything. That’s a sad fact of life far too many people, both of the celebrity and the not celebrity variety, have discovered. I think those lines get especially blurry for reality stars. Doing the production shoots is one thing, but at some point, all the other less glamorous things about fixing up a house need to get finished too.
It’s a lot of juggling, and in retrospect, that’s a lot of what Joanna Gaines sees. Here’s a portion of a quote from her, as well…
When I look back, I remember 2012 and I remember last year, but then that time in the middle it was just such a blur…trying to juggle the business, the family and this whole production thing with Fixer Upper.
It’s still unclear what form the shows on Chip and Joanna’s network Magnolia will take. We know they will be involved in many in some capacity, but if they want to take time to raise their kids, reconnect as a couple and do other things, then they’ve earned that route. Come back when you’re ready, friends. We’ll all be waiting.
