The Real Reason Chip & Joanna Gaines Are Leaving ‘Fixer Upper’
We’re still dealing with the emotional trauma associated with Joanna and Chip Gaines’s decision to leave Fixer Upper after the upcoming fifth season. (Seriously, our therapist is making a killing.) But at the very least, they’ve now offered an explanation.
In the latest issue of People, Joanna discussed what went into making the life-changing (for us) verdict and revealed they need a moment to just be Chip and Joanna. She said, “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.”
But the HGTV stars aren’t the only ones who need a break. The couple began to notice their four children—Drake (12), Ella (11), Duke (9) and Emmie Kay (7)—were also tiring of the show’s demands. Chip continued, “They would ask, ‘Mom and Dad, do you guys have to film again today? When is this going to be over?” To which Joanna added, “The kids were so young when we started. Fast-forward to today and our oldest is almost a teenager—they’re all growing up so quickly.”
Fixer Upper premiered in 2013 and instantly turned the Gaineses into an HGTV household couple, but the show’s grueling production schedule made filming particularly exhausting. Chip added, “Nobody told us that that was unique. Nobody told us that that was a little bit irrational.”
As for the couple’s future, Joanna says they’re looking forward to spending more time with family and building their Magnolia business. (And Target line, no doubt.) She added, “We really want to focus on this break and take a step back to let this all soak in. Regardless of what the future holds, we are hopeful for what God has for us and our family in this next season.”
The fifth and final season of Fixer Upper premieres on Tuesday, November 28, on HGTV. We’ll be watching, box of tissues in hand.
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