Chip And Joanna Gaines Finally Discussed Why They Walked Away At The Height Of Their Popularity

No-one expected Chip and Joanna to walk away. They had it all – wealth, fame, children, an obviously beautiful house – and they had previously been happy to live life in front of the HGTV cameras. Leaving the channel would mean a complete rethink of their careers, but they did it anyway.

In the months after the unexpected exit, fans had questions. Would the Gaineses move on to a new show, and if so, could it ever be as popular as Fixer Upper? Was anything going on in their personal lives that had forced their hand? After all, the couple had been the subject of rumors for a very long time.  

Well, Chip and Joanna finally came out and discussed the matter themselves, several years after their dramatic departure. They gave an in-depth interview to The Hollywood Reporter magazine and explained what had been happening behind the scenes. There was also mention of the criticism they had received since starting out.

And over the years there had been a lot of criticism, some of it bordering on scandal even. In November 2016 show guest David Ridley claimed to Fox News that the show was fake in effect, or crucial parts of it were at least. He had, he said, bought his house long before he went on Fixer Upper.

Ridley claimed, “You have to be under contract to be on the show. They show you other homes but you already have one. After they select you, they send your house to Chip and Joanna and their design team.” Representatives for the Gaineses declined to comment on the Fox News piece.

HGTV did bite back, though, without perhaps addressing the claim directly. The network said in a statement, “Fixer Upper fans enjoy the series because it focuses on the playful banter between Chip and Jo, their home renovation expertise, innovative design tips and families who get the help they need to transform a fixer upper into the home of their dreams.”

And then in 2018 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noticed a safety issue with Chip and Joanna’s work. The EPA reviewed some footage of Fixer Upper and discovered that the couple weren’t removing their lead paint properly during home renovations, causing a risk of exposure to the material. This was a serious matter.

The EPA issued a $40,000 fine to Magnolia Homes, the Gaines’ company. But that wasn’t all – the Gaineses also had to reassure their customers. Magnolia Homes ended up releasing a special video about the dangers of lead-based paint, in addition to talking about the issue on Fixer Upper.

So as you can see, it’s not always easy running a successful TV show. And the Gaineses don’t necessarily get along with the guests all the time, either. In 2016 the couple did a Facebook Live chat. And Chip admitted to having “a lot of examples of projects that didn’t go as expected” where he ended up “with inappropriate thoughts about the homeowners.”

Some other things were revealed in that Facebook chat. Chip seemed a little uncertain about the television host aspect of his career. He said, “We had a full-time job when this opportunity presented itself to us. We honestly thought this was a hobby-like activity, but unfortunately, it really is a full-time job.”

Chip went on, “So now [we] have a full-time job running full-time business, then we have a full-time job basically managing the expectations from the production company…And everybody could argue that raising four kids 11 and under is a full-time job.” He did however add, “It’s exactly the way I’d want it.”

Then in late 2016 a controversy hit that arguably outweighed all the others. The website Buzzfeed investigated the church the Gaineses attended in Texas, and discovered their pastor was anti-LGBT and supported conversion therapy. That led to a spate of intense speculation: were Chip and Joanna the same?

A HGTV spokesperson released a statement to Buzzfeed in response to the article. It read, “We don’t discriminate against members of the LGBT community in any of our shows. HGTV is proud to have a crystal clear, consistent record of including people from all walks of life in its series.” But there was no word from the Gaineses yet.

Yet come January 2017 Chip released a statement of sorts on the official Magnolia blog. He wrote, “Joanna and I have personal convictions. One of them is this: we care about you for the simple fact that you are a person, our neighbor on planet earth. It’s not about what color your skin is, how much money you have in the bank, your political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, nationality or faith.”

So Chip and Joanna appeared to weather that scandal. But throughout 2017 a rumor spread that Joanna, at least, had plans to leave HGTV. Apparently she wanted to go into the beauty industry and start a line of face cream products. She had to deny that one directly via her blog.

In April of that year Joanna wrote, “Always remember: if you’re reading big, exciting news about us, and we did not confirm it on our official sites, then proceed with caution.” She added at the end, “No worries, believing some of these stories happens to the best of us. In summary, don’t buy the facial cream, friends.”

But then Joanna and Chip did announce some big news via their official sites. In September 2017 they wrote a blog post which began, “It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that season 5 of Fixer Upper will be our last. While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with.”

The Gaineses went on, speaking directly to all the Fixer Upper fans, “Our family has grown up alongside yours, and we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. How bittersweet to say goodbye to the very thing that introduced us all in the first place.”

Perhaps anticipating that there would be questions, the Gaineses continued, “This has nothing to do with a fraudulent skincare line or anything else you’ll inevitably read. This is just us recognizing that we need to catch our breath for a moment. Our plan is to take this time to shore up and strengthen the spots that are weak, rest the places that are tired and give lots of love and attention to both our family and our businesses.”

And there certainly seemed to be no bad blood with HGTV. The post concluded with, “We will forever be thankful for HGTV and this opportunity of a lifetime. We are also thankful to our production company, Highnoon Entertainment and our amazing producers and crew on the ground here in Waco. We are grateful for them and for you.”

But as time went by, Joanna and Chip began speaking more openly about why they’d quit. When the couple sat down with The Hollywood Reporter in June 2021, they gave some frank answers about how living life in the public eye had affected them and their family.

According to Joanna, the brand and their status as TV stars had simply become too much to handle. She said, “We realized we didn’t necessarily love that side of the camera, and that part became a full-time job. We’ve got a big family. We’ve got a business. The show ended up where we had to constantly be feeding it.”

And Joanna had something else to say as well. While crying a little, she said, “The accusations that get thrown at you, like you’re a racist or you don’t like people in the LGBTQ community, that’s the stuff that really eats my lunch — because it’s so far from who we really are. That’s the stuff that keeps me up.”

Joanna was also trying to cut down on social media, she revealed, even though it was a helpful business tool. She explained, “It’s like you’re always going to make a lot of people mad, and you’re always going to make a lot of people happy. I don’t think as humans we’re meant to carry that kind of weight.”

But inside sources had their own thoughts about what might have spurred the Gaineses on to leave. In October 2017 a “HGTV network insider” told Page Six magazine, “Since the Gaineses were relatively unknown when they started, they signed the general Scripps [network] talent contract. Scripps talent contracts are very restrictive.”

The source went on, “The talent can’t do anything without [the network’s] approval – any appearance, any publicity, any endorsement, any product – you have to ask them for permission. It is awful. And on top of that, Scripps takes a big percentage of everything you make – books, appearances, endorsements, products. If you make money, they take most of the money.”

The anonymous source went on to Page Six, “As Chip and Joanna grew more famous and popular over the years, HGTV conceded to a few changes to their contract – like not taking a percentage of their Target collection – but they still wanted the Gaineses to shoot long days, promote the show and just work their butts off.”

HGTV were not in the least bit pleased about those comments from the insider. They released their own statement to Page Six, and it read, “Of course, this inflammatory information is inaccurate. Chip and Joanna have already shared with their fans why they made their decision and we support them.” 

Some others who’d worked with Chip and Joanna also offered their thoughts to the media. In November 2017 Vanity Fair spoke to “an industry source who does business with HGTV parent company Scripps Networks,” and they had something else to say about the couple’s decision to leave.

The inside source claimed that the couple had clashed with HGTV over showing their own products on Fixer Upper. Apparently, “They kept insisting on showing things with the Magnolia label, even though Scripps [network] does not have a partnership with them on that stuff. This isn’t how business is done with Scripps. You have to come to some arrangement if you want to show your products on your HGTV show.”

Yet the Gaines’ director of PR for Magnolia Market, Brock Murphy, told the magazine, “Chip and Jo’s decision to leave Fixer Upper is truly just based on their wanting to catch their breath for a minute – to rest, refresh, and spend even more time with their family and growing businesses. It is not based on anything related to [the networks], or anything else that has been falsely reported.”

An interview with Chip and Joanna from December 2017, not long after their announcement, shed some more light on the matter. They spoke to Success magazine about their decision, and Chip admitted, “The idea of leaving the show at the height of its popularity is probably pretty risky, almost irrational-sounding.”

But Chip said he and Joanna decided after some long discussions that it was time to step down. He explained, “Our oldest, who’s 12, is becoming a teenager, and Jo and I just realized in our hearts that as much as we love Fixer Upper... we want to make sure that we’re here for our family during really crucial, pivotal points in its journey.”

Chip said, “We’ve prayed about it, and we’ve thought about it.” He added, “People are like, ‘You’re crazy. You would be crazy to leave this thing at the height like this. Give it another year. Let it run out of gas.’ And we kind of laugh, and we’re like, ‘You know what? That’s not who we are. We don’t want to run this thing off a cliff and into a culvert.’”

The former HGTV star told Success, “I believe we are built to have thriving personal lives, and I think we’re built to have thriving professional lives. Where the error occurs is when one becomes secondary to the other. In Jo and I’s life… we will always choose our family. We will always choose our marriage no matter what the opportunity, and the Fixer Upper conclusion is a decent example [of that].”  

Plus Chip expressed some other thoughts on the difficulties of being a TV star. In December 2018 he told Cowboys & Indians magazine, “TV was a funny thing for me. I’m an authentic, sincere person. So, as long as things are natural and organic, I’m in my element.”

He explained, “But the more staged something becomes, or the more required something becomes, it boxes me up, and I felt like toward the end of the ‘Fixer Upper’ journey, I felt caged, trapped… I just struggled with that environment. Especially at the end of it.” And perhaps that had been the crux of the issue.

But Chip was optimistic. He told Cowboys & Indians, “The last two years, not that we don’t look back on them fondly, but they were more of a job. So, something about breaking out of that has been liberating. Jo and I are both just kinda giddy, just like, ‘Man, what’s the future look like and what’s the next step?’” They’re not done sharing their wisdom yet, though.

Fixer Upper or no Fixer Upper, The Gaines’ seriously know their stuff. And their expertise isn’t limited to revamping dated interiors, either. Yep, they can also work wonders for your property’s exterior. Although it’s best not to judge a book by its cover, curb appeal really does count. And the styling gurus know just how to add instant value to any home. And luckily for us, there are plenty of simple and affordable tricks that have been approved by the masters themselves. Drab driveways, look out! 

If you don’t have much space at the front of your house for plants and flowers, then there’s an easy solution. Window boxes are a charming and cost-effective way to add some shrubbery to your home’s exterior. Go for painted wood if you want to give your place that chocolate-box feel.

Have the room for a little more greenery? Then why not add various different planters to make your property appear even more appealing. Large evergreens such as juniper, boxwoods and Hicks yew are particular favorites. Just don’t go overboard, or your front garden might start to resemble a jungle!

The front door is essentially the first thing that prospective buyers will see up, close and personal. So if yours has seen better days then you might want to think about investing in a brand-new one. And Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott recommends making as much impact as possible with your choice.

If you don’t have the cash to splash on a new front door, then you can always just work with what you’ve got. Painting the entrance to your abode in a bold color is a simple way to make a great first impression. Also make sure that the doorknob and fixtures are in pristine condition.

Okay, so it might be a little more time-consuming than simply painting your front door. But if you really want to make your property pop then treating all the exterior walls to a new coat is a great idea. Even better, this will add an extra level of protection against severe weather conditions.

Another relatively easy way to boost your property’s curb appeal is to put up shutters on your windows. This will add a bit of depth to the front of your home. And if your exterior is drowning in magnolia, it’s also a further opportunity to add a bit of color.

In one particular episode of HGTV hit Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines worked wonders on a very retro-looking property in their Waco hometown. The couple managed to bring the ‘70s-style house kicking and screaming into the 21st century. And all it took was adding a canopy to its entryway.

If you’re lucky enough to have a front porch then make sure you maximize its potential. A couple of rocking chairs will help buyers to envisage relaxing there on a Sunday afternoon. And if they’re sociable creatures then they may also appreciate having somewhere to chat with the neighbors, too.

It might not seem like the most important aspect of your house exterior. But for some, the humble mailbox can provide a taster for the rest of the home. If yours is looking a bit worse for wear, then think about buying a new one that blends in well with the rest of the surroundings.

Many potential homeowners dream of finding a property with a good old traditional American picket fence. If yours is now looking more washed-out than whiter-than-white, then a fresh lick of paint should do the trick. But if it’s completely rotten then a brand-new fence would undoubtedly be the better option.

You’ve probably never thought about the roof when it comes to decorating the front of your house. But as the Gaines have shown on Fixer Upper, it’s another way of boosting your curb appeal. Accenting your roofline’s peak with some decorative wood, for example, will make sure your home stands out from afar.

Maintaining the lawn might be one of the most arduous household chores. But it pays to get the mower out just before any prospective buyers drop by. If your front garden looks more like a wasteland, then they may be tempted to turn around before they’ve even walked up the driveway.

If you’re selling your home in the weeks leading up to Christmas, then why not fully embrace the holiday spirit? Add a seasonal touch to your house exterior by hanging up a wreath on the front door or a garland around it. Only the biggest Scrooges will be left unimpressed.

House viewings taking place in the evening? Then you want to make sure any potential buyers can at least see your home in all its glory. A simple wall light or some pendant lanterns will instantly brighten things up once the Sun has gone down. And such illumination will also make your property look even more inviting.

It’s not just lights near your front door or porch you need to think about, either. Illuminating the driveway will also make your home look warmer and feel more secure. And you can be subtle with it, too. Place spotlights that are powered by solar energy in nearby garden beds to achieve that understated but still-glowing look.

So once you’ve got the lighting on your driveway and near your front door sorted, why not turn your attention to illuminating any nearby trees? Position a bullet light or spotlight in the direction of a tree’s upper branches to throw your best greenery into sharp relief. Focal points such as a specimen tree or shrubbery row are ideal choices to highlight.

The front of your house already kitted out with light fixtures? Well, make sure that they look pristine by giving them a fresh coat of paint. Property Brothers star Drew Scott advises removing the fitting from the wall, taking the glass out and then using a metallic paint if you’re going to do things properly.

It’s not exactly a great first impression if your concrete driveway is looking completely rundown. But you don’t need to spend a small fortune fixing it up. Flagstones are a relatively cheap and simple way of hiding all the cracks from potential house buyers and they’re much more aesthetically pleasing, too.

Who doesn’t enjoy a spot of power-washing? Once you’ve fixed all the cracks and dents in your driveway then get your hands on one of the most fun DIY tools out there and give it a good clean. Pretty soon, your once-dirty driveway will look as good as new.

Once you’ve got your driveway in tip-top shape, then it’s time to deal with the gutters. A strong power wash should be enough to remove all the detritus that’s got clogged there since you moved in. But if that doesn’t work then you might need to invest in some new ones to avoid deterring buyers before they’ve even walked through the door.

To make your home seem even more welcoming you might want to think about incorporating a path that literally guides visitors to your front door. You can opt for something simple like a walkway that’s a different color to the rest of your drive. Or you could employ brick pavers or blocks of stone to make things a little more three-dimensional.

Lawn looking more autumnal brown than spring green? The good news is that you don’t need to spend big laying new turf. Simply buy some lawn spray from your nearest DIY store for as little as $30. This should be enough to give approximately 1,000 square feet of grass a glowing makeover.

When it comes to your front garden, Fixer Upper hosts the Gaines believe less is more. Make things easy for yourself and steer clear of cluttering your lawn with any needless accessories. This blank canvas will also allow potential buyers to envisage putting their own mark on the space.

Who better to take advice from than former Curb Appeal host John Gidding? If your front yard is on the smaller side then the designer recommends introducing a particular type of garden bed. Yes, those with sweeping curves will automatically make even the tiniest space appear larger than it actually is.

Giddings also advises against scouring the likes of Architectural Digest for the hottest design tips. The TV host told Jacksonville magazine in 2018 that you should always take more notice of your house and the street it’s situated on for inspiration. He said, “When it comes to curb appeal, there are no real trends because you’re dealing with the fabric of the community.”

Security gates may make you feel a little more protected from the outside. But they can also make your home, no matter how cozy and comfortable inside, resemble something of a jail. If you’re getting ready to sell your home, then Property Brothers stars the Scotts advise removing anything that could be described as “prison chic.”

You might already have enough shrubbery to put the local garden center to shame. But a front yard filled with window-covering bushes and overgrown plants is just as unappealing as one without any greenery. Make sure that buyers can see your home in all its splendor by maintaining all foliage.

Your housefront might be full of color, fitted with eye-catching accessories and clean enough to eat your dinner on. But if one side looks more attractive than the other then all your hard work can be thrown entirely off-balance. Make sure you view your home from across the street to judge whether everything is sufficiently symmetrical.

The door to your house might not be the only one you need to think about. If you have a garage and a budget that will stretch, then you might want to replace its door or doors with something more aesthetically pleasing. And if money is tight you can always spruce things up with some new handles and decorative accessories.

Windows looking a little tired and uninspired? Well you don’t necessarily need to resort to getting new ones fitted. As the Gaines have consistently proved on Fixer Upper, installing a contemporary awning, complete with supportive metal beams, is a great way to give your windows a new lease of life.

If your house number is almost hanging off or if its typeface is stuck in the 20th century, then why not substitute it for something more contemporary? And you don’t necessarily have to place it on or at the side of your front door, either. A post or column, for example, could be a much more prominent spot to display the number of your home.

This might not be a viable option for many houses. But if you have the space, and the right climate, then an outdoor dining area is another way to make your home stand out from the crowd. And if you can find some tables and chairs which complement the property’s exterior, then even better!

Magnolia might not be the most exciting or interesting color around. But it always looks one of the freshest and cleanest. If you’re a little reluctant to paint your house exterior in something bold, then you can’t really go wrong with giving it a new coat of warm white instead.

Apprehensive about going bold with your color scheme, but you also don’t want to resort to magnolia? Well, how about sticking to traditional favorites for your front door and siding? Colors such as navy blue are not only tried and tested, they also instantly make any space that little bit classier.

In one particular Fixer Upper episode, HGTV’s ultimate husband and wife duo the Gaines gave the Barretts’ home their magic touch. And one of their most impressive feats was modernizing the house’s entryway. All it took was some bamboo – freshly-planted, of course – some horizontal paneled wood and a new awning.

You can still boost your curb appeal even if you don’t have that much space to work with. Remember the Fixer Upper episode where the Gaines transformed the look of a property that seemed more suited to Tiny Home Nation? Alongside new landscaping and brickwork, the addition of some extra windows also helped to make the house look bigger than it actually was.

If you don’t have the funds to purchase any new outdoor furniture, then make use of what you already have. Benches on front porches can be spruced up simply with a can of spray paint, for example. But if your seating or tables are truly beyond repair, it’s better to throw them in the trash than have your frontage resembling a junkyard.

You might think that you’re saving much more money by opting for cheaper aluminum fixtures. But you’ll only end up heading to the nearest DIY store again much sooner once they’ve regularly battled the elements. Copper and brass fittings are much more less likely to wear in harsh weather conditions. 

This tip will no doubt require a little more money. But if your budget will allow, then it might be an idea to add some banisters and columns to your front porch. This will help to frame the exterior much better and also add a touch of class to your property.

The Gaines have built their careers on taking a dreary exterior and making it pop with some bold design choices. And mixing up tones is often how they achieve such a feat. If the outside of your home is all one color, then don’t be afraid to add contrasting ones to give it some much-needed curb appeal.