Fixer Upper will come to an end after Season 5.
This much we tragically know.
But WHY will Fixer Upper come to an end after Season 5? This question is now being debated around the Internet.
Upon announcing their decision to pull the plug on their hit HGTV home renovation show, Chip and Joanna simply said they needed a break.
The Waco, Texas-based couple has a number of business ventures outside of Fixer Upper and said in a statement that everything is moving a little too quickly at the moment.
“We would be foolish to think we can go and go and fire on all cylinders and never stop to pause,” explained everyone’s favorite reality show couple last month, adding:
“Our family is healthy and our marriage has honestly never been stronger.
“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.”
As it turns out, Chip and Joanna were right to assume that fans would “inevitably read” reports to the contrary.
There’s one this week on The New York Post.
And it alleges the stars did not walk away from their highly-rated series simply because they were tired… but because they were angry over their contract.
The argument goes like this:
Fixer Upper is the highest-rated show on HGTV. The network, meanwhile, will soon be sold by Scripps to Discovery Communications.
And sources tell Page Six that Chip and Joanna think this deal will result in a better deal for them as well.
“Scripps talent contracts are very restrictive,” writes the aforementioned newspaper, expounding:
“The talent can’t do anything without their 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.”
It’s easy to see how this would be unappealing to a couple with an empire such as that of Chip and Joanna.
The Fixer Upper contract ends after Season 5 (which Joanna says will be awesome!), and this insider claims the couple is “using this end of their contract as a total renegotiation to get the deal they really want: more money, less work, more control.”
He adds:
“The timing of Discovery buying Scripps worked well in their favor.
“With Discovery hopefully now about to own Scripps, they are rolling the dice thinking the new owners will come running after them and give them the deal they really want.”
There would be nothing wrong with this at all if it’s true.
It’s pretty straightforward business.
A rep for HGTV, however, says the following:
“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.”
And a rep for Chip and Joanna says the following:
“Chip and Jo’s decision to leave Fixer Upper is truly just based on 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 else people might read.
“They were very open and honest about their reasoning behind this decision when they first shared the announcement.”
We shall see.
It’s a cliche, but time will tell.
Chip and Joanna haven’t closed the door forever on Fixer Upper, but if you see the show back on the air pretty quickly after Season 5 ends, youl’l know who was telling the truth here.