Joanna Gaines says ‘soul weariness’ led Chip and Joanna to step away from Fixer Upper in Waco

At the height of Fixer Upper’s success in Waco, Texas, Joanna Gaines said she and her husband, Chip Gaines, walked away from the nonstop grind and took a summer off — a move she said carried consequences for their team but provided clarity for their family.

Fox News reported that Gaines made the comments on the “Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb” podcast, saying she had reached a point of “soul weariness” and that stopping allowed the couple to ask whether they were healthy and whether their family was okay.

Gaines told the podcast that representatives pressured the couple to keep going, and that the pause “cost us something. It cost people something.” She said the break — described as a summer off — gave them time to reassess why they were building their business and what was worth continuing.

According to the report, the Gaineses first appeared on television when the Fixer Upper pilot aired in 2013. In September 2017, the couple announced they would end Fixer Upper after its fifth season; the original series later concluded in 2018.

The Fox News piece also noted subsequent Magnolia business developments: Magnolia Network programming debuted on Discovery+ in 2021, the linear Magnolia Network replaced DIY Network in January 2022, and the Gaineses opened the 33-room Hotel 1928 in Waco in 2023. Their Waco properties include Magnolia Market at the Silos, Silos Baking Co., Magnolia Press Coffee Co. and Magnolia Table, and Joanna has released lifestyle books and product lines including collaborations with Target.

The report added personal details that the couple married in 2003 and are parents to five children: Ella, Drake, Crew, Emmie and Duke.

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