Chip and Joanna Gaines devastated fans when they announced that the upcoming fifth season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, would be the show’s last, explaining on their blog that they wanted to take time to spend with their family and focus on other areas of their business.
“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,” Joanna told PEOPLE of the decision.
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The couple added that the show’s production schedule, which involved filming 11 months of the year, combined with juggling their various projects began to take a toll.
“Nobody told us that that was unique,” Chip said. “Nobody told us that that was a little bit irrational.”
Chip and Joanna are parents to four children — Drake, 12, Ella, 11, Duke, 9, and Emmie Kay, 7 — and shared that the kids noticed the schedule as well.
“They would ask, ‘Mom and Dad, do you guys have to film again today? When is this going to be over?’ ” Chip recalled.
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“The kids were so young when we started,” Joanna added. “Fast-forward to today and our oldest is almost a teenager — they’re all growing up so quickly.”
Since Fixer Upper premiered in 2013, the Gaines’ have built a home-improvement empire, boasting furniture, paint, wallpaper and rug lines, a magazine, a retail compound and upcoming restaurant in Waco Texas and more.
Photo Credit: HGTV
