Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network Scrubs 'Home Work' Series After Frustrating Allegations Surface
The Magnolia Network may have already hit a snag a few days before launching in place of the DIY Network. Chip and Joanna Gaines rose to prominence with Fixer Upper and quickly became superstars of the HGTV realm. They left the network and series before talk spreading about the pair running their own network with their own expansive offering of shows.
While the network became a reality, the launch was forced to adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a streaming launch coming first as the TV network slowly came together as the DIY network closed up its shop.
Still, the launch has not been without issues. The latest involves one of Magnolia Network's new series, with allegations forcing the network to remove the show from its schedule two days before launch.
Home Work has been hit with allegations of shoddy work and overcharging by the hosts, revealed by two homeowners tied to the series. The show has been available on the Magnolia Network tab on Discovery+ and would have made its cable debut this week. Now the show is up in the air.
Home Work stars Utah-based Andy and Candis Meredith renovating homes in the state. The show was reportedly Joanna Gaines' idea and some even saw the series as the heir to the Fixer Upper empire. The Merediths also appeared on HGTV's Old Home Love before the new series came to light. The allegations started to come out Wednesday with some accusing the Merediths of shoddy overcharged work by those featured on the show.
The couple denied the accusations and addressed them with a statement on Instagram. "We have always tried to give everything we have to make anyone we work with happy," the couple said. "We can only say that there are two sides to every story."
The Magnolia Network, through President Allison Page, released a statement on the series and the Merediths, pressing the case in public and deciding to remove the series from the lineup.
"Magnolia Network is aware that certain homeowners have expressed concerns about renovation projects undertaken by Candis and Andy Meredith. Within the last few days, we have learned additional information about the scope of these issues, and we have decided to remove Home Work from the Magnolia Network line up pending a review of the claims that have been made," the statement reads.
The accusations against the couple and the series include a job from 2019 involving a kitchen renovation, with costs ballooning to $25,000 during the show's taping. "It wound up taking five months and cost her more than $39,000. She claimed much of that money was spent fixing issues created by the renovation," Deadline writes.
0comments