Summary
- Chip and Joanna Gaines' show, Fixer Upper, is incredibly successful and has earned them a $10 million net worth.
- Andy and Candis Meredith, hosts of Home Work on the Magnolia Network, faced career-ending scandals that led to their show being pulled.
- Multiple families accused the Merediths of incomplete and shoddy renovations, resulting in financial losses.
Chip and Joanna Gaines' Fixer Upper is easily one of the most successful home renovation franchises of all time. Not to mention a ratings hit for HGTV. Therefore, it's by no means surprising that the couple amassed a $10 million net worth. But for all of the couple's successes, they've certainly been rocked by scandal.
However, none of Chip and Joanna Gaines' controversies compare to that of Andy and Candis Meredith, who briefly hosted Home Work on Discovery+'s Magnolia Network. The network was overseen by the Gaines but has since been sold to HBO. But during their reign, the Merediths had a chance at the same kind of home renovation show success as the Gaines. But their dreams were shattered by a series of accusations that may have been absolutely career-ending.
7 Who Are Andy And Candis Meredith?
Andy and Candis Meredith are a couple from Utah. They famously have a blended family of a whopping seven children and initially became famous for their do-it-yourself show on HGTV. The 2015 reality series, Old Home Love, was a fairly notable success and allowed the couple to publish a 2017 book of the same name.
Their ability to renovate and design allowed them to famously set them up to completely convert a 20,000-square-foot 1907 schoolhouse into a home for them and their seven children. All of this set them up for their very own show on Chip and Joanna Gaines' Discovery+, Magnolia Network, Home Work. However, while their series went to camera, it wasn't long until it was pulled from the air.
6 Why Was Home Work Pulled From The Magnolia Network?
Discovery+, Magnolia Network's Home Work was supposed to be the next Fixer Upper. The series ended up premiering 17 episodes in 2021, but not two days after the show aired, it was pulled from the Magnolia network. Despite a strong structure and charismatic hosts, the show just couldn't get past the scandals that plagued it, according to Distractify.
5 What Happened To Andy And Candis Meredith On The Magnolia Network?
According to an extensive report by Buzzfeed, one family featured on Home Work was initially thrilled by the opportunity. The Hawleys were impressed by the connection between the Merediths and the Gaines, for obvious reasons. So they jumped at the chance to have their home renovated on the new reality show. However, according to them, things turned into an absolute nightmare.
Despite the budget of the show and the skills of the hosts, the renovation of the Hawley's kitchen, laundry room, and living room rendered it completely "unusable". At least, this is what the family said. In fact, according to Buzzfeed, it ended up costing the family a whopping $35,000.
It's typical for homeowners to pay for their own renovations on reality shows, but they always get something in return. But according to the Hawleys, they didn't...
But the Hawleys weren't the only family furious with Andy and Candis Meredith and their experience with Home Work. According to House Digest, homeowner Aubry Bennion also accused the Merediths of failing to complete the renovation of their kitchen despite paying them a fortune to do so.
While Bennion's budget was only $25,000, she was given a $40,000 bill five months after the supposed three-week project was supposed to be completed. The receipts provided suggested the $40,000 fee came out of nowhere.
But this wasn't the end of Aubry Bennion's troubles. According to House Digest, she was also left with the responsibility of paying a flooring company after her linoleum floors weren't properly sealed.
To make matters even worse, another family, Vienna and Rob Goates accused Andy and Candis Meredith of failing to complete any work in their renovation despite paying them $50,000. Rob Goates claims that he ended up spending over $60,000 including the fee he paid the lawyers to go after the Merediths and the network.
As for Aubry Bennion, her renovation was completed after much conflict. And it was rapidly shown off on the show, despite all of the alleged behind-the-scenes scandals.
4 What Did The Merediths Say About The Accusations Against Them?
Like anyone, Andy and Candis Meredith did their best to refute the accusations leveled against them about their conduct on the Discovery+ Magnolia Network's Home Work. The couple took to their shared Instagram account (which has been mostly inactive since 2022) to claim that the narrative against them was "one-sided". The Merediths also claimed that the accusations made by families featured on their show were mere "half-truths" and "outright lies", according to Buzzfeed.
"We have not heard from these clients in almost two years, and to have this come out publicly on the eve of the Magnolia network launch feels calculated and timed to hurt us the most. We have always been available for a resolution," Andy and Candis Meredith said, according to Buzzfeed.
"We acknowledge that there were misunderstandings and hard conversations along the way, but just like with our many other happy clients, we did everything we could to resolve any issues that arose."
Andy and Candis Meredith reportedly told Buzzfeed News that they were proud of what they had achieved on their short-lived show.
"We've never stolen anything and we’re not out to take anybody else’s livelihood away the same way ours has kind of been taken here," Candis Meredith said. "And we’re very proud of the show."
3 Were Candis And Andy Meredith Re-Hired On Home Work?
According to Buzzfeed News, Chip and Joanna Gaines (who oversaw Discovery+ Magnolia Network's Home Work) have not publicly commented on the scandal.
Representation from the network, however, did respond. And they did so by bringing the hammer down on the Merediths.
"Magnolia Network is aware that certain homeowners have expressed concerns about renovation projects undertaken by Candis and Andy Meredith," Allison Page, the president of Magnolia Network said to BuzzFeed News.
"Within the last several days, we have learned additional information about the scope of these issues, and we have decided to remove Home Work from the Magnolia Network lineup pending a review of the claims that have been made.”
However, not long after this statement, the network decided to bring Home Work back to the network. In a statement to BuzzFeed News, they said, “After speaking with homeowners as well as Candis and Andy Meredith regarding renovation projects for Home Work, and hearing a mix of both positive and negative experiences, we do not believe there was ill or malicious intent."
But this made the homeowners who made the accusations absolutely serious.
"I don’t think that the Merediths would have gotten as far as they did without the credibility of the Gaineses and Magnolia and their brand," accuser Vienna Goates said to BuzzFeed News.
All of the heat made Candis Meredith take to Instagram to further apologize and attempt to clean up their tarnished image:
"I fully acknowledge how hard any renovation is, especially when it’s a renovation for television. The timelines that were set were too crazy, and I am an optimistic person," Candis said On Instagram in January 2022. "I know better now that I should never have said these short timelines and set these expectations. That is on me, and I take full responsibility."
2 Will Home Work Get A Second Season?
Despite all of the drama, Variety claimed that the majority of the homeowners had a positive experience with Andy And Candis Meredith on Home Work. Therefore, the network decided to bring them and the show back for another season. But this was in 2022 and before HBO took control of the network.
At the time of this writing, there is no announcement of a second season. And given that the Meredith's Instagram has been dormant since 2022, it seems highly unlikely that the show will return.
1 Inside Chip And Joanna Gaines' Fixer Upper Scandals
While Andy And Candis Meredith certainly have a massive scandal plaguing their careers, the same is true for Chip and Joanna Gaines. Although one could argue that the Gaines' issues pale in comparison to the Merediths, there's no doubt that they've been met with endless controversies.
Among these scandals is a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving the couple's former literary agent, numerous homeowner complaints, and alleged problems with the Fixer Upper producers.
