Joanna and Chip Gaines starred in the 2013 to 2018 reality TV show Fixer Uppers that renovated and designed people’s homes. The couple was already in the business of flipping homes before they were approached by an HGTV producer. The producer found them after a few photos of their projects were circulated from Joanna’s personal blog.
The duo almost missed the opportunity to have the show because of Chip’s awkwardness in front of cameras. Luckily, things turned around for the better. The couple has since then gathered a big following from their appearance on the show and modeling a picture-perfect family life. However, as you are about to see, the Gaines are just as human and relatable as any other normal American family and this is why people choose to ignore some things about the couple.
18 Joanna And Chip Were In The Same University But Did Not Bump Into Each Other Even Once
Joanna and Chip both attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Chip graduated in 1998 and Jo followed after in 2001 as revealed by huffpost.com. Surprisingly, the two never bumped into each other while they were in college. They met years later at Jo’s dad auto shop when Chip came in for a repair.
17 They Did Not Like Each Other At First
Jo and Chip were not that fascinated by each other when they initially started dating. Jo for starters was more attracted to Chip’s roommate. Chip, on the other hand, admits on nickiswift.com that he did not fall for Joanna at first sight. He also showed up one and a half hours late for their first date and took months before he called her again.
16 The Couple Has Been Sued Several Times
According to nickiswift.com, Jo and Chip have had their fair share of lawsuits. They have been sued for injuries that have occurred in their business premises, they have been sued by a neighbor who claims Chip erected a fence on his property and they have also gotten into trouble for supposedly not paying property taxes.
15 Chip Has Been Arrested
Chip was once arrested for letting his dogs roam around the Waco neighborhood. Every time he picked up his dogs from the pound, he would be slapped with a fine as revealed on cheatsheet.com. Eventually, the fines grew to a substantial amount and animal control sent cops to go and arrest the owners of the dogs. He ended up being released on an $800 bail.
14 Chip Was Sued By His Former Business Partners
Magnolia Realty was once owned by Chip and two of his friends John and Richard. Two days before the couple announced their intention to film Fixer Uppers, Chip bought out his two partners for a total of $5,000. They later sued him for fraud claiming that he had not told them of the show and its intention to use the company’s name, goodhousekeeping.com reveals.
13 The Couple Was Initially Broke
After getting married, Jo and Chip struggled to pay their bills and meet their daily expenses. As stated on nickiswift.com, the couple accumulated so much debt that Chip ended up in jail. It was after HGTV approached them to film the show that things began turning around for them. The couple currently has a net worth of over $5 million dollars.
12 The Couple Likes Working Together
Many couples cannot survive working together and seeing each other every single minute of the day. According to thelist.com, this is not the case with Jo and Chip. The couple says that they enjoy working together; in fact, Jo admits that her relationship is strengthened by the fact that she works together with her husband.
11 The Producers Are The Real Reason The Show Ended
Chip admitted on foreverymom.com that the real reason the couple decided to stop filming the show was because Chip felt caged. He mentions that at some point, things were beginning to feel staged and this is the main reason they decided to stop filming after the fifth season. If he had been allowed to be natural and in his element maybe there would have been a few more seasons.
10 Joanna Has No Background In Design
Joanna has a BA in communications from Baylor University. Although she appears to be a very talented designer, thelist.com confirms that her designing skills were acquired when she started flipping houses with her husband. She appears to be a natural but she says it took a lot of hard work to learn the skill.
9 Joanna’s Real Passion
Although Joanna enjoyed the work she did on the show of designing homes, her real passion is in baking. Thelist.com claims that most of the kitchens that she has designed are inspired by the bakeries she has visited while traveling. Her dream came true when they added a bakery at Magnolia Silos in Waco.
