Chip & Joanna Gaines' HGTV Return Angers Fans & Proves Their Reputation Will Never Recover

Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines were unsurprisingly the talk of the town upon returning to HGTV yet again. Chip and Joanna made a brief reappearance on HGTV in 2024, for "Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse," and now, they're back for more. On December 9, 2025, HGTV, the Magnolia Network, and HBO Max premiered "Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain Home," a three-part miniseries that follows the Gaines family as they renovate their vacation home somewhere adjacent to the Rocky Mountains. While many were eager to see the dynamic duo tackle both the elements and the big design project, others were not so quick to let Chip and Joanna avoid their many controversies.

Within the Reddit subreddit for HGTV fans, many expressed their disappointment. "I was annoyed by the show," one such commenter posted, elaborating, "An insanely rich couple [...] [renovating] their own vacation 'cabin' very few folks could afford isn't my idea of a show I want to watch." As another responded, "That's why Bargain Block was my favorite show," lamenting, "It's a shame what has happened to HGTV," referencing at least one cancelled HGTV show fans wish would come back. 

Considering all the recent shakeups at HGTV, it makes sense that Chip and Joanna Gaines showing off their net worth wouldn't be the best way to reconnect with fans. In fact, much of the issues expressed boiled down to just how out of touch the once beloved couple are.

When Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines separated from HGTV to form Magnolia Network, it left many fans feeling a bit miffed. The general sense on message boards like Reddit was that the celebrity couple was getting a bit full of themselves. Now, with their 2025 return to HGTV for "Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain Home," it seems the same sentiment still stands. "There is a Magnolia magazine and she's on the cover of every one," noted one Reddit poster regarding Joanna's presence within her own brand, warning, "I don't know who is making the decision to have her everywhere, but overexposure will turn even their most hardcore fans away." 

Another Redditor argued that Joanna's cooking show came across as try-hard, writing, "I think she views herself as a super star," but ultimately, "She came across as smug." Chip wasn't spared either, with the same user mentioning a general distaste for his bold, often borderline overbearing personality. Although the truth of Chip and Joanna's Magnolia Network has obviously included a lot of hard work along the way, not to mention bumpy missteps, and an integration of media, it can come across as self-serving. Evidently, previous fans of the scrappier days of "Fixer Upper" aren't quite ready to have Chip and Joanna back on HGTV yet.