‘Fixer Upper’ Staged? Casting Call Confirms Parts Of The HGTV Show Are Re-enacted


Fans of HGTV real estate-based shows such as Property Brothers and Fixer Upper have been long plagued with the question of whether these shows are real or staged. Fans of Joanna and Chip Gaines, for example, desperately want to believe the HGTV king and queen are the real deal. Unfortunately, a casting call for Fixer Upper Season 5 has surfaced and it doesn’t look good.

The Huffington Post did a little recon regarding this Fixer Upper Season 5 casting call in order to make sure it was authentic, and an HGTV representative did confirm it was legit.

Casting call requirements

Some of the requirements an individual, couple, or family must meet in order to appear on Fixer Upper included having a budget of at least $30,000 and a desire to purchase a house within a 40-mile radius of Waco, Texas. The HGTV website notes there are some more personal requirements for potential contestants as well such as being energetic and fun. As personal as this requirement is, it makes sense because a boring and lackluster individual isn’t going to make for a very entertaining episode of Fixer Upper.

The last noteworthy requirement for potential contestants on the show is their willingness to accept all final renovation decisions made by Chip and Joanna Gaines. Basically, this means even if you found yourself in a position where you hated what Chip and Joanna did, you’d have to pretend to love it in order to be on the show. Again, it’s a requirement that makes sense as the episode wouldn’t be as good if the new homeowners didn’t love the renovation.

Chip and Joanna Gaines posing for pictures for promoting Fixer Upper
Chip and Joanna Gaines [Image by Brian Ach/Invision/AP Images]

As The Huffington Post reminds us, there was a contestant on a previous season of Fixer Upper who came forward last year and revealed parts of the show are staged or re-enacted. For example, the individual revealed you are required to have already purchased the home Chip and Joanna are going to renovate during the episode before the show is filmed. Basically, this means the first chunk of every episode where Chip and Joanna show the contestant a few homes and allow them to pick which one they want is faked. The entire thing is staged so the contestant ends up picking a home they had already purchased.

Now, there were a lot of Fixer Upper fans who didn’t want to believe what this previous contestant had to say about the show being staged and faked. Though, no one could fathom a decent reason as to why this person would lie about it in the first place – other than to gain attention perhaps. According to The Huffington Post, some of the questions in the Season 5 casting call pretty much confirm what this previous contestant said about chunks of the show being staged and re-enacted.

For example, these questions featured in the casting call imply the individual would have already purchased the home:

1. “Where are you in the escrow process?”

2. “What is the purchase price of your new home?”

3. “Are you aware of any construction/structural issues? If yes, please describe.”

At the very end of the casting call questionnaire, future contestants are even asked to submit pictures of the home they have already purchased.

Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines posing for promotional pictures
‘Fixer Upper’ stars Chip and Joanna Gaines [Image by Brian Ach/Invision/AP Images]

How do you feel knowing it has more or less been confirmed that Fixer Upper is re-enacted and staged? Can you still enjoy the show knowing the entire process of house hunting at the beginning of every episode is faked? Share your thoughts with us in the comment’s section found down below!

[Featured Image by Desiree Navarro/WireImage/Getty Images]

Share this article: ‘Fixer Upper’ Staged? Casting Call Confirms Parts Of The HGTV Show Are Re-enacted
More from Inquisitr