‘Fixer Upper’ Ending: Chip & Joanna Gaines Afraid For Their Children’s Safety? Chip’s Mom Opens Up

Chip and Joanna Gaines, the famous Fixer Upper duo, shocked their millions of fans when they announced last week that their high-rating HGTV show will be ending after Season 5. When they broke the news on their blog, the couple emphatically shut down divorce speculations and other rumors. Chip and Joanna insisted that the reason why they’ve decided to pull the plug on their show is so they can take a breather and focus on their family.

The Fixer Upper hosts have four young children, two boys and two girls: Drake (12), Ella (10), Duke (9), and Emmie (7). Fans of the show have seen these kids in almost all the episodes, mostly when Joanna is staging the home before the big reveal. Chip and Joanna have deliberately included their kids because they wanted Fixer Upper to look and feel as real as it could be, and the two have always been family-oriented.

However, a source close recently told Us Weekly that Chip and Joanna Gaines are now afraid that they’ve put their children’s safety at risk. Because the youngsters are now growing up, privacy must be a growing concern for the couple.

“People drive by and like to take pictures in front of their house,” the insider revealed.

“I think they just want to take a step back from it.”

Sydney Noh, a former Fixer Upper associate producer, seemed to confirm the report. Noh opened up to Closer Weekly about the show’s imminent ending and had nothing but praises for Chip and Joanna Gaines, who she described as “amazing people.” She stated that Chip and Joanna have always known that they needed to step back at some point, for the sake of their children.

“As far as I’ve known, they’ve always planned on stepping out to make sure their kids got to enjoy part of their childhood out of the spotlight,” the former producer said. “Their ability to know when it’s time to step out and move into a new part of their lives is a testament to what amazing people they are.”

Chip’s mother, Gayle Gaines, agrees with the shocking, but timely move. Gayle told the publication that now is the perfect time to focus on what truly matters, and that is faith and family.

“They earned some time to rest.”

Chip and Joanna Gaines may have taken one thing off their plate, but the home-renovation moguls are still busy as ever. Their real estate mega-brand, Magnolia Market, has now expanded into a successful empire. Its slew of businesses consists of home accessories, furniture, books, bed and breakfast inns, and restaurants. The couple has also partnered with Target to make their products more accessible to customers outside of Waco, Texas. On top of all these, Joanna Gaines is also releasing her first-ever cookbook, “Magnolia Table.”

Fixer Upper Season 5 will air in November on HGTV. After the show wraps up, Chip and Joanna will still appear on another HGTV special, Behind The Design.

[Featured Image by Brian Ach/Invision/AP Images]