The rumors have been circulating for some time. Now, the news is official. Frank Fritz will not be returning for another season of the hit television series, “American Pickers.”
“American Picker” host, and Frank Fritz’s former cohost, verified the rumors in a Wednesday evening Instagram post.
“I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he’s been like a brother to me. The journey that Frank, Dani, and I started back in 2009, like all of life, has come with its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding,” the History Channel host said in the Insta message.
It is a heartfelt goodbye message sent to his former cohost, however, it appears that the split may not have been so amicable. Some reports note that there has recently been some bad blood between the “American Picker” hosts.
Did A Rift Cause Fritz’s Split From “American Pickers?”
According to a recent interview with Frank Fritz, the two “American Picker” hosts haven’t even spoken for quite a while.
“I haven’t talked to Mike in two years,” the host told “The Sun” in a recent interview. “He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.”
Recently, Fritz had stepped away from his hosting duties to receive back surgery. Additionally, the “American Picker” hosts Chron’s disease was creating issues complicating a swift return to Fritz’s duties on the show.
Despite his not returning to the “American Picker’s” upcoming season Fritz has noted that he did not “leave” the show.
“I didn’t leave the show,” he said of his role on the popular History Channel series where Fritz and Wolfe traveled around the country searching properties for interesting and collectible antiques and artifacts along the way. “I finished shooting and then I had a little back surgery and the pandemic came.”
Fritz also noted that he felt as if the show was skewing towards focusing on his cohost prior to his departure. Leaving the former “American Pickers” star unsure if that played a role in the recent developments.
The Host/Co-Host Dynamics Can Be Tough
“The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent,” Fritz said of his cohost, Mike Wolfe. Fritz also noted that part of the issue may have been his health problems.
“I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much,” he said adding that despite that he was okay with his spot, had that been the case.
“It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the frontman,” Fritz explained. “I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
Frank Fritz has been the co-host of the hit History Channel show since it began eleven years ago in January 2010. The last episode featuring the former host aired in March 2020.