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.

8 The Growing Family

Fans were surprised when Jo and Chip announced that they were expecting their fifth child. According to goodhousekeeping.com a number of fans were of the opinion that adding another child to the already big family was irresponsible. Joanne who was 39 at the time of the announcement and fans felt that her age would make her pregnancy high risk.

7 Chip Does Not Do Most Of The Demo

A couple on cheatsheet.com discloses that Chip does not do as many demos as is normally portrayed on TV. According to the blogger who interviewed the couple, Chip is very busy and cannot afford to be present during every moment of a project. However, there is an expert team working hard to make sure that every home comes out perfectly.

6 Ken And Kelly’s Complaint

Another couple who appeared on Fixer Upper is not too happy about living in their home in Waco, which was featured in the show. As explained on goodhousekeeping.com, they are specifically not comfortable with the security in the area. They also say that they have been harassed for airing their concerns. According to them, the couple is to blame for their problems.

5 The Couple Does Not Own A TV

For a couple who made a fortune from appearing on TV, fans find it strange that the two do not have a TV in their home. When asked why they do not watch TV, they say that they would rather be experiencing the world than staying glued to a TV. However, realtor.com reports that they sometimes catch episodes of their show at their friends’ places.

4 Chip Once Wanted The Family To Live In A Houseboat

Thelist.com gives the story of how the couple almost moved into a houseboat. The couple had just been approached by HGTV to do the show but the producers were already beginning to have reservations about filming the couple. Luckily, Chip brought up the idea of his family living in a houseboat; Joanna’s reaction to the news made for some good drama and the rest is history.

3 Their First Flips Were A Disaster

The couple admits on realtor.com that the first houses they ever flipped were done poorly because of their lack of experience. The first house the couple moved into after they were married is also included in the list. They painted over wallpaper and refused to change the ceiling of the house to a better design.

2 Chip Wanted To Be A Baseball Player

As good as Chip is in flipping houses, thelist.com states that he had hoped that he would have a career as a baseball player or as Politian. He never made the final cut for the college team and ended up studying business administration. It is obvious that Chip has had a knack for business all along. He is now a successful businessman.

1 Joanna Was More Interested In Chip’s Roommate

According to realtor.com, Joanna and Chip first met when Chip came to fix his brakes at the tire shop. Chip was accompanied by his roommate, John, whom Joanna thought was hot. Joanna wanted to make a move but Chip interrupted the moment by pointing out that he recognized Jo from tire ad commercials.

Sources: realtor.com, thelist.com, goodhousekeeping.com, cheatsheet.com, 

foreverymom.com, nickiswift.com, huffpost.com.