After 11 years, American Pickers’ Frank Fritz was fired from the show, for the alleged friction between him and co-host, Mike Wolfe.
Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe were co-hosts for 11 years on the History channel’s popular reality format show, American Pickers.
However, that all changed after Fritz went on sabbatical, after undergoing back surgery, which prevented him from shooting as he recovered.
However, when Frank did not return for the twenty-second season, fans began to wonder why he was not making a return to the show.
In July 2021, it was revealed that Frank was fired from the show. Moreover, it was due to the animosity between him and his co-host.
What is American Pickers’ premise?
American Pickers premiered on the History channel in 2010. IMDb describes the premise of the show as, “Mike and Frank are pickers that travel the country and literally would go anywhere just for the prospects of finding antique gold. With the assistance of Danielle they often find themselves in a comedic pickle.”
With the twenty-fourth season premiering later this year, the show is still ongoing. However, Frank Fritz has not been part of the show since the beginning of the twenty-second season, due to him being fired.
What happened to Frank on American Pickers?
Frank Fritz last made an appearance on American Pickers in March 2020. It was initially believed that the break was due to him undergoing back surgery and needing time to heal. Fritz has also been open about his battle with Crohn’s disease.
However, when the show returned later in January 2021 for season 22 without Frank, fans began to ask whether he was ever coming back.
For a while there, no official word was shared on whether Frank was set to return to the show. It was only in July 2021, when it was confirmed that he was fired. Co-star, Mike Wolfe, confirmed the dismissal in a cryptic post that read:
“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…I will miss Frank, just like all of you, and I pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”
Frank Fritz speaks out on American Pickers disappearance
Ahead of Mike Wolfe confirming that Frank Fritz was fired from American Pickers, Frank had conducted his own exclusive interview with The Sun in July 2021.
He explained his reason for the extended hiatus when he stated, “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. 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.”
While not going into detail as to the cause of the stalemate, Frank did allude to fame and Wolfe allegedly looking to replace him with his brother, Robbie Wolfe.
Is Frank Fritz open to returning to American Pickers?
When Frank Fritz initially spoke on his extended hiatus from American Pickers, he was unaware that he had been dismissed from his job.
Therefore, when asked whether he was open to the idea of returning to the show, he had stated, “I would like to come back to the show, but we will see. I was doing it for 11 years, but there is a lot of controversy going on right now.”
Adding, “It’s up to the network whether I come back on the show. It ain’t gonna affect me one bit. I didn’t leave the show. I finished shooting and then I had a little back surgery and the pandemic came.”
Where is Frank Fritz now?
When Frank Fritz made his public comeback in July 2021, he had lost weight and was residing in Iowa working on motorcycles.
After returning to the spotlight, the matter of Frank allegedly being an estimated $155 000 behind on taxes following his firing from American Pickers was the last story written about him.
It seems following the confirmation of his dismissal, Frank opted to step away from the spotlight and live his life without the scrutiny and constant questions as to what happened to him on American Pickers.
Conclusion
For 21 seasons and 11 years of the History channel’s American Pickers, we watched as friends of four decades, Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe, travel across the United States in search of artefacts from people’s homes, basements and just about everywhere.
However, in July 2021, it was confirmed that Frank Fritz would not be returning to the show. Fritz was also none the wiser, as he believed that he was on hiatus as he healed from his back surgery.
However, it turned out that he had been fired, allegedly due to falling out with Mike Wolfe.