It’s been 10 years since Chip and Joanna Gaines burst onto screens with their hit HGTV home renovation show, Fixer Upper, and now they look back on their first moments on TV and reflect on how much they’ve changed in the last decade.
Appearing on the Today show on Wednesday to promote their new HGTV series, Fixer Upper: the Lakehouse, Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46, jokingly acknowledged that they’ve aged a bit in the 10 years they’ve spent on the screen.
Recalling old footage from his first casting tape in 2012, as well as snapshots from his first on-air episodes, Chip joked that he has some similarities to what presidents look like at the end of a term, at least in terms of their age. .
“I feel like it’s one of those presidential scenarios where, you know, these guys take office and then four years later, they look like they’re 200 years old,” Chip told hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, as old footage played . the screen.
“We look like babies,” he continued in disbelief, as he and Joanna laughed.
It’s been 10 years since Chip and Joanna Gaines burst onto screens with their hit HGTV home renovation show, Fixer Upper, and now they’re looking back on their first moments on TV.
Recalling old footage from his first casting tape in 2012 (viewed) during an appearance on the Today show, Chip joked that he now looks “about 200 years old.”
“We look like babies,” Chip continued in disbelief, as he and Joanna laughed.
Chip added: “Wow, 10 years has certainly created a big evolution in my face.”
The couple, who have been married for 21 years, share five children: Drake, 19, Ella, 17, Duke, 16, Emmie, 14, and Crew, five.
Speaking with Hoda and Samantha, the couple shared what it’s been like raising a family in the public eye, how they’re dealing with their kids growing up, and how they’re keeping their personal lives as “normal” as possible.
“For us, the kids, the family, that’s what brings us together the most,” Joanna shared, adding that even “before” the cameras, they were always “moving” together.
Joanna went on to say that when Fixer Upper started, they made sure the kids were always with them.
“We always (make sure) to include them in the trip, no matter what it looks like, but knowing that they are the most important thing,” he shared.
The hosts praised the couple for their ability to “pause” and “step back” when it comes to their public appearances and spending time with their children.
The couple then also shared their insight into why it was so important to take time to spend time as a family.
While promoting their new HGTV series, Fixer Upper: the Lakehouse, Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46, jokingly acknowledged that they have aged a bit in their decade on screen.
Hoda and Savannah praised the couple for their ability to “pause” and “step back” when it comes to their public appearances and spending time with their children.
Chip added: “Wow, 10 years has certainly created quite an evolution in my face.”
Chip and Joanna Gaines sparked backlash following the release of the trailer for their newest show, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, which dropped last week (seen in 2021).
Chip compared it to running a marathon and noted that it’s important to take breaks between runs.
According to Joanna, the Gaineses’ breaks range from a weekend of doing nothing to saying no to other jobs when they are still working on a project.
The Today hosts commented on the couple’s individual evolution, nothing about Joanna being shy when she started in television and appearing on television.
“She and I have gone by like ships in the night,” Chip joked, saying he’s gotten calmer over the years.
“She’s become an outgoing person who wants to go to parties and hang out with friends (while) I’m like, ‘Oh, not tonight, let’s take it easy,'” he continued.
“Before,” Chip continued. “It was exactly the opposite.”
The couple has built a loyal following since they rose to stardom on the first season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, in 2013.
However, some fans criticized the couple over accusations that they are flaunting their wealth in the latest installment of their hit show, Fixer Upper: the Lakehouse.
The couple has built a loyal following since they rose to stardom on the first season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, in 2013. Pictured in 2016
While Drake left the nest, Joanna and Chip still have four children at home: Ella, 17, Duke, 15, Emmie, 13, and Crew, five.
After seeing the sneak peek of their latest project Fixer Upper, uploaded to Magnolia Network’s Instagram, several fans began commenting that the couple seemed to be “showing off.”
During the trailer, the duo noted that the renovation project coincides with the 10th anniversary of the debut of their hit series on HGTV.
“I think with this lake house, there’s something about it that’s meaningful: This project landed on our 10th anniversary of Fixer,” Joanna said at the beginning of the trailer. So it feels like…’
Chip then chimes in: “It really was meant to be.”
In a press release for their upcoming six-episode series, which will air on Magnolia Network and HGTV, the couple admitted that they “could not have imagined the journey ahead” that awaited them.
“While many things have changed and evolved in the decade between then and now, our love of home remains at the center of everything we do,” they said in a statement, obtained by ABC News.
