It’s hard to believe we are at the end of an era. Amidst American Pickers cancellation rumors (and ones that were perpetuated by co-star Danielle Colby), Mike Wolfe is set to premiere History’s Greatest Picks on the 2026 TV schedule. It’s a new chapter for the star, but it also has him looking back at his early days with Frank Fritz and all of the big moments that have led him to this new chapter.

History’s Greatest Picks is a new series for Mike Wolfe, and one where he’ll have to go it alone. He told People the timing of the change for his career has been notable, and says Fritz has been at the forefront of his mind a lot in recent weeks now that it’s been a bit over a year since he died at 60.

So why is Wolfe spending a lot of time thinking about Frank Fritz, now? He feels he owes a debt of gratitude for his longtime pal and onscreen co-host.

This isn’t the first time Wolfe nodded back at his early work on American Pickers in recent weeks. A short while back, he also shared a post about how they had “no idea” what they “were doing” during those early days on the road. He also shared how, despite Frank Fritz’s firing and rumors of a feud between him and Wolfe, they were able to make up in his final days.

Wolfe’s had a tough go of it after a car accident led to his girlfriend Leticia Cline being hospitalized for an extended period of time. He was driving at the time, and stayed by her side throughout. It’s been a year of change for the longtime picker, but he’s landing on his feet.

History’s Greatest Picks will allow him to remain with the network that gave him a home, and will feature the reality star looking at some of history’s greatest finds. It will be less personal to Wolfe than Pickers could sometimes be, but should be a good one for history buffs in general.

For example, an early episode will look at the Mustang from Bullitt, a 1968 beaut driven by Steve McQueen that also recently came up up as a topic of discussion in the new Chris Hemsworth thriller Crime 101. Is that enough to get people to tune in? We’ll soon find out.

A few weeks ago, amidst rumors that American Pickers may be ending its storied run on History, veteran host Mike Wolfe posted a throwback to his early days out in the trenches with Frank Fritz. Years after the events in this post, Fritz tragically passed amidst health issues leading to a guardianship, rumors of a feud with Mike Wolfe and reported substance abuse struggles. Despite the drama, the post we got a few days ago was nothing but loving and tender about the time when the two were just getting started, and now Wolfe wants to set the record straight about the relationship with his longtime road tripping partner.

In a candid new interview, the reality star didn’t hold back about the troubles he saw his co-star facing daily on set before his exit from Pickers. However, if there’s one thing he wants the fans to know about Frank and him, it’s this:

Though rumors said they'd been feuding, we’d seen hints the two had made up before Fritz's death. Reports prior to his passing noted he and Wolfe had met and reconciled. The reality star also spoke with The Daily Mail about those final meetings with his American Pickers co-star.

Following his exit from American Pickers, Frank Fritz was candid in the press about his struggles with substance abuse issues. He told outlets at the time he’d gone to rehab to get sober, and was addressing other health issues, including some stuff with his back. Wolfe says now that wasn’t the whole picture however, stating:

Unfortunately, a stroke ultimately led Fritz to more health problems, and the beef he allegedly had with Mike Wolfe grew for a time after Wolfe allegedly leaked his medical information. It’s good the two were able to reconcile before his death, and it’s clear from Danielle Colby’s recent posts it was all love in the end, but the way things ultimately played out is still heartbreaking for everyone involved.

2024 was a huge year across the board for the entertainment industry, among many other facets of daily living, and many celebs have shared reflective thoughts about the past while keeping a hopeful outlook for the future. One such famed familiar is Mike Wolfe of American Pickers fame, who’d even started the year off by throwing back to the show’s early days alongside co-star Danielle Colby. To bring in 2025, however, Wolfe shared a more personal and heartfelt message with his fans and followers.

As many American Pickers fanatics are well aware, former co-host Frank Fritz died on September 30, 2024, three years after he left the show, but after he and Wolfe allegedly mended the fences from their reported feud that was partially sparked by Wolfe going public with news about Fritz’s stroke in 2022. And while that wasn’t the main point of the creator’s heartfelt post on Instagram, it was no doubt in the mix. Here's what he had to say alongside a photo of himself sitting back on a busted couch with a huge smile on his face:

It can be seen as inspiring that Mike Wolfe is taking the loss and heartbreak that played out in 2024, as well as hitting the benchmark of turning 60, and using that as an impetus to get closer than ever with his loved ones. As it's been said time and again, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone," and that's rarely more applicable than when talking about other people.

Obviously Mike Wolfe wasn't only impacted by grief-related moments in the past year, even if Fritz's death loomed large. American Pickers is currently in its 26th seasons on History, with new episodes hitting the 2025 TV schedule on Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET, which is a feat that Wolfe likely wouldn't have believed had he been told that right when the show kicked off back in 2010. And it's allowed him the chance to put his efforts into other projects that mean a lot to him, which will hopefully remain the case in years to come.

He continued his Instagram message by reflecting on Pickers' run and why it's continuted to make him embrace traveling across the country and setting up the show's big buys, saying:

Here's hoping 2025 is just as good to Mike Wolfe & Co. as 2024 was, just without any former or current colleagues passing away in the meantime. And it'd probably be good to avoid death hoaxes like the one Danielle Colby dealt with last year.

It’s hard to believe Mike Wolfe began picking with his buddy Frank Fritz 20 years ago. At the time, all the filming was done by Wolfe rather than the crew that we’ve seen in BTS footage from American Pickers in recent years. Over time, those videos got traction and landed Wolfe and his road tripping buddy a series on the History Channel, which has been airing new episodes since 2010.

As one of the longer-running reality shows on television, American Pickers has made its way into the hearts of many, and Mike Wolfe isn’t taking that responsibility lightly. In a post for the 20th anniversary of his picking on camera, he spoke about the 500 episodes the show has produced so far, as well as getting back into the grind of things.

In the post, Wolfe also reflected on the “beauty and sadness” of this particular journey, which makes sense given the events of the past several months and the impact they’ve had on himself, the team at Pickers, and the fans.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz weren’t on the best of terms in the years before his death at 60, though they’d reportedly reconciled during the summer of 2023. This was after Fritz was asked to leave American Pickers, and had a stroke which Wolfe was responsible for leaking to the press. During his last months, he’d been under a conservatorship, and his legal matters were frequently reported on before he passed away just shy of his 61st birthday.

Fritz and Wolf had grown up together. They were childhood friends and they grew the show together on television. But Wolfe recently shared with People that a battle with opioids after a back injury led Fritz into a bad state. He said he’d “fought really hard to get [him] into rehab,” and while Fritz said he went, ultimately his friend had chosen a different path. It was eventually the network who said the show needed to go on without their beloved co-star.

All of this doubtless makes Pickers' milestone a bit more complex to process, but it is a big deal for the long-running show and its fanbase, who have stuck with the History series through thick and thin. The fans really came out in support of the series in the comments, noting things they’ve loved about the series getting airtime over the years

• "This show has given all of us an incredible look into a way of life that few people knew existed."
• "Been watching since the first episode in 2010 me and my grandpa loved your guys show, he passed but I watch and think of him."
• "I hope everyone feels the same way I did growing up watching you all and I hope tons of people have a passion in getting out and exploring and chasing down things we think are cool, pieces of history hidden from existence and bringing back the memories and emotions with them. Always keep that fire burning chasing that dream!"
• "Thank you for bringing attention to all the cool things from our past. It has helped my business and help save lots of history."

It’s honestly a big week for milestones for Wolfe, who also turned 60 this week. His team celebrated with a post on one of his beloved bikes and his team called him the “bossman” in that post.

A new season of American Pickers is about to start filming. It’s unclear what episodes milestone the reality series will ultimately get to, but it certainly seems as if there are many roads left to explore.

Around two months after American Pickers fave Danielle Colby had to deal with convincing fans that reports about her death were just a hoax, the reality TV fanbase is now dealing with a legitimate loss. Longtime former co-host Frank Fritz, who's dealt with a host of health issues in recent years, has passed away at the age of 60.

American Pickers' head honcho Mike Wolfe took to Instagram to share the sad news with his friends, fans and followers, many of whom have also been supportive of Fritz over the years. Here's how his touching post started:

Indeed, Fritz's everyman qualities, combined with his keen interests during the show's hopeful treasure hunts, made him a beloved part of the show since its earliest days back in 2010. It's hard to imagine anyone at the time could have foreseen just how popular they would both become as Pickers conquered much of its cable competition.

Mike Wolfe spoke to that sense of unknowing early on as he continued to honor Frank Fritz's memory. In his words:

Wolfe and Fritz previously had a falling out, with the latter being reportedly ousted from the series after having taken a leave of absence for health issues. Fritz later addressed having entered rehab for alcoholism, and suffered a stroke in July 2022. It appeared as if he was on the mend over time, and the two former co-stars reportedly mended fences by mid-2023, and there were rumors that attempts were made to get him back on the show.

Fellow picker Danielle Colby shared her own tribute to her late friend on Instagram:

American Pickers airs new episodes on A&E on Wednesday nights, along with blocks of reruns airing on the network. It's assumed that one or more upcoming episodes will feature a tribute to Frank Fritz in some form.

We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Frank Fritz during this time of mourning.

For years, History has made a nice living putting together a series of reality TV shows like American Pickers and Pawn Stars that tell stories about objects that people have owned for years and years and have value either from a monetary or historical standpoint. When Pickers hits the TV schedule, Mike, Robbie and the gang are often directed by Danielle to remote locations where they comb through homes, garages and barns to find pieces of Americana. But how random are these finds?

It may shock you to hear this, but not every moment on reality TV is 100% realistic.

What Goes On With American Pickers Before The Cameras Roll?

In fact, while it often seems that randomly journeying down one-lane highways and getting a little help from Danielle is what leads to the show’s unique finds, that may be one piece of American Pickers that’s fudging things a little bit. We know from interviews that a lot of the sites the guys come across happen because scouting was done in advance to find the best options for filming.

In an interview with Go San Angelo, one shop owner who appeared on the long-running History Channel series admitted they knew the cast would be coming in for a few weeks before the big day. They were even given enough advance notice that friends and family hung around the shop that day. Per Ken Young, the owner of Ken’s Toys (an unofficial museum in Brady, Texas):

This is fairly typical for the series. American Pickers goes through different regions in the United States one at a time and often sends out casting calls before they reach a general state or region. When they headed to Ohio in 2020 for example, casting associate Sarah Perkins did an interview with the Columbus Dispatch as part of the announcement and noted:

While there have been some rumors Pickers could be ending coming up, it’s not happening anytime soon. Danielle Colby and Wolfe celebrate after the show was renewed for a huge number of episodes, and a recent casting call revealed the cast will be in Minnesota in September of 2024. In fact, that announcement featured an email (americanpickers@cineflix.com) and a phone number to call (646) 493-2184 if you think you may have a unique collection on your hands. Other residents find out the show will be in the area via Facebook announcements and more.

A few weeks after the behind-the-scenes exchange, Mr. Young said Mike Wolfe and then-host Frank Fritz (who later was fired from Pickers following health issues) showed up at his doorstep.

Which brings us to what is real about the longtime History series.

Mike, Robbie And More Pickers Have Knowledge That Can’t Be Faked

While the setup is very much set up, most of the people who have actually appeared on American Pickers says the guys really do know their stuff. They’re looking to pick homes and collections that aren’t available in stores and they spend actual time with the people who are parting with beloved items.

Ken Young's son Rod, who was on hand the day the reality team showed up to look over his dad's place, admitted the guys knew what they were talking about.

Another time when Pickers came to Owega, NY, a resident who appeared on the show told 12 News they knew a lot and spent all day filming at her home. According to Chris Knickerbocker,

She said Wolfe joked around with her and even had inside jokes sort of flowing by the end of the filming shift. So there really is a lot that is genuine about American Pickers. Just when it comes to the setup – not so much.

It’s been over a year since Frank Fritz’s stroke and more than two since he was let go from the famous History series, marking the start of an alleged feud between Fritz and Mike Wolfe. The former reality star is on the mend these days, but there’s still a faction of fans who haven’t forgotten what happened behind-the-scenes of the long-running TV series. Now, semi-newcomer Robbie Wolfe has spoken out about the “haters” and the advice his brother Mike gave him when he joined the show. 

While Robbie Wolfe had popped up on American Pickers over the years, it was only after Fritz’s exit that he became a regular fixture on the show, even appearing in official promotional posters for the History series. He officially joined in the capacity of “lead host” at the start of 2023, and it was around that time his brother gave him a piece of advice about dealing with criticism online. 

In an interview with the Des Moines Register he went into detail about what his brother told him. 

It’s advice that has seemingly served him well. It's also a message many people on the Internet could likely stand to hear. The majority of people are not going to comment on posts and of those who do comment, most are nice. It’s just that the negative comments tend to stand out a bit more, but per Wolfe, keeping the focus on the positive is the key to maintaining a good attitude about the job… and its fans.

To his point, it would be weird to be a normal, anonymous dude and then to suddenly draw the attention of the Internet’s ire. Entire books have been written on what it’s like to be canceled by the internet, and in Robbie Wolfe’s case, all of that vitriol happened simply because he signed on to help with American Pickers after its former sidekick left and was not asked to return back. 

This led to members of the Pickers fanbase pushing back and feeling like the show had lost some of its charisma after it changed course. While this attitude has died down a bit over time, it was coming to a head as Robbie became a more permanent fixture on the series and as news broke about Fritz's stroke and subsequent recovery. 

The thing is when last we heard about Frank Fritz’s condition, we learned he was still “picking signs” and doing the work he loves on the regular. He and Mike Wolfe allegedly reunited in the summer of 2023 and the new season hit the TV schedule to more positivity at the tail end of last year. While it's been a lot of ups and downs for the show and its cast, it seems like Robbie Wolfe has a pretty good perspective on the gig, and it sounds like he can chalk at least a little bit of that up to the note from his famous brother. 

Frank Fritz has been in the news a lot lately. There’s the feud he allegedly had with Mike Wolfe, and then the American Pickers star suffered a stroke that has had him on the fanbase’s mind over the past year or so. While insiders and court documents have shared some tidbits about the former reality star’s recovery, a full update came down the pipeline recently, and it’s good news. 

Around the one-year anniversary of his stroke, an insider spoke out about the TV personality continuing “to improve daily.” At the time, the insider noted Fritz’s health seemed to be on the mend, though they mentioned the fact no one is ever “100%” after a stroke. But it seems as if the former star is at a point now where he can get back to the business of living and not just recovering – and that includes getting down to some work.

Does Frank Fritz Still Work As A Picker?

Frank Fritz has long had a store called Frank Fritz Finds, and while complaints about the Iowa location have been rampant as the star has dealt with health issues, it does seem as if there is a concerted effort from the former reality start to stay in the picking game. Per a report over at The Sun, he’s been hanging around with friends who enjoy picking and has found a new way to feed his hobby:

Fritz had not stopped picking after his exit from Pickers, but given reports indicating he has been wheelchair bound since his health incident, it’s great to hear he’s found new ways of doing what he loves.

Frank Fritz Is Reportedly Watching American Pickers On History (Or Peacock)

While Frank was seemingly unhappy about being let go from American Pickers, in more recent months he’s allegedly come closer to being at peace with what happened. For example, he and Mike Wolfe allegedly reunited at the beginning of the summer and buried the hatchet. Things have gotten to the point where Fritz is apparently even cool with and enjoying watching new episodes of Pickers on the History Channel (or possibly with his Peacock subscription, we're not sure).

So, in general it sounds like bygones have been bygones. 

Now, of course the fanbase is a different matter, as there is certainly still a small (but vocal) American Pickers fanbase out there that would prefer seeing Wolfe pick with his childhood pal rather than people like his brother Robbie. But given Frank Fritz doesn’t seem to be getting out as much these days, a full-on TV reunion may not be a possibility. Per the insider:

So, if you were hoping Fritz might make a comeback on the series, it’s both a bit of good and bad news. On the one hand, he seems to be on the mend, both physically and in regards to his relationships. On the other hand, though he may be in better shape to make a return to the reality series, if what the insider says is true, the interest simply may never be there. We’ll have to wait and see what happens as Pickers continues filming in the years to come – if it continues filming.

It’s been a little over a year since Frank Fritz had a stroke that reportedly left him in a wheelchair and under the care of a guardianship. The health incident had occurred after a highly publicized fallout between Fritz and his American Pickers co-star Mike Wolfe, and fans had rallied around the former TV star in the aftermath. Now, a year later, we’re finally getting an update on his condition. 

The last we’d heard about the TV personality happened earlier in the summer and only came because court documents had been filed related to his conservatorship. At the time, we learned the bank keeping tabs on the conservatorship was asking that the “inventory and related documents” be sealed so Fritz could maintain some privacy. Prior to that, the most recent update about the American Pickers star’s health we’d gotten had to do with multiple 911 calls being placed to his house after his stroke.  

An Update On The American Pickers Star's Condition

Now, however, an insider has spoken out about what’s going on with the former reality star, and it generally sounds like it is good news. Per the friend of the star who spoke anonymously with The Sun, Frank is still in "outpatient therapy" but continues to be on the mend:

And while the comment makes it sound like Fritz is still dealing with some difficulties in the aftermath of what was a major health incident, it mostly sounds like positive news.

Frank Fritz Is Not As 'Debilitated' As Some Reports Have Indicated

In the past, people close to Fritz had reported he’d vacated a rehab center and returned home but that a long road to recovery was ahead for the Pickers star. Eventually, a guardian even got involved with Fritz’s care, but the insider also mentioned that reports of the TV name being “debilitated” have been blown out of proportion. 

At the end of the day, it sounds as if the reality star is moving forward and trying to make the best of a situation that was seemingly pretty rough.

He was only 56 at the time of his stroke, but had mentioned dealing with health issues in the years previous. In fact, he’d initially taken leave from American Pickers to deal with a back issue, and was ultimately not asked back by History and Mike Wolfe. The two allegedly reunited this summer. 

After quite a few setbacks affecting both his personal and his professional life, former American Pickers star Frank Fritz seems to have landed a bit of positive news regarding his ongoing conservatorship. The antique-hunting entertainer suffered a stroke in July 2022 that left him reportedly unable to care for himself in various ways, with a longtime friend stepping in to serve as a guardian. Some information about Fritz’s current situation went public in the months since MidWestOne Bank became his conservator, including key details about his financial troubles and property locations. The latest update involves the financial institution’s attempt to bring a halt to that particular information remaining in the public sphere.

As the conservator in this situation, MidWestOne Bank filed paperwork specifically requesting that the court seal off the inventory of Frank Fritz’s financial assets and properties.The request noted that his status as a celebrity who collects antiques were important factors in the attempt to remove such information from the public eye, as reported by The U.S. Sun. Thankfully for all involved on Fritz’s side of things, the judge who was assigned to the case gave his approval for those records to be sealed off. 

The request filed in court can be read below:

• The Protected Person is a well-known celebrity and collector of antiques and other diverse items. The inventory and related documents contain sensitive and private information regarding the Protected Person’s assets and liabilities as well as their whereabouts. The Conservator requests that the court allow the inventory and associated documents to be filed under seal to protect the Protected Person’s privacy and estate.

It’s not clear how lengthy a decision it was for the judge to make, but it doesn’t seem like there were any big hiccups. 

Which is possibly a great sign in and of itself, since it was just on June 2 when a Notice of Delinquency for Conservatorships was filed, due to a lack of an inventory report being filed before the agreed-upon due date of December 12, 2022. There’s a 60-day timeframe from the point when that notice was filed, at which point things would be taken up a notch from a legal standpoint. It’s possible that the record-sealing request was part of the eventual inventory filing, but that’s also not clear.

Here’s hoping this is a step forward among many more in the near future for Frank Fritz, who almost surprisingly reunited with Mike Wolfe over Memorial Day weekend, despite reports over the past couple of years about feuding strife happening between the two. While some of that may have been legit in small bites, their recent reunion made it sound like a lot of that friction stemmed from working together so closely for so long ahead of a big drastic change. It was previously reported in early 2023 that Wolfe and the American Pickers team would be up for having Fritz back on the show in the future, but that doesn’t seem wholly likely at the moment, at least not until his health situation takes a major upward turn.

Fans can stream past episodes of American Pickers with a Peacock subscription, as well as on streaming sites such as Pluto and Roku Channel.

The reported fallout between Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz of American Pickers fame has resulted in some twists and turns over the past several years. In 2021, Fritz departed their highly popular antique show amid rumors of strife between him and others involved with the show, as well as health problems on his own part. The two have apparently been estranged since then and, during that stretch of time, the History star has had his fair share of personal setbacks, including having a stroke last summer. Despite all of that and even more tough stuff, it’s been reported the two have reunited. 

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz allegedly reunited over Memorial Day weekend, thanks to a longtime friend of the latter. This was reportedly the first time that the two had seen each other in three years. Said friend, who preferred not to be named, claims that it was the reality star who had “been wanting to see Frank for quite some time.” They went on to say that it was “Frank’s request to see Mike,” as the former History star was finally feeling up to it. And if this person is to be believed, the reunion was emotional: 

While this report from The Quad-City Times was second-hand, fans are sure to get somewhat emotional hearing this account. The person further alleged to the publication that they “talked about old times” and that Mike Wolfe would “like Frank back on the show.” Not only that, but the friend made a bold claim about the reported feud between the two: 

Those who’ve been following the drama between the former co-stars may not be so quick to believe that assertion. The two previously engaged in a back-and-forth, during which some blunt sentiments were shared. Frank Fritz called out Mike Wolfe back in 2021 over the statement he made regarding his exit from the show. Fritz, who was unwell at the time, called it “bullshit” and claimed that his colleague hadn’t said “five nice things” in a decade. The Antique Archaeology owner later tried to clear the air with another statement, in which he said that he’d love to have Fritz back on the long-running show and was disappointed that “he's made decisions that have him the way he is.”

Even if things are all good between the two now though, the chances of seeing the former star back on the show may be slim. Fritz’s health is reportedly still in decline and, on top of that, he’s said to be dealing with financial issues. And since last year, he’s been subject to a guardianship. So, while it appears that he still has some hurdles to clear, this latest report could, at the very least, be a silver lining in regard to his friendship with his former co-star. Only time will tell whether the stars themselves confirm that they’re back on good terms.

We were well into the pandemic when news came down the pipeline: longtime duo Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz were breaking up the band. The news was somewhat of a surprise when it first broke, but those who followed American Pickers and its stars on social media knew that Wolfe’s longtime driving partner had already been off the air for some time when his exit from the History Channel series became a certain reality. 

What followed was a lot of brouhaha. Back and forth comments between Wolfe and Fritz were spoken through the media and, in some cases, social media as the show continued airing on the TV schedule. Fingers were pointed. Health issues were documented and feelings were explored. A fan movement (“Bring Frank Back”) was spawned. Then tragedy struck. The feud between the two American Pickers stars is a long and storied one, and while the air is starting to be cleared, I'd still suggest buckling up. It’s going to be a bumpy read. 

Early 2020: Frank Fritz Took A Voluntary Leave Of Absence

Most of us think of March of 2020 as the month the world shut down and many of us remained at home. For the History Channel star, it was the month his final Pickers episode aired. At the time, we’d learned Frank had voluntarily taken a leave of absence from the show to deal with what he says was a back issues. From information we got later, it was reportedly so much more. 

July 2021: Rumors Swirled Fritz Was Not Returning To The Show

In the summer of 2021, there were whispers things were not well with the cast of the reality show. Frank Fritz had been open about leaving the series for a time to deal with a bad back (and surgery), as well as Crohn’s Disease issues and alcohol problems. He lost weight and got healthy. By the summer of 2021, the longtime star realized it might not be that easy to return, noting at the time, “I was doing it for 11 years, but there is a lot of controversy going on right now.”

July 2021: Mike Wolfe Confirmed The Rumors

When Frank said there was “controversy” going on with his potential return to the show, he also noted his co-host pal had not reached out in two years. So while rumors were swirling, there was a lot of evidence of trouble in paradise. Just a few days later, Wolfe confirmed Frank Fritz’s exit, writing to fans on social media:

If only it all had ended there. 

August 2021: Danielle Colby Broke Her Silence On American Pickers BTS Drama

After Mike Wolfe confirmed his former road tripping buddy would not be back, Frank Fritz started talking to the press about “regrets,” namely that he wished he had stopped drinking five years earlier than he did. He continued talking to the press in the days that followed and eventually his other co-star felt the need to speak out. From her side of things, there was a lot of “pain” Frank had caused while still on the show and she wanted to set the misinformation straight, writing in August of 2021:

Clearly, there was a lot that had gone on behind the scenes during the creation of the History Channel show. Colby seemingly gave fans a look at the bigger picture without spilling all the tea, but she made it clear there was a strong fissure between the cast and Fritz, here.

August 2021: Frank Stopped Playing Nice

While early on, Frank’s narrative was one of change and growth, after his former co-stars said their piece, he stopped playing so nicely. In the month of August, the former reality star’s commentary changed. He said the statement Wolfe had made was “bullshit” and also said no one had even called to check on him, ending a mini rant with an angry “fuck you.” 

Things were getting tenser, not less tense. 

Mid-August 2021: The Back And Forth Between The Two Stars Continued

While originally the remaining History channel stars had been a little cagey about Frank Fritz’s personal struggles, eventually the back and forth kept going in the press to the point where Wolfe made an attempt to be clear about why his former pal was not being asked back. In Mid-August, Wolfe straight up wrote: 

The reality star had been candid about previously being sober from alcohol for 11 months, and there seemed to be more to the tale, but Fritz also reiterated his sobriety after Mike's comments came down the pipeline in August. He said: 

When Frank first left Pickers, and even when there was hope he might be able to return to the show, he'd had a better attitude about it. But his emotions seemingly changed over time. 

January 2022: American Pickers Returned To The Schedule

Normally a new season of picking is a reason to rejoice, but 2022 was a weird year for the fanbase. The show came back in January, but it was without the normal cast. A very vocal portion of the fanbase started hashtags in places like Twitter and Facebook to express their disapproval. The ratings suffered on American Pickers. A slew of comments rolled around with fans asking about “loyalty” and asking the series to #BringFrankBack. 

Meanwhile, the series brought on Mike Wolfe’s brother, Robbie, for the January premiere, and he’s remained a fixture on the series in the time since. Though Robbie had dropped by in the past, he was seen as a replacement for Frank, and some people weren’t happy about it. 

The show was back, but it had seemingly lost some of its magic.

March 2022: Frank Fritz Dealt With More Troubles

After getting kicked off of reality TV, and having been out of a lucrative gig for two years by last spring, news had broken the star was behind on his taxes, and had been for a while. In March of 2022, it was reported Fritz owed back taxes in the amount of $5,038 that had accrued from two properties he’d purchased in Iowa. He’d also previously mentioned things had not gone well with a former partner, a woman who he’d spent lavish amounts of money on and who left him after allegedly costing him “six figures.”  

A return to Pickers seemed further and further away. 

May of 2022: An Insider Spoke Out About Ongoing Problems

An insider who knew both Pickers stars said the two were still not talking. He also noted “money” had reportedly changed the friendship between the two men. 

July 2022: Mike Wolfe Jumped Into The Fray Again After Health Scare

It was confirmed in July that Frank Fritz had suffered a stroke. Interestingly, it was his former TV partner Mike Wolfe who alerted the world to the stroke news after months of silence about what had transpired. Mike had asked the world to keep their “opinions” about what was going on with the show and the back-and-forth between the former friends to themselves. Instead, Wolfe leaking the news inspired a bit of vitriol from certain fans. 

August 2022: Frank Fritz Was Reportedly On The Mend

While a stroke is a big deal and the reality star had gone through a big health scare, it was reported just a few weeks later that he was on the mend. While he was out of the hospital at this point, his struggles continued in the months following. 

October 2022: A Guardianship Petition Was Filed 

While it seemed that Fritz was getting better, what had actually transpired was the actor was shifted from a rehab center to at home care. Paperwork was filed on Frank Fritz’s behalf to get a guardianship put into place. That paperwork made the situation a whole lot clearer: 

The former star has struggled with at home care, with myriad 911 calls being placed in recent months. He has also struggled with his finances, as care after a stroke is expensive. 

January 2023: Insider Claimed American Pickers Wanted To Get The Gang Back Together, But The Show Must Go On

An insider claimed History was having second thoughts about his firing. The news came after friends was put under the care of a guardianship and had reportedly been burdened by finances for some time. While returning to TV would likely be a boon for the latter part, given recent reports, it's unclear how Fritz could do the traveling and filming necessary to fulfill a TV obligation. 

In the meantime, American Pickers has moved on. Mike Wolfe has gratefully thanked the crew for their hard work on the new season and the show seems to have successfully navigated the storm of drama that followed Frank Fritz being let go from the show. The latter's new battle is now a battle for his health, and in the summer of 2023 the Midwest Bank responsible for his guardianship worked to seal the inventory of Fritz's financial assets and responsibilities. 

For now, his health will need to take priority, at least in the near future. But time heals a lot of wounds and we'll have to wait and see what's down the road for both men, and the show. 

Summer 2023: An American Pickers Reunion

While not confirmed by Wolfe or Fritz, an insider in Iowa claimed the summer of 2023 was a time to put old issues aside and come back together. In fact, said insider claimed in June the two Pickers stars reunited over Memorial Day weekend, noting it was emotional and there "were tears" involved. Frank had allegedly requested the meet, which reportedly included talks about old times they'd had together and what the future could hold. 

Following the reunion, it was revealed that Frank Fritz landed a legal win tied to his ongoing conservatorship, with the court allowing for his financial records and property details to be sealed away from public viewing.

August 2023: An Insider Clarifies Fritz's Ongoing Recovery

It had been months since we'd heard anything in regards to Frank Fritz's recovery outside of guardianship updates and a reported reunion with his former TV road tripping partner. His friend recently spoke out to note that no one is ever "100 percent" after having a stroke but they called the former reality TV star "aware" and noted reports of Fritz being "debilitated" were not accurate.

The stroke reportedly impacted his right side.

There had been talks over a potential return to the History series, but at this juncture it sounds like Frank Fritz still has a long road ahead, though the news from his friend is mostly positive. Regardless, when it comes to his issues with Wolfe, like The Rock and Vin Diesel's Fast and Furious feud, this may be one feud we can declare over. 

Frank Fritz’s trials  are growing more apparent as the weeks roll on. Following his widely-publicized stroke in 2022, in recent months, we’ve known the American Pickers star has been struggling, as a guardianship was put in place to help with his financial and health decisions. Now, new details are coming out of Iowa indicating multiple 911 calls have been placed to his home in recent months. 

Four times over the last several months, emergency calls have been placed on the TV personality’s behalf. The first of these came on November 17th of last year, and happened because the American Pickers star was having “a seizure.” More calls were obtained by The Sun, and detail a swathe of different issues he has reportedly been facing.. 

A second call on December 7th was made due to high blood pressure. A third call was placed by a caregiver over “possible pneumonia” on December 21, with another call placed for the same issue one day later, just before the holidays. It’s unclear if any 911 calls have been placed since the start of 2023. 

The details also reveal other previously unreleased information, including the fact  Fritz is seemingly wheelchair bound since his July 14th stroke. During the fourth 911 call, the former reality star’s guardian called him “handicapped” and noted he’s in a wheelchair. Audio from one call indicated: 

Fritz's Guardianship Had Been Put Into Place Previously

The aforementioned guardianship was in place before any of these phone calls occurred, which is why a caretaker was on hand to place the calls. Fritz’s friends started the legal process of the guardianship back in late last year after the TV personality had spent time in a rehab facility following his stroke. The last update we had confirmed the former History star had returned home following this stint, and the details of the myriad 911 calls do support this information. 

Back in August of 2022, there had been some indication that Frank Fritz was “on the mend” after his health incident. This was seemingly good news at the time, as Fritz had previously expressed interest in a return to TV – the livelihood that had made him a household name.

There had been bad blood between Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe ahead of his stroke and afterward. He'd clapped back at comments his Pickers co-stars had made about his on-set behavior, behavior which reportedly led to his firing (after he had voluntarily put his History career on pause). It was Wolfe who also told the world Fritz had a stroke, a fact his former Pickers co-star was allegedly unhappy with. In addition to health struggles, Fritz has also reportedly been dealing with money struggles since his exit from television. 

It's been a long haul for the TV personality and it doesn't sound like he's out of the woods yet. Sending positive vibes to the star during this time.

American Pickers is currently in the midst of airing its 24th season on History Channel, and even though it’s been right around three years since former co-host Frank Fritz’s last appearance prior to his unexpected ousting, viewers are still quick to call for his return anytime the show comes up. That turn of events is unlikely to happen anytime soon, however, even if there wasn’t any juice behind the feud between Fritz and Mike Wolfe. The latest update concerning the former reality star indicates the recovery process from the stroke he suffered in 2022 remains a full-time concern amidst his ongoing conservatorship, but he does appear to be back home at last.

Frank Fritz was first hospitalized back in July 2022 after a friend discovered he’d had a stroke in his home that left him on the ground and incapacitated. The debilitating incident was such that he was put under a temporary conservatorship in August, after a friend filed an emergency appointment, with court documents stating that Fritz was too impaired for proper decision-making, and was unable to care for himself in most ways without the help of others, physically and financially. A month later, the American Pickers vet was released from the hospital to spend the next several months recovering within a rehabilitation center.

In order for Fritz to vacate the rehabilitation center and move back home for the remainder of his recovery ordeal, his Iowan residence needed some major adjustments. For one, a wheelchair ramp needed to be built on the exterior of the house to allow him access into and out of his home, while similar additions were needed inside the home, particularly in the bathrooms, where safety bars and rails were also required. And according to the US Sun, the ramp has indeed been built, with the outlet saying it was actually built "after he returned home from rehab."

The ramp was set up around the side and rear of the collector's farmhouse in Le Claire, Iowa, where he's been living since first buying it up in 2010. He'd expanded the property a few years later, and built up an impressive warehouse for storage purposes as American Pickers' popularity exploded. It's unclear how much time he'll be spending out and about in the warehouse or elsewhere, but the ramp will certainly make that kind of undertaking easier to sort out for Fritz and his guardian.

As dictated by the conservatorship agreement, a longtime friend of Fritz's is serving as a personal guardian to assist in the latter's recovery process at the homefront, while MidWestOne Bank is handling all financial-related affairs. The guardian will be helping out with cooking, grocery shopping, medical treatments for Fritz's Crohn's disease, physical therapy and more. He'll also be responsible for bringing the TV vet to and from any outings that Fritz's feels good enough to go on. So while it sounds like there's still a ways to go before he's back to feeling like his former self, being back home will hopefully only make things smoother.

This unexpectedly lengthy medical issue has taken a toll on Fritz’s financial situation, which was already reportedly taking a downward turn post-firing over unpaid back taxes. His conservatorship lawyer even filed paperwork requesting payment from his client, despite being court-appointed legal representation.

A report from November put his expenses north of $28,000 a month, with nearly $23,000 of that coming just from medical care, amounting to around $273K per year if it averages out. Following his firing from American Pickers, which itself occurred after Fritz's back surgery caused further problems that led to a different kind of rehab stint, he's reportedly only earning somewhere around $60K per year.

Only a week or so prior to this update, Mike Wolfe took to social media to reveal that he'd just filmed his final pick of the season, and shared a video highlighting the myriad crew members who brought Season 24 to life. In the comments, he addressed Frank Fritz directly in a rare moment, saying he's been missed:

So fans should be expecting any surprise appearances from Frank Fritz in upcoming episodes of American Pickers, but I think we can all agree that the most important issue here is for him to reach the point of full recovery.

It’s been a tough few months for American Pickers’ Frank Fritz. His former TV partner Mike Wolfe confirmed he’d suffered a stroke last summer, and unfortunately the star has not bounced back in the time since. In fact, in recent months Fritz was dealing with continued health issues and was put under a guardianship. Now, he’s dealing with money issues as well. 

The reality star was reportedly appointed a lawyer by the court when all of this guardianship stuff started happening. Now, his court-appointed lawyer has filed a Motion to Approve Attorney Fees. Per the request: 

The request isn't for a ton of money, but it's one more request in a wave of financial difficulties the star has been facing in recent months. Frank Fritz was reportedly having financial issues even before his lawyer filed this most recent motion. A few months ago, we reported that Frank Fritz’s expenses are tallying up to around $28,292 a month. He needs "in-home healthcare" that costs more than 22K per month by itself. Then he has other varying expenses including health insurance, transportation and food that are piling up. He reportedly is only bringing in around $60K per year following his exit from American Pickers, and if that number is accurate, he obviously can’t afford all of this stuff. 

Fritz has said in the past he’d like another TV show, and there have even been (unconfirmed) rumors American Pickers might want him back one day. Given his current health status -- a report over at The Sun is referring to Frank’s ability to even make small decision as “so impaired” right now --  it doesn’t seem like a possibility at all in the near future. 

Right now, it seems the reality personality may be spending more than is coming in. And his lawyer is asking for his due, now, too. The only positive news is that Fritz’s lawyer is not asking for a large sum. According to the filing, he is asking for $450 in billings for visiting the TV personality in the hospital. He’s also looking for $120 for a court appearance during the guardianship process and an additional $150 for reviews he did of filings that came about in court.

MidWest Bank, the bank that is behind Frank Fritz’s guardianship is handling his affairs, including the money to the lawyer, which has been approved by a judge. The bank has said it has plans for Frank’s assets in order to “start generating income for Mr. Fritz.” Hopefully, a plan will be worked out in the coming months that helps get the former reality stars finances back on track as he continues the process of recovery. 

A new season of American Pickers recently hit the 2023 TV schedule starring longtime lead Mike Wolfe and his brother Robbie. While fans have been waiting for new episodes for quite a while, the show has continued to struggle in the ratings since the exit of Frank Fritz a couple of years ago. Now, an insider is claiming the veteran reality series wants the show’s former co-star back, but how realistic is that really? 

If a report from an insider who spoke with Radar Online is true, Wolfe allegedly has wanted Frank back for a while, albeit reluctantly. That insider actually told the outlet, “Coming crawling back to Frank is a bitter pill for Mike to swallow,” noting it’s one that might be necessary given the current state of the ratings. With a few bright spots, American Pickers has dropped in the ratings since Fritz left. 

Last week’s premiere episode also brought in well under the 1 million benchmark the series used to frequently hit, rounding out at about 943,000 viewers. While the show could maybe use a little help, there’s a bit of counterevidence out there on this front, however. 

Mike Wolfe Is Still Happy As A Clam Promoting American Pickers Without Frank

It is worth noting that when Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz broke the band up, it wasn’t exactly copacetic. While Frank initially left the show of his own accord to deal with mounting health issues, it was confirmed by Mike Wolfe that he was not asked back to the show. As the story blew up bigger and bigger, Danielle Colby and others involved with the show noted that Frank had struggles the show had accommodated for years but that had reached a breaking point. Rumors of a feud between the Pickers stars have continually cropped up.

Then, there was plenty of back and forth when both Wolfe and Frank Fritz spoke to press, with the former reality star calling out Wolfe’s statement as “bullshit” and straight up direct addressing him with a “fuck you.” Therefore, it’s not as if things ended on a positive note between everyone involved. 

Secondarily, ahead of the most recent batch of episodes, Mike Wolfe shared a post on his Instagram Story noting how “excited” he was about the new batch of episodes airing on History on Wednesday nights. Not exactly the mark of a “bitter” man. 

Frank Fritz’s Health Issues Sound Quite Serious 

The other, and probably even more relevant piece of information to note is that Frank Fritz is dealing with major health issues. Even if the fandom has been vocal about wanting Fritz back, and even if Wolfe did see that to be a potential pathway, I’m not sure it’s possible. When last we heard about the star’s health journey, he was being placed under a temporary guardianship by the court system. 

Why? In October we learned that Fritz had been in a rehabilitation center since August following a stroke he had suffered earlier in 2022. A guardianship was put into place to watch over the former reality star’s “safety” and to help him make decisions about things like food, shelter and medical care. This healthcare is costing him a pretty penny and MidWestOne Bank recently filed paperwork tallying up the cost of Frank Fritz’s needs. While a reality TV paycheck would likely be a boon for him, and Fritz had said he'd like to return to reality TV, it doesn’t sound like he is in much of a position to be able to take on a job requiring long hours and travel, etc at this time. And until we hear otherwise from Frank himself, I doubt this will be changing. 

Our thoughts do go out to the former reality star at this time. On a brighter note, if you do want to influence those ratings, new episodes of American Pickers do air on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET, only on History. 

Former American Pickers star Frank Fritz has had a tough few years. After Mike Wolfe confirmed Fritz had been let go of the History series, he lost income. He then dealt with a health setback earlier in 2022 that had him hospitalized and then sent to a rehabilitation facility. All of those things cost money, and now the former reality star’s financial trajectory is not looking good at all. In fact, he is paying a lot for medical care. 

In recent weeks, the care of the former Pickers star has been taken over by a conservatorship, which means legal paperwork has been fired on his behalf. A guardian was put into place and a bank had taken over control of his finances. Now, the bank in question, the MidWestOne Bank, has filed paperwork indicating Fritz’s expenses are tallying up to $28,292 a month. Extrapolated out over a period of 12 months and thats over $273K a year.

According to the legal paperwork (via The Sun), Frank Fritz currently needs “in-home healthcare” which is costing the lion’s share of the aforementioned monthly tally. Right now, his care requires $22,832 a month. Then there are other expenses, things like health insurance, transportation, food and $250 a month listed for items like clothing and more.

Those additional expenses account for the additional thousands per month. However, his 2021 tax form indicates Fritz only currently is bringing in $60K per year after getting dropped by American Pickers. He still has a storefront that sells merch and antiques (including American Pickers merch about his firing)  and the legal paperwork mentions additional investments. 

Before his health issues, Fritz had been hoping for another reality show, but given his current troubles, going back to work does not seem like a possibility in the near future. Instead, the conservatorship plans to invest further to recoup some of the $28,292 a month costs. 

Fritz is not currently in debt, though that could change. Meanwhile, MidWestOne Bank is reportedly working to “integrate Mr. Fritz into management decisions as he continues to recover.” The paperwork also states it will work to get him on disability, among other plans.

Frank Fritz’s stroke was a serious moment, to the point where his former co-star Mike Wolfe even took to social media in July to share the news, opening up the door to talk about Fritz for the first time in months. He also took the opportunity to ask fans who had been banging the drum for months about Fritz’s return to not do so while the star dealt with his medical issues. (For his part Fritz was allegedly unhappy Wolfe broke the news online.)

Months have passed since then, and it’s clear the health issues are lingering, though it seems that with these new legal guards in place the Pickers sidekick will get the help he needs. Our thoughts go out to Fritz during this time. 

There hasn’t been much word about Frank Fritz in the days and weeks after Mike Wolfe noted his former American Pickers pal had suffered a stroke. Now, we have an update and unfortunately it’s not good news. In fact, after being found unresponsive back in July, apparently the former reality star has only recovered somewhat and has been living in a rehabilitation facility since August. 

In the latest piece of new to come out regarding Mr. Fritz, paperwork was filed on the star’s behalf indicating he needs a guardian during this time period. That paperwork was filed because it is reportedly “necessary” so the former reality star “avoid[s] immediate harm.” Per the August petition: 

The guardianship was later approved by a judge (via The Des Moines Register) and a temporary guardianship has been created with a “longtime friend” in place to help out the former American Pickers star. A bank has also taken over the star’s finances. Judge Henry Latham was the person to approve the temporary guardianship, noting: 

Prior to Frank Fritz’s stroke, the actor had seemed to be on a path to recovery. He’d initially voluntarily exited American Pickers to deal with back struggles and a subsequent surgery. He said during the period after he initially took a leave of absence, he’d also gone to rehab and had gotten sober. He relayed he’d tried to “get the most out of it” that he “possibly could.”

Meanwhile, however, the show would go on. Once Fritz felt he was in a good place to make a return to American Pickers, the show had decided it was best to part ways. Mike Wolfe and co-star Danielle Colby both shared candid messages about the exit; later the show hired his brother, Robbie, in his place. Fritz expressed some interest in another TV show, but it wasn’t to be. 

This part of the story played out in the summer of 2021. About a year later, in July of 2022, the History star had a stroke and was found unresponsive at his home in Iowa. Despite this latest news, he seems to be started on a path to recovery and our thoughts go out to the star as he moves forward on the journey.

Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe are both reality personalities who also have other business outside of their TV Lives. The former runs Frank Fritz Finds in Savanna, IL while the latter runs Antique Archaeology in Nashville, TN. While the two no longer have the History series in common, both are still selling wares related to the long-running series, made all the more interesting given all the alleged feuding brouhaha between the two American Pickers stars.

A few weeks ago we learned that Fritz is now selling merch nodding back to his exit from American Pickers. This would normally not be a super significant thing to note, as I’m sure TV personalities have side businesses selling shirts and things all the time. However, in this case, the reality star is selling shirt nodding back to the drama that led to his ultimate exit from the History channel series, and now it looks like Wolfe is selling his own wares. 

We previously caught wind of some black t-shirts the fired reality star was selling capturing a the sentiment many fans have expressed about Fritz’s firing. The shirts read “I want Frank back,” a nod to a phrase fans vocalized online in the weeks and months after his exit. The former TV name is also selling pictures with himself and his former partner during their time on the show.

Now, it seems Wolfe also sells his own merch, but he’s not trying to capitalize on the two breaking the band up. Instead, The Sun reports the mainstay on the series is selling American Pickers gear but none of it harkens back to his time with Fritz. Instead, he’s selling shirts and mugs and the like, with one of the mugs reading “keep on picking.” 

To note, Mike Wolfe seems to be keeping the wares evergreen and doesn’t seem to be selling anything related to his brother Robbie, either. This is actually kind of in keeping with what has been going on over the past months. While Frank Fritz has openly shaded his former co-star in comments calling him “bullshit,” the current lead  has generally tried to take the high ground. 

For example, he only really confirmed Franks’ exit after the chatter grew online and then he was the one to speak to the Pickers fanbase and inform them of the Pickers star’s stroke, asking them to avoid online complaints while he heals.

Meanwhile, American Pickers itself has moved on with Robbie Wolfe in the other seat. While ratings have been up and down -- there have been some bright spots for the History series -- it may be time to move on from the exit drama. Though I'm personally curious to know which one of them is selling more shirts...

At this point, fans know Frank Fritz is no longer a star on American Pickers, the History series that made him a household name. After he willingly left the series to deal with personal and health troubles, Mike Wolfe confirmed his former road trippin’ buddy would not be coming back. This spurred a movement online from some of the show’s most ardent fans, and now it looks like the former reality star is leaning into the fans’ feelings on the matter. In fact, he’s selling some merch related to his firing from the show. 

Fritz is still a picker and he’s the owner of an establishment called Frank Fritz Finds. The store had seemingly been receiving some poor reviews after the whole brouhaha of Frank and Mike breaking the band up. In recent months, however, Frank Fritz Finds has been seeing some positive momentum. Among the changes it seems the store has started selling merch nodding at the fallout between himself and Wolfe.

The tees are black with white text on them and they come with a message that has become a frequent refrain online. What do they say? 

The Sun got a look at the t-shirts, as well as other memorabilia Frank seems to be selling from the show. This includes photos of himself and Mike, somewhat surprisingly, given the fact the former reality star has been candid about feeling like he was done a bit dirty by Wolfe. 

Whether you go to American Pickers posts on Twitter, Facebook or other social media outlets, you’ll probably see some variation of this comment. Just looking at the current “pinned tweet” right now, there are a lot of variations of the sentiment on the shirt. One commenter, Gene, noted: 

Another Jet_Set_Bear, said the show should not have gone on after the events that went down during the pandemic. 

The point being, “bring back Frank” has been a common refrain from the fanbase, and while it’s seemingly been dying down somewhat as newcomer Robbie and Mike have aired new episodes in recent months, the fans are very familiar with this sort of comment. Now it looks as if Fritz and co. are trying to capitalize on the sentiment.

For a time, it seemed as if the former reality star might have been angling to come back to Pickers. He made several comments about hoping to come back. When Wolfe made it clear that was not an option on the table, Fritz expressed interest in starring in his own show. Clearly that hasn’t happened. So the next best thing may just be selling snarky t-shirts. I’d be interested to know if the fans coming out online are actually supporting the reality personality’s merch or not. 

Meanwhile, fans already know the series has moved on with Robbie Wolfe. Ratings have been down on the series since all of the online discourse related to the move, but on the bright side, there’s been more good news in recent weeks as American Pickers saw an uptick. True too is the fact that Fritz is reportedly on the mend after his stroke. And while he’s clearly does not seem to be above a bit of petty (t-shirt oriented) revenge, here’s hoping he pulls through and his health improves moving forward. 

American Pickers is currently airing new episodes on Saturdays, though a recent rerun featuring Frank Fritz had some fans reminiscing online. The History show has gone in a new direction after the brouhaha surrounding Fritz’s exit became public news more than a year ago now; unfortunately, American Pickers’ ratings have gone in a new direction too: south. Regardless, Mike, Robbie and their loyal crew are still out there doing their thing on the road and producing new episodes.

The latest season of American Pickers had been running new episodes Since July 9. Most of those have fallen well below the 1 million viewer mark, a threshold that host Mike Wolfe nearly always hit with Frank. Still, the team is already back on the road and putting together new episodes to air at a future date, and Robbie Wolfe recently shouted out the team and all their hard work in a nice BTS Instagram post. 

This isn’t the first time recently that someone related to Pickers has shared a look behind the scenes on Instagram. Just a few weeks ago, Mike also shouted out to the crew working hard at Third Man Pressing in Detroit. This one wasn’t black and white, so it’s a little less artsy, but it does also show off the dedicated team. 

The news comes as American Pickers continues to air new episodes on Saturdays and while the numbers are down, hundreds of thousands of people are still showing up to see what the crew is up too. Many more may be catching reruns or episodes on DVR weeks or months after the fact, which would not be included in traditional Live+7 ratings. 

Look, it’s true the show has dipped in the ratings since Frank Fritz left and Mike Wolfe subsequently had to make a statement about his exit. It’s also worth noting though that ratings are down across the board on every network and every TV show as linear viewing becomes less important. It’s also true that though American Pickers is down overall in the ratings, the show did see a recent ray of light with an August 2022 episode when it nabbed the show more than a million total viewers for the first time since the BTS drama. 

Clearly the crew is still working hard to put out new episodes of a program that’s had a long shelf life on the cabler and it seems like there’s more in the future. Both Mike Wolfe and Robbie have pretty diversified lives, also running popular social media accounts and businesses outside of American Pickers. Mike even recently has been showing off a renovation he’s been working on; he, of course, also went viral earlier this year for filming for an upcoming TV project with Jason Momoa as well. 

I don’t know how long American Pickers will ultimately run on cable, but it’s nice to see the show’s leads supporting the crew that keeps things running smoothly, despite the naysayers who are continually making their feelings known online. If you do want to support the series, new episodes run on Saturday nights. Be sure to check out what else is coming this fall with our TV schedule. 

It’s been a few weeks since American Pickers star Mike Wolfe confirmed his former road tripping buddy Frank Fritz had a stroke and had been hospitalized. While Fritz was seemingly not happy Wolfe had broken the news about his health event, it has been confirmed that Fritz is on the mend. He’s not the only one improving, either, as recent reports seem to indicate Pickers’ own ratings penance may be waning. 

In fact, American Pickers has recently been improving in the ratings in recent weeks, but particularly during the week of August 20th, when the show finally bumped over the 1 million total viewers mark. The episodes “Knucklehead Blue, Salty & Sweet Pickins Part 1” was set in North Carolina and featured Mike bargaining over a Mountain Dew statue. 

New episodes of American Pickers started on Saturday nights at the beginning of July and early on showed the same slack episodes had seemingly featured since it was confirmed that Frank Fritz had officially been let go from the show. Early in 2022, January episodes of American Pickers numbers had dropped from around 1.3 million an episode to under the 1 million viewer mark. That trajectory continued downward as the show returned to the air in July. 

In fact, earlier episodes this summer only drew over 800,000 total viewers. While some of those episodes were closer to 900,000 viewers, a July 29th ep only saw 821,000 viewers tune in. Thus, it seemed like the trajectory was continuing downward for the show's summer/fall 2022 TV season return. 

Now that Fritz is on the mend and Wolfe has been supportive of his former TV pal, it seems as if more people have decided to give the show a whirl again. The latest episode's 1,007,000 viewers, per The Sun, is hardly a number to scoff at given what we’d seen in previous months. 

Of course, it’s worth noting this is still the new iteration of American Pickers. Mike Wolfe brought in his brother Robbie after he and Frank Fritz broke the band up. (Although Fritz left voluntarily over health issues he was not asked back by the other Pickers star or those involved in the show in other capacities.) Wolfe is still taking some flack online for what happened with the reality series, but it seems like the show is finally seeing some forward momentum with its new cast. 

Meanwhile, Frank Fritz has said he’d like to return to TV again, but that’s unlikely to happen on the show that made him a household name. The good news is he is on the mend after his stroke, recently telling a friend he is "very determined" and "continues to get better every day." 

Of course, here's hoping for more good news soon -- on both recovery fronts. 

Just about any instance involving a TV star exiting a beloved show is going to be a complicated situation, even if all parties are completely open and agreeable about all the details involved. But when things aren't nearly so smooth and planned out, that's when rifts start to form, which is vaguely how things have played out so far in the aftermath of Frank Fritz having to bow out of his co-hosting role on History's American Pickers. In July 2022, around a year after that untimely exit, Mike Wolfe went public with the news that Fritz suffered a stroke, and it sounds like that move may have reopened some figurative wounds for Fritz.

The timeline of Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe's troubles is long and convoluted, but it started when the former reality star took a leave of absence from the treasure-seeking series back in 2020 for a variety of reasons, from dealing with a surgery and other medical issues to going into rehab to quit drinking and lose weight. Before he could make any kind of return, however, reports spread saying Fritz was off the show, which Wolfe then publicly confirmed in a move that went against his former co-star’s wishes. Things only got stickier from there, with the star speaking candidly about Fritz’s behind-the-scenes struggles at the time, which one might have thought would deter him from sharing too much about the stroke situation.

Now, Frank Fritz is still in recovery mode, with his sights on the future. But according to a longtime friend who chose to remain unidentified for privacy reasons — American Pickers fans can sometimes go heavy on the backlashes — the sobered-up TV personality did not expect to have his medical situation once again shared without his consent. Here’s how she put it, according to QCTimes:

By all means, that statement could have been entirely focused on updating everyone with his current condition, while mentioning Frank Fritz’s request for fans to adopt pets from, or donate money to, the local Humane Society of Scott County. But it does seem like a pointed choice for a critical opinion like that to have entered the mix, given Fritz’s ongoing-but-indirect feud with Mike Wolfe. 

Even if every single message Fritz received from fans was kind and good-natured, it still might not be his ideal way to experience his recovery. And while he might have very well decided to share the news of his stroke with fans and followers himself at some point, he didn’t even get to make that decision for himself. 

Nonetheless, Fritz’s longtime friend sounds very assuring about how the recuperation process is going, saying:

That’s all we can hope for at this point, considering we never know what each new day will bring. To that end, it’s not wholly clear at this point when American Pickers will be back on History. Season 23 debuted back in January, with Robbie Wolfe appearing alongside his brother Mike in the ten-episode stretch, but given how much flak the latter Wolfe has faced for all things Frank Fritz, the network may decide to hold off on airing more new episodes.

In the meantime, though, be sure to head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows that are on the way!

When news broke earlier this week that Frank Fritz had been hospitalized after a stroke, it was his former TV partner Mike Wolfe who shared the news with the fans. At the time, Wolfe had asked people to give them some space in regards to the “opinions” about he and “Frank’s friendship” that have been touted online in the months following Fritz's firing from American Pickers. Unfortunately, fans had the exact opposite reaction. 

American Pickers fans have been disgruntled about Frank and Mike breaking up for months now. In a series of comments on the Instagram post, fans still shared their feelings about the two stars’ former TV friendship. Some even openly shared their thoughts about how the two need to make amends, noting things like, “Make amends Mike, now's the time.” On Facebook, another wrote "Why the concern now, Mike? You weren’t worried before."

Comments like these go along with what some “fans” have been more aggressively saying on Twitter after Mike Wolfe broke the news. One regular post about American Pickers even features a slew of comments from people trolling Mike over Frank’s exit, with comments like this being very apparent:

There are several more comments like this one on the Twitter post, and other comments across social media. However, I do think it is worth noting this isn’t the majority of people. Lots of people have liked Wolfe’s post in support, including Jason Momoa – who will appear opposite Mike Wolfe in an upcoming episode of his own road tripping series. A large swathe of fans sent prayer emojis and more comments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, including hopeful messages like “Prayers for all of you” and positive messages like “appreciate this on so many levels.”

Yet, because some fans did not react so positively to the post, it’s pretty easy to see why Mike Wolfe probably felt the need to add the caveat about now not being the “time to set the record straight” on what happened on American Pickers. A lot of people are still really not letting Frank Fritz’s exit go and the current History channel star is still hearing about it seemingly consistently.

In support of his client, Mike Wolfe’s rep also spoke out after some of these negative fan comments were made. He said, “The most important thing is that we allow him time to heal and giving [sic] him the space to do so.” Hopefully, that will happen in the days moving forward. 

We’ll absolutely keep you updated if more information breaks about Frank’s condition. Neither Frank Fritz nor his reps have spoken publicly about his stroke at this time. 

News broke last week that Frank Fritz, the former co-lead of the popular History series American Pickers, had had a stroke. The news was even bigger news because it was Mike Wolfe, the man who had confirmed Fritz’s firing from the series, who broke the news that his former TV partner was in the hospital. Now, a rep for Wolfe is speaking out about respecting the former reality TV star’s privacy during this time. 

Mike Wolfe had previously broken the news of Frank Fritz’s hospitalization on social media, though he specifically asked at that time that the opinionated fanbase hold off on queries, noting it was not the time to "set the record straight." Other American Pickers star Danielle Colby had encouraged Frank to “just keep fighting,” though her post has now been deleted on Instagram. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to Fritz and his team, People said they reached out to Frank Fritz’s team but it has been radio silence for now. Instead, in a new statement, Mike Wolfe’s representative asked the fanbase to give the former reality star some space.   

The communication from Mike Wolfe and his representative makes more sense with added context. Fans on social media even before the news broke about his stroke have been very open about being disgruntled about Frank Fritz’s exit. On the latest post announcing the stroke, a lot for Pickers fans did send prayer emojis, but other people who saw the post had specific comments about the two needing to make amends. 

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz had a very public falling out about his exit from television, with Fritz speaking candidly in interviews about not being in contact with Mike Wolfe, as well as going to rehab and sharing more about what he feels happened before he was fired by the History series. Wolfe responded to these interviews by sharing a social media post addressing Fritz’s exit, but in more recent interviews, things had not seemed to thaw, and neither American Pickers star had reportedly reached out to mend fences. Then, of course, Frank landed in the hospital. 

Meanwhile, American Pickers has moved on with Mike’s brother Robbie taking up the other seat on the road tripping show. New episodes of the long-running reality series air on Saturday nights as part of the summer TV schedule; however, reportedly the show has seen a decrease in viewership since Frank Fritz exited. We’ll keep you updated if the reality star or his reps make any official statements.  

There’s been no love lost between American Pickers’ Frank Fritz and his former partner-in-crime Mike Wolfe in recent months. But life is short, and following recent news on the Frank Fritz front, his longtime TV co-star has reached out in a post to update fans as well as share that “now is the time to pray.” The post is coming down the pipeline after Frank Fritz suffered a stroke and is currently in the hospital. 

Over the last several months, Frank Fritz had been candid about trying to get his life together despite health troubles and setback. The actor had previously opened up about a back injury and also needing to go to rehab for alcohol use, though Fritz was candid about his journey in July of last year, noting he’d been sober at that point for 11 months. 

Unfortunately, now it seems that Frank is in the hospital after suffering a stroke. His former TV partner Mike Wolfe was the first to break the news in a long and candid post, which also touched on past drama.

The news has seemed to be a shock for many who know Frank, as his other former co-star Danielle Colby also shared her own post stating she really didn't have any information about the situation. She did also share kind words about Frank, noting on Instagram:

Previously, Mike Wolfe had confirmed Frank Fritz’s exit from American Pickers in July of last year. That led to public tension between the two reality stars, with Fritz calling out his former pal’s statement as “bullshit” and more. Later on, other show star Danielle Colby had touched on Frank Fritz causing “so much pain for himself and others.” While Fritz initially seemingly wanted his History gig back, he's moved on from that idea and even stated he may be looking for his own TV show. 

Meanwhile, the show has gone on without Fritz, first with Wolfe on his own, and then with his brother Robbie in the second chair. A new season of the longtime reality show is currently running, with new episodes hitting the summer TV schedule on Saturday nights. But Pickers fans continue to still be seemingly disgruntled about the change, which could be why Wolfe chose to include the comment, “There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight,” as part of the latest post. 

At this point, Wolfe seems to just be hoping Frank Fritz pulls through OK. Our thoughts are with the former reality star and those who are or have been close to him in the past. We'll be sure to keep you updated as further details break. 

Frank Fritz reportedly left American Pickers for a period of his own accord before the longtime History series ultimately decided not to ask Mike Wolfe’s famous sidekick back. In the time since, Wolfe’s brother Robbie has landed the role on the show, and Fritz has been busy pitching himself for a new TV series (as well as talking about what soured in his relationship with Wolfe). Now, however, it seems there has been at least some positive momentum on the former reality star’s part as his store is seeing better days. 

One of the things that went viral when Frank Fritz admitted to health troubles and a rehab stint prior to his American Pickers exit was his store in Illinois. The unusual antiques business is actually connected to a bar that also sells food, so it’s always been stashed away somewhat. However, during the time that Frank Fritz's setbacks were being widely reported, there had also been bad comments running around online about his store, Frank Fritz Finds. 

Now, it seems as if some work has been put into making Frank Fritz Finds a place where antique lovers will want to shop again. Google reviews for the store had previously been going downhill. One even read:

This wasn’t the only negative comment, as others complained the store was “disorganized” and featured “poor lighting,” among other issues. More recently, positive change has been seen in the store, and shoppers are noticing. Reviews have been trending upward in recent months (via The Sun), and it seems Frank Fritz Finds has put some work in to make the store a little more accessible for American Pickers fans. The current Google reviews have the store at a 3.5 rating with more positive reviews over the last several months, some even calling out the improvements: 

It’s unclear how much Frank was involved in the physical process, given previous reports noted he drops items off but is not commonly in the store. Still, it’s nice to see that changes were made after feedback was given and that the former reality star is gaining some positive momentum instead of stories rolling around about losing his former gig or dealing with tax troubles. And with no TV gig, having a successful shop may be a good next step. 

Meanwhile, American Pickers has fully and permanently moved on. The longtime History Channel series announced a while back that new episodes would be coming this summer. Those hit the schedule this July and air on Saturday night as part of the summer TV premiere schedule, only on History. 

By now, you are likely familiar with what happened publicly between American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. The latter wasn’t asked back after personal and physical troubles led to him taking a leave of absence from the series. He’d opened up about his feelings related to being let go from the show, and his former co-stars then were put in a situation where they needed to make statements about where they stood and what had happened. Now, months after the band broke up and Pickers moved on from its earliest iteration, a source has spoken out about the status of that relationship, and it looks like fences haven’t been mended yet. 

The two reality TV stars go way back, having grown up together in Davenport, Iowa. For more than a decade Fritz was Wolfe’s foil on TV, but according to what this source told The Sun, things changed over time. Or rather, the source alleges money changed them both in different ways. 

I can’t say it really shocks me that Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz haven’t privately made up in the time since Fritz was forced off of the History series. Fritz is out a major source of income after losing his TV gig, and both parties have been vocal about what they feel happened and why, with Wolfe and co-star Danielle Colby noting Fritz’s personal problems exacerbated to the point he was a liability to work with. Per Fritz, though, he got help and was allegedly blindsided by the news the show moved on without him, later calling out Mike Wolfe for his public comments. 

When the show moved on, it moved on hard, however. First there were promo photos for the first Fritz-less season of American Pickers solely featuring Wolfe and Colby. But Pickers is a better show when there’s someone for Mike Wolfe to banter with, so it brought his brother Robbie in to fill the gap in Season 23. 

To note, American Pickers has also seen a drop in viewership since all this behind-the-scenes drama began to make headlines. The show bring in fewer than a million viewers per episode now, down from the 1.2 million eyeballs that tuned in for Frank Fritz’s final episode in 2020. Fans have also been vocal about American Pickers losing Fritz online.

But Mike Wolfe himself seems to be in a positive place, traveling around with his brother and sharing road trippin’ posts with his pup as well. That's not even counting other business ventures he has in the works. 

Wolfe even recently met up with Jason Momoa to film an episode of that star’s upcoming reality show. So, he’s got irons in many fires.

It’s been more than half a year since Frank Fritz was fired from American Pickers, the History series that had made him a household name and that had been a major component of his livelihood since the series first began airing in 2010. Unfortunately, while Fritz has said he’s been to rehab and worked on himself, it seems he’s dealing with troubles on other fronts, particularly where taxes are concerned. 

The latest update on Frank Fritz is coming during tax season, as a new report is claiming the former TV star has been struggling to pay back taxes on an Iowa farmhouse. Initially, the noted TV personality missed a tax deadline in September of 2021 and then missed a second deadline in March of 2022, according to official records obtained by The Sun. In total, Frank Fritz allegedly owes property back taxes in the amount of $5,038.

If reports are accurate, he seemingly owes $3,402 for a property he bought for $130,000 in Iowa’s Scott County back in 2010. Then he owes an additional $1,636 for an adjacent property he bought back in 2013. A little over 5K might not seem like a large amount for someone who was on TV for about a decade, but it is only one report amidst many troubles the former History channel personality has faced in recent months. 

Frank Fritz’s Personal Struggles Seemingly Impacted His American Pickers Exit

Notably, Frank Fritz was actually initially the person to make a move and leave American Pickers during production, citing a back surgery and recovery as his reasons for taking a break. At the time, he seemed to think he would be coming back to the series, but during his absence the show moved on without him. At first it seemed as if it was simply a creative decision, as sources noted that the show filmed fine with no Frank. However, as the story blew up online, the remaining Pickers cast members opened up a bit more about what happened. 

Other series star Danielle Colby shared that the viewers did not have the full story when it came to Frank. In a post, she recalled how Fritz “caused so much pain for himself” over an extended period of time, indicating behaviors had been going on for “years.” Mike Wolfe has also made it clear there are reasons Fritz was let go of the series after taking a leave of absence initially of his own accord. In the time since, the show has moved on with Wolfe’s brother Robbie as a side-kick, but American Pickers has struggled in the ratings.

Frank Fritz On His Own Financial Struggles After Getting Fired From His History Channel Show

Frank Fritz did reveal he went to rehab and touched on financial troubles at that time, noting he was in a sober living facility for 77 days. During that same period, Fritz also spoke out about a relationship that went sour, he alleges due to cheating. He previously told The Sun of other financial woes, saying the failed relationship had cost him a lot of money:

His ex denied these claims in the same interview, but they do reveal statements about finances the reality personality has made in recent months. Meanwhile, Frank Fritz has also pitched his own TV show, though there hasn’t been much interest on that front in the months since. 

American Pickers kicked off a Frank-less Season 23 at the beginning of 2022, but there still seems to be a subset of fans who are really unhappy with what went down with Frank Fritz in 2021. In fact, reports indicate that ratings are down for the History series after Mike Wolfe’s former co-star was not asked back and a public back-and-forth ensued. Fans are also still commenting about Fritz a lot on American Pickers-related posts. 

While Frank Fritz has not actually appeared on an episode of Pickers since March of 2020, it was more recently that drama between Fritz and Mike Wolfe became apparent online late last summer. A feud of sorts was started after the former said he wanted to come back to the reality series. His co-star Danielle Colby noted Frank “caused so much pain for himself” before Wolfe confirmed that Fritz had not been asked back for Season 23. 

Though the current leads of American Pickers may be aligned, that doesn’t mean the fanbase necessarily is. Ratings on the History show have declined after Frank’s exit became apparent. While live TV ratings in general have shifted across the board given DVR and streaming options, the ratings shift from just over the summer, before the public Pickers drama became known, and the last few episodes is startling.

The gist is: Last summer, episodes of the long-running drama were doing over 1.3 million total viewers. A report over at TV Shows Ace notes a pre-public split drama episode that aired on July 5 of 2021 saw 1,336,000 viewers tune. A July 19 episode subsequently saw 1,322,000 million viewers tune in. Cut to September of 2021, after all the dirty laundry had been aired online, and American Pickers only saw 1,028,000 million viewers tune in to the Season 22 finale. The Season 23 premiere ticked up minorly, but only saw 1,050,000 viewers tune in this January. 

One might be able to blame the changing TV landscape for these numbers, but while the show is still seeing over a million viewers, that's also a significant percentage of the viewership to decline over a short period of time. It’s also worth noting that in this period, a lot of negativity from certain factions of the fanbase has been thrown onto social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. On the most recent FB post about the show at the time of this writing, three of the top five comments seemingly mention or have to do with Frank: 

• "Frank's presence is the only thing that kept Mikes ego tolerable. What a sh** show."
• "I miss Frank!! He was more down-to-earth and personable."
• "Does anyone know the meaning of loyalty anymore?"

To note, a few of the other comments are very polite from fans and are about how those fans still watch the show every weekend and more. And yet, there's a lot of naysaying from a lot of social media accounts. Hop over to Twitter and multiple posts are just a long series of fans being upset about the Frank Fritz ordeal.

Now, American Pickers is back for Season 23. Unlike the solo episodes that aired while Frank Fritz allegedly dealt with surgery and rehab, Mike Wolfe has brought in his brother, Robbie, for picking. (Robbie had been in a handful of eps in the years prior.) He’s also made it clear that Frank’s varying issues with “addictions” are what led the show to drop him, though Fritz has said he’s been sober for months now. So, even with varying parts of the fanbase clamoring, it’s unlikely they former star will be returning to History, though he's also noted he'd be open to his own show. The question now is, will American Pickers viewers get lured back in, or is this ratings change the new normal? We'll keep ya posted. 

Popular antiquing favorite American Pickers might be a fun and breezy little viewing experience, but unfortunately, behind the scenes the reality show has been anything but tranquil. Co-star Frank Fritz went to rehab and was ultimately let go from the series, and other lead Mike Wolfe has been working his way through a time consuming and expensive divorce. Those legal proceedings finally concluded earlier this month after about a year, and if the circulating reports are to be believed, the experience was quite costly.

The Sun posted a pretty extensive breakdown of the divorce judgment, which was handed down December 6th, and according to the outlet, a judge ruled Mike Wolfe needs to pay his now ex-wife $5,228,878.73. In addition, the couple also split up the four houses and eleven commercial properties they own. Mike will also hold on to the Antique Archeology stores and associated businesses and pay Jodi a percentage of the royalties American Pickers generates. They’re also going to divide custody with her having their daughter about sixty percent of the time and him having her about forty percent of the time. 

In the aftermath of the couple’s separation, rumors started swirling that Wolfe was dating former reality star Leticia Cline. She was previously on Beauty And The Geek and has made a lot of pop culture related appearances including on Howard Stern and as a model in Playboy and Maxim. The two were spotted in some pictures together, but they’ve largely been quiet about their relationship. It’s unclear what their relationship may or may not be now.

The behind the scenes drama more directly related to American Pickers has been a central topic of conversation for fans over the past few years. After dealing with some back problems, co-star Frank Fritz took a break from the show… and never came back. Questions amongst fans as to what was going on started getting louder, and ultimately, there was a pretty ugly back-and-forth between everyone involved in the show. 

Fritz later accused Mike Wolfe of not reaching out after he had his back problems. He also said some things about the two never really being friends. In response, co-star Danielle Colby released her own statement saying Fritz needed help and she was hoping he would get better. Wolfe also released his own statement that indicated Fritz would not be returning.

No doubt all of this has been a lot for Mike Wolfe. It’s been hard to even keep up with as a fan. I can’t imagine the strain he’s been under. Hopefully everyone involved will be able to put all of this behind and move forward with renewed positivity. And if we get some more awesome American Pickers episodes out of it, that’ll be a nice bonus.    

The back and forth between current American Pickers host Mike Wolfe and his former co-star has continued in recent days after Frank Fritz's exit from the series was confirmed. The basic gist is that Fritz will not be returning to the History series, but the reason why had not been laid bare until now. After Fritz called out his former co-star for a “bullshit” statement last week, Wolfe has opted to be transparent about why there will not be a return for the former reality star.

It should be noted that when Frank Fritz left American Pickers, he did so initially of his own accord. He said he was dealing with debilitating back issues and also used the time to go to rehab and cut alcohol out of his life. Unfortunately, though he says he is ready to get back to work, the show did not ultimately ask him to return.

Mike Wolfe previously crafted a statement that was pretty vague that thanked his former co-star for his time on the show. Other Pickers star Danielle Colby also talked about Frank causing “so much pain for himself” in relation to his ultimate exit from the series. For his part, Fritz has made it seem like his lack of a return was Wolfe wanting him out of the way, but the reality star says that is not the case at all. He told The Sun:

Now Fritz has said repeatedly that he’s 11 months sober and that he’s ready and rearing to get back to work.

However, while he was out the show went on without him. It seemingly was a good fit for the network and will be continuing to produce new episodes with Mike and Danielle at the forefront. In fact, Danielle Colby has said she’s been on the road working on new episodes in recent weeks on her Instagram page. Additionally, the two have been supportive of one another on social media in recent weeks.

So why did Mike Wolfe speak out more clearly on the matter now? It may have to do with Fritz making varying statements calling Wolfe out for not speaking to him for two years and also more recently claiming that the “official statement” his former co-star had crafted after his exit was “bullshit.” For her part, Danielle Colby has said she didn’t want to talk to the press about what happened, but she did share a little bit regarding her feelings on social media. As we’ve said before, the whole thing has played out in a complicated way, with lots of back and forth, but at this point a return to American Pickers does not seem likely.

It’s been a few weeks since longtime fans of American Pickers learned exactly why Frank Fritz had been missing in action when the most recent set of episodes previously hit the History Channel. The reality star said health issues and setbacks had caused him to take a leave of absence, but he was ready and rearing to get those cameras rolling again. Now, weeks later, we know Fritz has not been asked to rejoin Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby on Pickers; however, that hasn’t stopped him from talking about pitching his own show.

Frank Fritz has been pretty vocal about wanting to return to American Pickers in recent weeks. Unfortunately, it seems the History team led by Mike Wolfe did just fine filming without him. Because of this, he wasn’t asked to return to the series after his leave of absence. Still, Fritz says he’s ready for a new TV challenge. He noted to The Sun:

Initially, when Frank Fritz took a leave of absence from the veteran reality series, he says it was because he was dealing with debilitating back issues. His final episode of American Pickers aired in March of 2020, but those episodes seemingly filmed previously, as he’s said he has had no contact with Mike Wolfe in two years. In that time, Fritz rehabbed his bad back and also admitted to going to rehab for an alcohol problem.

After time away, he says he’s sober and ready to get back to work now. In fact, the TV personality says that he has myriad fans who are ready and wanting him back on television.

Mike Wolfe has made it clear the decision was made to move away from Frank Fritz on American Pickers, and there’s no evidence that another series could be happening. I haven’t even seen a petition with thousands of signers (I did see one with more than a dozen signers), though some fans have been vocal on social media about wanting to see Frank back. Regardless, the former star says there are people on the show who are rooting for him, believing it would be beneficial for him to get back to work and that it “would be a total loss” if he didn’t get another TV gig.

Ultimately, at this point it doesn’t seem like a return to the History series is possible and both Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby have made that clear (in fact, both are on the road right now filming Pickers without Fritz). What’s next for the reality star remains unclear, but we’ll keep you posted whenever he does land his next gig.

By now, if you are an American Pickers fan, you probably already know that the band has broken up. While American Pickers has just been Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby for awhile, Frank Fritz had hoped to come back to the History series, that is until Wolfe confirmed he’d be continuing on solo (ish). Now, however, Fritz has responded to Wolfe’s statement, and basically says he feels it is baloney.

Recently, Wolfe penned an official statement that he shared to social media in which he talked about fond memories from the past with Frank Fritz, also noting he would be moving forward without the actor on the series. He said:

Now, Frank Fritz says this statement is nonsense and is even speculating that someone else wrote it for his co-star. In an interview with The Sun, he is alleging that the whole statement is carefully crafted nonsense and that Wolfe is not a particularly nice person.

Frank Fritz has been particularly open about his feelings regarding his exit from American Pickers in recent weeks. He’s done several interviews with the tabloids that included revealing he’d dealt with painful back surgery, rehab, and getting sober in the time since he took a leave of absence from the reality series. He’s also claimed Mike Wolfe has not spoken to him in over two years. This time around he also mentioned the fact the reality star never bothered to call him made him feel like "a number."

Following statements such as these, Mike Wolfe made the aforementioned statement committing American Pickers to moving on without Fritz. Other Pickers co-star Danielle Colby sent out a message in support of Wolfe and specifically seems to be bothered by how the whole narrative has played out publicly, as she noted on her own Instagram post about the situation:

The reality star was the one who initially left the series of his own accord, in order to deal with lingering personal issues and health issues. The show was put into a situation where it needed to film without him, and apparently History and the rest of the production team felt things went well. Now it’s been well over a year since he has appeared on TV, and Colby and Wolfe have already begun filming the next set of American Pickers episodes without him. The show has already moved on and moved forward, but it seems as if Frank Fritz still has things he wants to say.

By now, two things are becoming clear: the first is that History is bringing back American Pickers and soon. The second is that Frank Fritz, despite stating he has a clear desire to return to his role on the longtime series, has not been asked back. This week, co-star Danielle Colby took to social media to share her complicated feelings on what happened leading to Fritz’s exit, also sharing her support of star Mike Wolfe. Now, Wolfe has reportedly shared his own support for Colby by liking her post on Instagram.

This is all very complex, but the rub is that this week Danielle Colby wanted to share her point of view about what happened with Frank Fritz leading to his exit, following comments Fritz himself had made. Fritz had admitted to a slew of health problems and a battle with alcohol (that led to rehab) as the main causes behind his self-imposed lieu of absence on the series last week. (His last American Pickers episode aired in March of 2020.) However, according to the reality star, he’s back in shape and would have liked to return to the show.

Following his comments, series lead Mike Wolfe made a statement confirming that Frank Fritz had not been asked back. That seemed to be the end of things, but then Frank Fritz made some further comments about having to work through an alcohol problem that fed the conversation again. So, this is where Daniell Colby came in. The burlesque dancer and frequent TV personality broke her silence on the casting change, noting that she didn’t want to speak ill of someone on Instagram. Regardless, she also was honest about her feelings on the matter, and that it needed to be said “Frank caused so much pain for himself that it has been hard to watch.”

With me so far? For his part, Frank Fritz has said he’s sober now and ready to work, but the problem is that he left the series of his own accord, forcing American Pickers to pivot without him. Unfortunately, the show did great without the dynamics between Frank and Mike Wolfe. Given the history there, it seemed like History felt parting ways longterm was the better path.

After Colby penned her post, The Sun reports that Mike Wolfe himself liked the post on Instagram. Mike Wolfe has been relatively quiet since he made his official statement on the matter, so it's nice to hear he shared support for Colby, who is also a longtime friend. It's also worth noting that Danielle Colby shared a separate post regarding her feelings on social media in general that could easily tie in with what has happened with this whole Frank Fritz saga. She advised:

When Is American Pickers Returning And What Do We Know?

So, it’s worth noting there’s been no official press release confirming American Pickers is renewed for Season 23; however, new episodes are 100% coming. History's own website says the next set of episodes will be hitting the schedule on August 9 at 9 p.m. ET. To note, the fact Mike Wolfe did confirm Frank Fritz was not asked back to the show was our first hint that the show’s new season or new episodes were already being planned. Then, in a post earlier this week, Danielle Colby also revealed the show is moving forward with filming additional new episodes. American Pickers has run split seasons before with episodes spaced apart, so this could all be work for the current season (22) or it could be new work (for 23), but it's at the very least an indication that American Pickers shows no signs of slowing down. She posted:

You can see what else is hitting TV in the coming weeks with our full fall TV premiere schedule. Meanwhile, here’s hoping we get more details about the upcoming season soon. I’m sure we could all do with a little positive news on the American Pickers front.

News broke a few days ago that Frank Fritz would not be returning to American Pickers, despite a personal wish to return to the History series. His co-lead Mike Wolfe was the person who confirmed the news after Frank Fritz spoke out publicly about what he felt was going on. Now, another OG star on the series, Danielle Colby, is speaking out about Frank and Frank’s ultimate exit from the show.

A few days ago, Danielle Colby confirmed that she was headed to Iowa to film new episodes of American Pickers with Mike Wolfe. It was the first we had heard from the reality star since the Frank Fritz news broke. The message accompanying the post had led to speculation there might be more going on with the story than either Frank Fritz or Mike Wolfe had touched on. In a new post, Danielle Colbry broke her silence officially, explaining her position on Fritz as well as why she is speaking out now.

In his own interview, Frank Fritz had spoken out about not taking care of himself. He touched on an alcohol problem that led to rehab and sobriety, as well as having dealt with several health problems, including one leading to a back surgery. For those reasons, he had ultimately decided to take a step back from American Pickers about two years ago, and had not appeared on television in a new episode since March of 2020.

However, ahead of the new season, Frank Fritz had said he was feeling happier, healthier and ready to get back into the game. The only problem? American Pickers had effectively been operating as American Picker since Fritz’s exit and things were going pretty well. History ultimately declined to sign Frank Fritz back on to the show for Season 23.

Danielle Colby also hinted at having additional thoughts which she would not divulge on social media and stood by in support of the show’s main picker Mike Wolfe in her lengthy clarification post. You can see a full post, which includes a photo of the two American Pickers stars, below.

Over the weekend, Danielle Colby also shared her thoughts on being present that many took to be a comment on the impending matter, noting:

Danielle Colby has been a fixture on American Pickers for a long time, running the office at Antique Archaeology. She’s also a longtime friend of star Mike Wolfe’s. During the last season of the show, she and Mike Wolfe were the two individuals featured on the official promotional poster for American Pickers. There were some rumors in 2021 mentioning Colby would also be leaving the series, but her new posts confirm she will be back for Season 23, which the show is obviously renewed for.

American Pickers has been in the news quite a bit lately thanks to a cast shakeup. A little over a week ago, longtime co-host Frank Fritz revealed that he wanted to come back after a leave of absence on the series, but that he wasn’t sure if things were going to work out. His longtime partner Mike Wolfe then came out and confirmed that Fritz was not being asked back to the series, effectively firing him from his History role. Now, the former American Pickers star is talking rehab and revealing the circumstances that led to his exit.

In a new interview, Frank Fritz spoke out about going to rehab for alcohol issues and how that has helped him to gain perspective on his life and where he is going over the last year.

Speaking with The Sun, Frank Fritz also mentioned that he did have one brief relapse back into drinking 11 months ago and if it weren’t for that, he would have been sober for over a year at this point. In general he also says that a bad break-up and cheating allegations had led him to drink more than he had prior, but that moving forward he feels he'll stay on the sober train.

Still, while overall Frank Fritz is feeling better about himself, during his elongated absence from American Pickers the show had the chance to reevaluate and rework its formatting with the focus on star Mike Wolfe. While reports indicate Fritz took the leave of absence of his own accord, Wolfe confirmed last week that he won’t be asked back to the longtime History series. It seems he’s more of a lone “Wolfe” after all.

Per Frank Fritz, there are some feelings that come with this forced career change. He does have regrets, also telling the outlet:

The last time Fritz was seen on American Pickers was in a March 2020 episode that must have filmed well before its airdate, as Frank Fritz was previously quoted as saying Mike Wolfe hasn’t spoken to him in two years and did not reach out at all during his move to get sober and deal with health issues (including back surgery) during his time off.

Meanwhile, American Pickers hasn’t aired an episode since March of this year. Season 22 wrapped a few months ago, and History hasn’t added the show to the fall TV premiere schedule (or cancellation list) yet. The show kicks off sporadically, but often there is more than one cycle of episodes a year, so we’ll keep you updated when it’s moving forward again, as well as keep you posted about whatever Frank Fritz lines up next.

Frank Fritz, a longtime American Pickers star, has been in the news over the past several days after indicating he’d like to get back to the History series, while also hinting at deeper problems between himself and series star Mike Wolfe. Wolfe had been running the reality show solo for over a year as Fritz dealt with health issues, but as it turns out, Fritz won’t be back to the series at all. In fact, Mike Wolfe has now confirmed the news, sharing a message with the fans.

Shortly after news broke indicating that while Frank Fritz wanted to come back to American Pickers, his return was actually unlikely, Mike Wolfe himself has commented. In a new message, Wolfe confirmed the accuracy of previous reports heading Fritz was officially off the show. He harkened back to the show’s roots, noting,

The story behind Frank Fritz’s exit is actually a bit complicated. First and foremost, the man took a break from the series of his own accord. He was suffering from a variety of health issues, including what he has said included Crohn’s Disease and debilitating back pain. He says he stopped drinking and through a combination of that and diet, he ultimately lost 65 lbs. He also had back surgery to get himself in order and seems to be living a happier, healthier lifestyle these days, though he recently said there's been no communication between himself and his other American Pickers co-star during his time away.

From Frank Fritz’s point of view -- and via an interview he did with The Sun earlier this week -- he’s ready to get back to work. However, from the show’s point of view, things have seemingly been going fine without the show’s former other lead. Mike Wolfe was generally the bigger known lead for the show anyway and while there's no official statement about why Fritz isn't being asked back from the network yet, there was some chatter about the two not getting along, which is seeming also evidenced by the fact the two haven't spoken since Fritz took what he saw as a leave of absence from the show.

In fact, the last episode of American Pickers that Frank Fitz appeared in aired on television for the first time in March of 2020. That means he’s been off the air for more than a year and off of filming the reality series for even longer. Mike Wolfe's been doing the picking on his own and it seemed to be going well--at least well enough that Fritz won’t be coming back.

In the longer message on Instagram, Mike Wolfe also thanked the fans, noting that the support of American Pickers viewers has led the show through 22 seasons, 325 aired episodes (so far) and plenty of on-screen ribbing, but that the show will continue it’s “common thread” of tying people together.

Technically, History has not officially said American Pickers is renewed for Season 23 yet (though it hasn't been cancelled either), and the show’s last Season 22 episodes aired in March of this year. But the comments from Mike Wolfe seemingly indicate there is some forward momentum on that front, just without Frank Fritz. We’ll keep you posted and, of course, there are other dynamic duos still on the History channel.

If you’ve been keeping tabs on American Pickers over the last year or so, you may already know that Mike Wolfe’s longtime picker companion Frank Fritz has been missing in action. The reality star has been dealing with health issues, including a surgery and subsequent weight loss. The show went on without him and now sources are saying the History series won’t go back to the old format. The longtime duo is reportedly breaking up the band and the whole thing sounds, well, complicated.

It Sounds Like Frank Fritz Would Actually Like To Return To American Pickers

Frank Fritz has been missing from the show since a March 2020 episode. At the time, he was dealing with a “messed up back” that ultimately led Fritz to have major surgery. He was also dealing with Crohn’s Disease, stopped drinking, and said during his time away he lost 65 pounds. But last we heard, he was telling The Sun he’d like to get back to work on American Pickers, though he noted there were potentially some obstacles in the way.

Now, TMZ is reporting that Frank Fritz is simply off the show. History hasn’t officially confirmed this news at the time of writing, but sources connected to the show did confirm that Frank wanted back in on the American Pickers game. Unfortunately for the reality star, Mike Wolfe has been on Pickers without him for a while and things are apparently going swimmingly.

After Frank Fritz left -- which sources say was 100% due to health issues and not anything related to Fritz’s workplace performance--Mike Wolfe took on all the heavy lifting to keep American Pickers going. Producers say things are going so well at this point, there’s no reason to bring Frank back for Season 23. (The last season of History’s show ran between January and March of this year.)

American Pickers’ charm used to be Mike and Frank putzing around, with Frank often humorously getting excited about stuff Mike would never be excited about. Frank also simply has different interests with picking than Mike does, so in previous seasons he'd been kind of a fun counterpoint on the show. But Mike Wolfe is the more known name and the one often doing the majority of the actual picking, though if you hear Frank Fritz tell it, that’s due to the show’s slant being “tilted towards [Wolfe] 1,000 percent” and not due to him doing less work. Still, despite Frank wanting to get back to TV, there are deeper issues between the two TV personalities that are also worth mentioning.

Mike Wolfe And Frank Fritz Allegedly Struggle To Get Along

There have been inklings of trouble in paradise on American Pickers for a while -- and I’m not talking about Mike Wolfe’s divorce. TMZ mentions “it’s no secret” that Wolfe and Fritz don’t really get along. However, even without that comment, Frank Fritz told The Sun separately from revealing his weight loss that there’s been no love lost during his absence from American Pickers. In fact, he says Mike Wolfe never reached out once. (To note, it’s unclear if Fritz reached out either.)

Still, Frank Fritz says when there’s “no drama” the two make a really great TV pair. Unfortunately, it seems like that’s not enough for American Pickers to pick up where it left off in 2020. In the past, Frank Fritz has said that when the show ended he would simply pack up and be done with picking as a whole. Well, American Pickers hasn’t ended yet, but it looks like Fritz’s picking days may be over regardless.