Mike Wolfe Shares Big ‘American Pickers’ Update & Gets Emotional About Frank Fritz

Martin Holmes March 27, 2025, 10:10 am

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz — History Channel YouTube

An emotional American Pickers star Mike Wolfe has opened up about the death of his long-time friend and former co-star Frank Fritz, revealing that he still thinks about him every day and often feels like he “can still call him.”

Speaking to The U.S. Sun at the Day of Reckoning premiere in Los Angeles on Monday (March 24), Wolfe was asked about whether American Pickers would be returning in light of Fritz’s passing. In July 2022, Fritz suffered a stroke, and his health never recovered. He died on September 30, 2024, at 60 years old.

Wolfe confirmed Pickers is returning, and he’ll be along for the ride, sharing, “We’re actually still filming. We’ll be filming until June of this year, and then we’ll pick up again in January.”

When asked if the new season will honor Fritz, Wolfe confirmed, “Absolutely we do. So we’ve been very blessed. We had the same crew for 13 years. Everybody I worked with was very close to Frank.”

He added, “There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think of him and talk about him or what he would have done or what he would have enjoyed. I’ve known Frank since I was in eighth grade, and we’re very close to each other. He was the godfather to my nieces, and I was lucky to be there when he passed.”

'American Pickers' Mike Wolfe & Girlfriend Leticia Cline Talk Marriage

Choking back tears, Wolfe discussed how his friend’s death still impacts him six months later, saying, “It’s hard to talk about still just because it’s so new, but sometimes I feel like I’m going to see him. I was at the airport last week, and for some reason, somebody walked by, and I feel like I can call him still.”

“It’s hard, but we wouldn’t be where we’re at without Frank. Him and I worked very hard together. All of us did,” he continued. “The guys behind the scenes. And so I wouldn’t be standing here today if he wasn’t standing with me for almost 15 years on the show.”

Wolfe has been a part of Pickers since it debuted on The History Channel on January 18, 2010. He recently made his film debut in The Day of the Reckoning alongside his girlfriend, Leticia Cline.