Joanna Gaines Was the ‘Maddest’ She’s Been With Chip Gaines on New ‘Fixer Upper’ Show

Joanna Gaines was not on board with the idea of her and Chip Gaines‘ latest Fixer Upper series, at least at first.

Last month, the couple announced that their new show, Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion, will premiere on Magnolia Network and HGTV on December 27. The series will follow Joanna and Chip as they transform a 15,000-square-foot mansion in Waco, Texas, that Chip purchased three years ago.

“What began as an exciting investment quickly became a massive undertaking when they discovered the property needed far more work than anticipated,” the show’s description reads. “Now, Jo will step in to help transform the outdated property into a beautiful home ready for its next chapter.”

The project was a difficult one for the couple, as Joanna admitted on the Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce podcast that she was the “maddest” she’s ever been with Chip while working on the show.

“​​I think people really think it’s like a schtick. Fixer [Upper] is like, ‘Chip bought a thing, and Jo has to fix it, and she cries,'” she joked. “He is a sneaky butt. He bought this house three-and-a-half years ago because he said he got a good deal.”

Joanna said Chip bought the mansion without her knowledge and that she had no intention of renovating it for TV. “His mindset was, ‘I bought it for a great deal. It is on the lake. It’s the most beautiful view in Waco, Texas, is where this house sits. Someone’s going to come along and want this, and we’re going to flip it and not have to have done anything. Jo, trust me,'” she recalled.

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Eventually, the “carrying cost” of keeping the house was becoming too much, so Joanna gave in and transformed it through a brand-new show. The design process proved more challenging than expected, as it hadn’t been renovated since the 1990s. “I told Chip, ‘We’ve got to do this. We just have to make it funny. It is what it is. You bought this place, I didn’t touch it for three years, and we got to lean into that.’ So, that really is a series,” she explained.

However, Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion became Joanna’s “favorite” show to date. “As much as I didn’t want to touch it, story of my life, I brat out, and then I’m like, ‘Oh, it taught me so much as a designer,’ and it did. Chip is always right,” she quipped.

Shortly after filming the renovation reveal last month, Joanna said their realtors called them about a buyer interested in the house. However, the buyer had only seen the “before” pictures of the newly renovated property.

Magnolia Network/HGTV

“She was like, ‘I liked the pictures that I saw.’ And I [called] the realtor. I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. Just get her here. I’ll explain why I did what I did.’ The lady was so upset. She was like, ‘I don’t understand why she removed all the red and gold.’ She didn’t come,” Joanna shared. “And it’s like, Chip was right. He could have sold this thing as is. We didn’t have to touch it. I’m like, ‘This is a joke. I finally did it. I revealed it. And now, we have a buyer, and she’s upset that I fixed it up.’ It’s like the comedy that won’t end with this thing.”

The series ended up being a fun experience for Chip as well, something Joanna said shines through in the show. “Chip leaned in, and Chip is crazy. He was not drinking in any of these episodes, but Drunk Uncle is literally his persona, and I love it. I love Drunk Uncle,” she teased. “So, it’s going to feel a little different than the other fixers.”

Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion, Series Premiere, Sunday, December 27, 9/8c and 9:30/8:30c, Magnolia Network and HGTV