Here's Why Home Work Was Removed From Chip And Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network
Entrepreneurial reality stars Chip and Joanna Gaines made even bigger waves in television when, last summer, they launched their own Magnolia Network in collaboration with streaming service discovery+ (via Parade). Joanna Gaines expressed satisfaction with the shows they were working on, calling them "inspiring" and the "opposite" of a guilt-inducing binge-watch.
Per Gaines, Magnolia Network shows are meant to motivate viewers to take chances in life. While its founders have tried to deliver on this goal, the husband-wife team has now encountered a serious hiccup in the form of a show called "Home Work." According to Deadline, "Home Work" was recently discontinued a couple of days after its debut thanks to a controversy: Multiple homeowners featured on the show alleged that they've suffered financial losses at the hands of Andy and Candis Meredith, the show's hosts and renovators who worked to redesign their living spaces. Here's what happened to the show thought by some to be "the next 'Fixer Upper.'"
Homeowners alleged that "Home Work" went way over budget
According to Deadline, some homeowners featured on "Home Work" have said that their renovations went vastly over budget or past their timeline — or were poorly done in general. On her Instagram, Aubry Bennion said that communication from the Merediths was poor to begin with and that the team called to work on her house consisted of "uninsured and unlicensed workers." She was also told to cough up an extra $15,000 on top of her established $25,000 budget. In one post, she explained what inspired her to share her story, writing, "People, bank accounts, livelihoods, families, our health, sanity... all of us have been left on the cutting room floor. I'm speaking up to protect potential future victims from their dangerous pattern of behavior."
Meanwhile, "Home Work"-featured homeowner Teisha Hawley alleged she had given the Merediths $45,000 for her four-week renovation. Ten weeks went by, and when they asked for an extra $40,000, she decided not to move forward with the project. Along with photos of her "torn apart" home, Hawley wrote on Instagram, "To say it was awful and emotional would be an understatement. 2 years later talking about it makes me sick and brings tears to my eyes." The Merediths have taken to their own Instagram account to deny the allegations, while Magnolia Network intends to conduct a "review" of the homeowners' accounts, per Deadline.