Chip and Joanna Gaines are attacked by fans who “don’t like change”

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of In need of renovation — the show that launched her home and lifestyle brand empire — chip And Joanna Gaines decided to tackle something opulent. In June, the couple’s Magnolia Network will Fixer Upper: The Lake House, The picture shows the couple renovating a spacious residential complex in an upscale neighborhood near Lake Waco in Texas.

But when the trailer dropped in May, some fans took to social media to get backlash. “I don’t like watching HGTV personalities renovate their own luxurious second or third homes. It looks like they’re showing off,” complained one viewer.

Others claimed the show was “not fun anymore” and Chip and Jo were “both so annoying,” while one former fan explained, “I used to like it – but I don’t watch it anymore.”

It was a rare negative reaction for the popular TV personalities. “Their fans are so loyal and hardly ever attack them,” a source says, calling the reactions “unusual.” Although some fans rushed to the aid of Chip, 49, and Jo, 46, telling the haters, “Don’t be jealous, they deserve it” and insisting that “there’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself,” the source believes the critical jabs “mark a turnaround of sorts for the once invincible couple,” who are worth an estimated $50 million.

Have Chip and Joanna Gaines lost touch?

Chip and Jo haven’t clarified whether they’re keeping the decadent lake property as a vacation home or selling it to make a profit. But that doesn’t seem to matter. “The criticism is probably because they’re moving away from their down-to-earth roots by doing these luxurious renovations that their fans can’t relate to,” the source explains. (For years, Chip and Joanna helped middle-class couples renovate average single-family homes on HGTV before launching their own channel, Magnolia Network, in 2022.)

Other recent pricey projects include the redesign of Cottonland Castle in Waco (they opted not to sell the century-old stone house after initially putting it on the market for nearly $3 million last year) and Hotel 1928, which reportedly cost $43 million. (The 33-room boutique hotel, which the Gaineses co-own with a real estate investment company, will open in 2023.)

“Fans don’t like change, especially when it comes to Chip and Joanna,” the source adds.

In a way, the couple — both bestselling authors who also own a Target line, carpet and paint companies, restaurants, bed-and-breakfast properties, their famous Shops at the Silos complex and more — are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. “In their defense,” the source notes, “they have to keep it varied to keep it fresh — for themselves and for the audience, whether they like it or not. Chip and Joanna have built an empire, but rest assured, it hasn’t gone to their heads.”