Chip Gaines reveals past struggle with 'Fixer Upper' fame: 'I lost a part of myself'

close

Video

Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for March 13

Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment.

"Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have become household names with successful television careers, but dealing with fame hasn't been easy, they reveal in a new interview.

The duo — who will launch their Magnolia Network in July on discovery+ — sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a "Super Soul" discussion that airs on the streaming platform on March 13.

In a clip from the interview, the talk show host presses the couple about how they've dealt with their success.

Noting that living in the public eye can be difficult, especially when so many people "know your name," Winfrey questioned if Chip, 46, and Joanna, 42, "were grounded" before they became known worldwide.

"I want to speak on Jo's behalf, because she would never say things like this, but she is so incredibly wise, so incredibly grounded — all the things that you just described, is who Joanna is," Chip says on behalf of his wife in a clip shared by People.

CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES SHARE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING MAGNOLIA NETWORK

Chip Gaines discussed how reaching fame impacted him early on in his career during a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey. (Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic)

However, the father of five said he's struggled with the limelight.

"To be really frank, that's who I thought I was also," he said. "Really what happened — and was the truth for Jo and I — was it was no big deal for her, but for me to become famous, I lost a part of myself that was really ... it was sad."

Gaines went on to say it took him "a year or two" while starring on "Fixer Upper" to "grapple with what exactly it was that I was losing."

He also touched on the couple's decision to step back from the former HGTV series which aired on the network from 2013 to 2018. They decided to end the show after five seasons, although the hit home renovation series will be returning on their new cable network, Magnolia, with a revamped version titled "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home."

"That year off I really think Jo and I were able to hunker down and really kind of try to unpack what it was about fame that seemed so incompatible with my personality," he recalled.

JOANNA GAINES TALKS FILMING NEW SHOWS AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: 'WE HAVE TO BE SMART'

Chip Gaines praised his wife for being 'grounded' despite reaching fame in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. (Getty Images)

The upcoming series will see the couple work together to renovate homes, which includes shopping in public for Joanna -- an activity that has been limited by safety precautions for nearly a year now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During discovery+'s TCA panel last month, Joanna addressed filming under such circumstances, including visiting flea markets to find antiques, a staple of her decor style.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

"With the pandemic, vendors have gotten so creative," she said. "There's so many vendors that just literally text me their lot and say, 'Hey, I've got this and this and this,' and that's how I incorporate a lot of the antiques you'll see on this new series with 'Fixer Upper: Welcome Home.'"

Magnolia will air shows with several other hosts as well, including chef-restaurateur Erin French, Floret Farms owners Erin and Chris Benzakein, and more. The expanded company meant that Chip and Joanna had to lay down the law when it came to staying safe.

In the same panel, the couple discussed the importance of taking care of their mental health as they continue to expand their brand.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Jo is in virtual 24-hour-a-day therapy for obvious reasons," Chip Gaines joked. "... She refers to me as, like, triplets. So she was married to a triplet and then had five kids after that. But I will say that that we believe in mental health and taking care of yourself in that sense."

The couple share five children: Drake, 16; Ella, 14; Duke, 12; Emmie, 11; and Crew, 2.