If you've spent any time over the past several years watching HGTV, you'll know that the field of TV home renovation experts is filled with stars. Shows like Property Brothers, Love It or List It, 100 Day Dream Home, and Windy City Rehab have millions of fans between them, and many of the experts behind these shows have been able to co-exist because of how their personalities set them all apart. But, rumors have been circling that Fixer Upper's Chip and Joanna Gaines are embroiled in a feud with Home Town's Erin and Ben Napier, and we might now know the truth behind those reports.
Chip and Joanna Gaines are basically living legends where home renovation experts / show hosts are concerned. The duo is in the (much longer than expected) process of launching their own network, Magnolia Network, and have recently come back to TV with a new version of the series which made them household names, Fixer Upper: Welcome Home. Meanwhile, Home Town's Ben and Erin Napier are still relatively new to the game, with their immensely popular show currently being in Season 5 on HGTV.
While rumors of a prolonged tiff between the two hammer-wielding couples has been lingering for a couple of weeks, according to Gossip Cop, there's no truth to it at all. The outlet reached out to a representative for Joanna Gaines on the matter, who said:
The ‘rivalry’ these ‘sources’ speak of is literally non-existent...Chip and Joanna adore Ben and Erin, and have nothing but respect and admiration for the work that they do. They’re friends, actually, and any reports inferring otherwise are completely false. This is a non-story.
Well, that seems pretty cut and dry, doesn't it? So, how did all this business about the Gaineses and the Napiers not liking each other get started in the first place? The rumors began in earnest when OK! Magazine printed an article which said that the two couples shared an intense dislike for one another, with Chip and Joanna Gaines feeling pressure to compete with the increasingly popular Erin and Ben Napier, despite the home bases for each of their empires being hundreds of miles apart (Waco, Texas and Laurel, Mississippi, respectively).
Even though that article noted that Joanna Gaines' rep denied the rumors, no direct quote was used. And, the story went on to detail how the Gaineses supposedly feel that the Napiers are "copying everything they do," while the Napiers reportedly think that the older couple has "gone Hollywood," especially with regards to letting their children appear on their shows so frequently.
I suppose it would make sense for many people to assume that those working in the successful, televised home renovation space would be in some competition. Comparisons between the two are pretty easy to make, seeing as how they're both also based in the south, and have a focus on making sure the homes they design have a lot of meaning for their new occupants. Not to mention the fact that each twosome has broadened their scope beyond just tearing down walls on TV, to other business ventures which expand on their respective brands.
Luckily, it sounds as though there's no truth to the rumors that Chip and Joanna Gaines and Erin and Ben Napier are at each other's throats behind the scenes. As we've already seen, it's not like enjoying the adventures of one couple means that you can't also tune in to watch the other and have just as much fun seeing them realize that all the cabinets they ordered arrived busted. All home renovation delays are intriguing to watch when they don't involved your own!
Home Town airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on HGTV, while Fixer Upper: Welcome Home is available to stream on Discovery+.
