Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz were one dynamic duo for over a decade on the History Channel’s American Pickers, one of the network’s most popular shows.
The premise of the show from its 2010 debut to 2021 entailed Mike and Frank traveling around the country buying (or “picking”) antiques to sell at their business Antique Archaeology, based in LeClaire, Iowa and a second Nashville location.
However, Mike, 60, currently co-anchors the show with a rotating cast of co-hosts, usually his brother Robbie Wolfe or close friend Danielle Colby. And on April 27, their Nashville shop was closed for good.
The move comes just seven months after the untimely passing of Frank at the age of 60 on September 30, 2024. Frank dealt with several health issues in his final years, leading to a reported fallout with his former co-anchor and exit from the show.
In 2020, Frank dealt with opioid addiction issues and had checked himself into rehab. Reports at the time suggested that amid a break from filming due to the Covid-19 lockdown, a rift grew between Frank and Mike.
Frank speaks out
In June 2021, it was confirmed that Frank would not be returning to American Pickers after it had resumed filming. At the time, Frank was recovering from being hospitalized for a back surgery, requiring as many as 20 stitches. However, he then broke his silence in an interview with The Sun immediately after, suggesting his relationship with Mike was tense.
© Getty Images“I would like to come back to the show,” he first said of his exit. “I was doing it for 11 years. I’m 100 percent recovered now and I’m ready to roll and go back on the show.”
While alluding to the network’s lack of interest in bringing him back, he said of his former co-host: “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.”
© Getty ImagesRift with Mike
He continued: “The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much. That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the front man. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
In 2022, Frank suffered from a stroke and was eventually placed under a conservatorship. At the time, Mike put out a statement on social media asking for “time to heal and giving him the space to do so,” suggesting their relationship was on the mend.
© InstagramMike’s response
Frank never recovered, with Mike announcing his death last November on social media, saying his heart was “broken” by the loss. Days later, he broke his silence on the rift between the pair, finally clarifying that while they’d never fully lost touch, his addiction had soured things.
“I stepped away for a little because I was watching what he was doing, but I still fought for him to go to rehab and I still had those conversations,” he told People. “I never stepped away from him completely. That would be impossible for me to do. But I watched all of it unfold. I tried to help him as best I could, and we did speak.”
© Getty ImagesHowever, they were able to privately come back together and rekindle their relationship. “It was beautiful. He was struggling with addiction. I know how judgmental the public can be. And so that’s why when we did end up speaking again, it was so easy for me to forgive him because I knew it wasn’t him talking. It was his addiction talking.”
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