It’s been two months since the former American Pickers star Frank Fritz died at the age of 60. This came two years after he suffered a debilitating stroke that left him requiring medical care for the rest of his life.
Now, the American Pickers star Mike Wolfe, 60, has gotten some bad news as he’s been forced to temporarily close his antique store – and right before Christmas!
Wolfe Gets Bad News
Wolfe is the proud owner of Antique Archeology, which has locations in Le Claire, Iowa, and Nashville, Tennessee. Sadly, the Nashville location suddenly shut down last Tuesday due to construction woes.
“Our Nashville store is currently closed due to some construction issues!” read a post on the store’s Instagram page. “We will keep you updated on when we open back up. We are so sorry for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing y’all soon!”
Thankfully, Antique Archaeology was able to reopen in time for Black Friday. That day, Wolfe stopped by the store himself to try and boost sales.
“We have a TV show. Before the show it was just Danielle [Colby] and I working in here,” he said at the time. “When the show hit, everyone came in and asked for t-shirts and hats. There is a mix of merch and vintage.”
American Pickers Struggling In Ratings
This comes at a difficult time for Wolfe. Not only did his close friend Fritz recently pass away, but American Pickers is also struggling in the ratings for its current 26th season. The episode that aired on November 20 brought in just 521,000 viewers. This was down from 582,000 viewers the week before.
The episode that aired on November 6 garnered just 547,000 viewers. As for the episode that debuted on October 30, it obtained a season low of only 442,000 viewers.
This is a stark contrast from the ratings for the previous season 25 of American Pickers. That season managed to achieve 723,000 viewers for part one of the premiere and 676,000 for part two. A whopping 948,000 viewers tuned in for the episode that aired on January 25. The season finale, which aired on March 27, had 832,000 viewers.
Throughout the current season, fans have been calling for American Pickers to be cancelled.
“This show needs to go… cancel this show it’s a husk of what it was,” one fan commented. Another added, “It was never good. This show ruined the buying/selling market.”
Indeed, American Pickers is now the fifth most-watched series on the History Channel. Ahead of it are Curse of Oak Island, Tales from Oak Island, UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, and Mountain Men.
Wolfe In Mourning
This is the last thing that Wolfe needs right now, as he is still in mourning for Fritz. Wolfe was by Fritz’s side when he passed away on September 30.
“I got the call that he wasn’t doing well,” Wolfe later told People Magazine. “I just feel blessed that I was able to get there…I was there for about an hour before he passed, and I was holding his hand and rubbing his chest when he took his last breath…I took my fingers and I closed his eyes.”
Full Story: Mike Wolfe Was Holding His ‘American Pickers’ Co-Star Frank Fritz’s Hand When He Took His ‘Last’ Breath
It seems that Wolfe could use some prayers right now. Please join us in sending him some love!
More About:Celebrity News
Read This Next
