Frank Fritz from American Pickers has certainly had a scary few years, but it seems like his health and his friendship with Mike are on the mend.
The hosts of American Pickers are a large part of why fans keep coming back to watch the show.
This is also why fans were so upset when Frank Fritz left the show in 2020 and rumors about feuds and his declining health took over the internet.
Fortunately, it seems like Mike and Frank have patched things up and that he is still recovering well.
Why the American Pickers hosts make the show
It is surprising sometimes to see just how interesting it can be to watch Mike Wolfe and the rest of the gang search through homes, offices, garages and even barns and scrap heaps.
The team endeavors to find rare collectibles to add to their own collections, or sell for a profit.
However, American Pickers has not managed to stay on the air for over a decade just because of a few lucky finds. The hosts of the show really do most of the heavy lifting to keep the show entertaining and informative.
American Pickers Frank
For years, American Pickers fans have loved watching the expert “pickers” Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and Danielle Colby (who finds all of these impressive collections) tour through the entire country in search of their next big find.
But things have changed since American Pickers first started airing in 2010. The first indication that the show’s form was changing was when the fan-favorite straight-shooting co-host Frank, suddenly stopped showing up in episodes late in 2020.
Mike later confirmed that Frank had exited the show permanently. Unfortunately, Frank’s split from the show was not without complications.
Rumors quickly started spreading that he needed extra time to recover from an intensive surgery, and the show’s two longtime co-hosts and friends had actually been feuding behind-the-scenes.
Things got worse when Frank suffered a debilitating stroke in July 2022. This stroke impaired Frank’s decision-making capabilities to such an extent that he was placed under conservatorship and reportedly needed permanent home medical care.
It can be shocking to see just how much has changed in the former American Pickers star’s life over the course of just a few years, but it does seem like his story finally has a silver lining.
Frank’s health seems to be on the mend, and he has even used his returning strength to reunite with his old picker-buddy, Mike, over Memorial Day weekend.
This, reunion has apparently been a long time coming and has helped to put any lingering rumors about the feud between Mike and Frank to rest (finally).
Moreover, it seems like the legal proceedings for Frank’s conservatorship are also well underway, with a new financial plan in the works. This should help to support Frank further on his path to recovery.
Was the feud between Mike and Frank real?
The friend who assisted in getting Frank and Mike to meet up recently reportedly told The Quad-City Times that their reunion was filled with tears and shared memories.
This friend also clarified that the two friends’ relationship simply became strained in 2020 after so many years of working together, but that they were never really feuding.
Whether this is true or these friends just garnered some newfound perspective on their relationship after Frank’s serious health-scares, we may never know.
But it should warm the hearts of American Pickers fans to know that they seem to be back in each other’s lives.
Will Frank ever return to American Pickers?
Mike has confirmed that Frank’s “uniquely funny personality” is a large part of what made their working relationship, and the show, so successful in the beginning.
Mike responded to fans’ pleas to bring Frank back onto the show by saying that he would “love to.” However, he also admitted that this will probably not be possible just yet and that Frank is “focused on his health” for now.
New updates about Frank’s conservatorship
MidWestOne Bank, which is the conservator appointed to manage Frank’s affairs in 2022, filed a new Amended Initial Financial Management Plan and an Inventory Report earlier in 2023.
This comes after the original filings revealed that the conservatorship would have to start generating additional income to cover all of Frank’s expenses.
The hope is that this new plan details additional investments which can help sustain Frank for the long-term.
American Pickers fans should also be relieved to hear that MidWestOne Bank is not considering selling Frank’s collectibles to bring in additional income yet and that plans have been put in place to integrate Frank into some of the management decisions moving forward.
