HGTV Stars Who Disappeared From TV: What Happened to Beloved Home Improvement Experts

So many inspirational stars got their start on HGTV, with huge home renovation projects, jaw-dropping reveals and emotional moments caught on camera. As the network continues to make TV magic, a few of its leading home design experts have taken a step back from the spotlight.  

Though Fixer Upper ended on HGTV in 2018, the show’s cast is still well-loved by fans all over the world. Chip and Joanna Gaines introduced the audience to several of their team members who assisted in builds and design projects, including Clint Harp, Jimmy Don Holmes and Saul “Shorty” Sanchez. 

While Clint landed his own show, Restoration Road, on Chip and Joanna’s Magnolia Network in 2021, both Shorty and Jimmy Don have continued to focus on their careers away from TV. The carpenter and the metal artist are successful business owners in Texas and are not currently starring in any HGTV or Magnolia Network shows. 

Still, Jimmy Don keeps in touch with his former costars and attended the opening of Chip and Joanna’s new HQ building in Waco, Texas, in March 2023.  

“Grateful for all @chipgaines and @joannagaines have done for me!” Jimmy Don captioned an Instagram post from the event. “Excited to see all the new adventures they have in store.” 

Home Town, another HGTV phenomenon, has also helped launch the careers of several local craftsmen in Laurel, Mississippi. Erin and Ben Napier are on a mission to restore their historic town, one house at a time. Along the way, they enlisted the help of Mike Husers, Randy Sherrell, Jonathan Walters and more friends and family members to help clients find their dream homes. 

Fans have become particularly interested in what happened to Mike, the flooring expert who has taken a hiatus from the show. In September 2020, Erin organized a fundraiser to help out her colleague as he faced health problems. 

“​​America’s favorite hardwood floor restoration expert, Mike Husers, has an impending surgery to fix a hip injury from years of crouching and sanding,” the graphic designer wrote on the fundraiser’s website. “Walking and working are becoming increasingly difficult so let’s show Mike we love him and make his surgery cost and the eight-week recovery away from work (which will be harder for him to walk away from than the recovery itself) a little easier.” 

Scroll below to see which HGTV stars disappeared from TV and where they are now.