Magnolia Network stars Joanna and Chip Gaines got a little too familiar with the wildlife at their new Colorado mountain house—where they quickly learned that their scenic surroundings are as petrifying as they are pretty.
The renovation experts were working on their new abode, a process that they are documenting in their new series, “Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House,” when they had a scare with a bear that emerged from the woodland that surrounds the property.
Joanna, 47, and Chip, 50, were seen scrambling to ensure everyone on the grounds—including their youngest son, Crew, 7—was safe in a new teaser clip from the spinoff, which is due to premiere on Dec. 9.
In the video, the couple, whose daughter, Ella, also stars in the show, were seen working on various projects in and around the home, before Joanna began talking to the cameras about the renovation while standing on the terrace outside the dwelling.
However, just as she begins speaking, the mother of five is interrupts by the sound of leaves rustling behind her—prompting her to turn around, at which point she spots a creature lurking in the woods.
“It’s either Sasquatch or Chip Gaines, but I do think that was a bear,” Joanna said, before taking a second glance.
“Oh my gosh, it’s a bear! It’s a bear!” she added.
A production crew member can then be heard asking her, “Do we have anyone down there?” to which Joanna replied, “Well, Chip is down there with [our son] Crew.”
The preview comes to an end there, leaving fans wondering what will happen next as Joanna and the crew attempt to ensure Chip and their son are safe from the bear.
The shocking teaser comes after it was revealed that the couple’s 19-year-old daughter would be joining them on a project for the first time.
Chip and Joanna took to social media to share a sneak peek from the upcoming series, revealing that Ella will be caught on camera taking on a very special project as part of the renovation.
In a video share on their Instagram accounts, Joanna is seen explaining that the project was particularly emotional for the family, not least because it marked the first time that the family had taken on such an ambitious renovation outside of Central Texas.
“This is our first out of Central Texas project. I want it to feel like something that I put together for my family,” Joanna explained. “Chip had an idea to have our daughter design the little cottage.”
Ella is then seen telling the cameras: “I’m accepting the challenge.”
“Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House” marks the latest in a long line of “Fixer Upper” spinoffs that followed the end of the main season—which the couple revealed was coming to an end after its fifth season back in 2017.
At the time, the duo wrote about their decision to call in quits in a post on their blog, telling fans that they wanted to prioritize spending time with their kids.
“This is just us recognizing that we need to catch our breath for a moment,” they said. Our plan is to take this time to shore up and strengthen the spots that are weak, rest the places that are tired, and give lots of love and attention to both our family and our business.”
The Gaines have kept their children mainly out of the limelight since 2018—although Ella’s appearance in the latest “Fixer Upper” installment suggests that they may be prepared to share the spotlight with their kids more moving forward.
Joanna has been openly documenting her struggle to cope with her kids growing up, revealing earlier this year how she was coping with Ella moving out of the family home and into a college dorm, joining her brother, Drake, who had already started his university experience.
In August, the mom shared a photo of her eldest son’s room filled with boxes and suitcases, while detailing her bittersweet emotions around the milestone moment.
“They told me it would go by quicker than I think. That the days are slow but the years are fast. And darn it if they were right. This beautiful gift of time has roared past us all just like I was told,” she wrote.
“My oldest son left for his third year of college while my oldest daughter packs for her first year across the country.
“This season already feels like one big, breathless surrender. Lord, how do I hold them close while also letting go?”
Joanna went on to note that, while she feels a strong desire to keep her kids with her, she knows that they are “made for more” than they can experience inside the family’s Waco home.
“Help me to embrace change with a heart filled with hope for the part I know to be truer than the rest—my kids and I may have been made for each other, but I also believe they were made for more. More experiences, more knowledge, more growing than could ever happen within our walls,” she added.
The mother of five concluded her post with a message to other parents who have yet to experience what it’s like to have a child leave home.
“To all the parents packing up and moving kids to new places, and to all those with years still to spare: hold them close, hold them well, and let’s all lean on each other when the time comes to hold it together,” she said.
Joanna had previously admitted that she was struggling more with Ella’s departure from the family nest than she did when Drake moved out—largely because she and her daughter were so used to spending time together.
“With Ella, we love to go to antiques shops, plant shops, and go get coffee—that’s our rhythm. I kind of feel like I’m losing a friend in my everyday life,” she said.
As for Ella, Joanna admitted that her daughter couldn’t wait to head off to college, particularly because the new setting was going to give her a chance to establish her own identity, away from her parents’ fame.
“She’s excited about going somewhere and just being known for her,” the Magnolia Network star revealed. “She’s like, ‘I don’t want anyone knowing that you’re … I just want to go and be myself.'”
