Ultra-Religious HBO Viewers Demand Chip and Joanna Gaines' New Show 'Back to the Frontier' Be Pulled From Network For Featuring Gay Couple — 'We Will Not Watch It'
Chip and Joanna Gaines have been slammed by ultra-religious fans over their new TV series.
July 14 2025, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Chip and Joanna Gaines have faced intense backlash from ultra-religious fans for featuring a gay couple on their new HBO reality series Back to the Frontier, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Critics demanded the show be pulled from streaming as they called on the couple, who have openly shared their Christian faith with viewers for years, to "repent" for their "sins."
Back to the Frontier is a social experiment reality show following several families as they ditch 21st-century comforts to live as 1800s pioneers.
'Repent!'
Critics accused the couple of 'selling their souls' for a paycheck.
Online critics made their opinion about Chip and Joanna’s decision to feature a gay couple on the series loud and clear.
X users condemned the Fixer Upper couple and accused them of "selling their souls" for a paycheck.
One enraged X user tagged Joanna in his post, reading: “Pull the show and stop mocking God to His face.”
Others expressed their "disappointment" and "sadness" for being unable to support the pair's latest show.
Franklin Graham Goes Off
Franklin Graham fueled attacks when he called out Chip and Joanna online.
Franklin Graham, the son of late TV evangelist Billy Graham, fueled hellfire and brimstone attacks when he called out the couple in a X post.
He wrote: "I hope this isn’t true, but I read today that Chip and Joanna Gaines are featuring a gay couple in their new series. If It is true, it is very disappointing.
"While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word. His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman."
Franklin concluded his post by declaring: "Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin."
Chip Fires Back
Chip expressed disappointment in the 'hate' and 'vitriol' associated with 'modern American Christian culture.'
The father-of-five appeared to have finally had enough and addressed outrage in his own X post on Sunday, July 13.
Chip called on "modern American Christians" to "talk, ask questions, and maybe even learn" before rushing to judgment and hate.
He wrote on X: "Talk, ask questions, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never. “It’s a sad Sunday when 'non-believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian."
Chip also took the time to reply to followers who responded to his post.
'A Sad Sunday'
Fans expressed disappointment and 'sadness' over the decision to feature a gay couple in the series.
One follower wrote: "You’ll see no hate from me. I’m just sad. I can't let my kids watch your show now, since I’m trying to protect their eyes and hearts from the lies of the world, lies you’re now participating in. “Also, filter out some of the online vitriol and consider taking to heart some of the substantive concerns and heartbreak from the Christians who make up your fanbase. "We should love the sinner, that doesn't mean we celebrate and promote the sin and participate in the multibillion-dollar industry dedicated to destroying the family."
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Chip replied: "Don't be sad, Joel.. plenty of other stuff out there. I’m sure everyone will be fine. "BUT I sincerely appreciate the advice about taking some of the thoughtful, heartfelt, encouraging constructive criticism to heart.. and I certainly will."
In a follow-up message, Chip shared a post from December 2016, in which he wrote: "In times of trouble.. you’ll find the Gaines family at church."
He captioned the post: "On our way to church.. Y'all enjoy this beautiful Sunday!"
Old Wounds Revisited
Ironically, Chip's 2016 X post was made amid accusations that the couple’s place of worship, Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, preached anti-LGBTQ views.
The famous duo responded to backlash in a lengthy blog post, in which they issued an apology to fans and vowed not to get into the "nasty business of throwing stones at each other."
