What Has Chase Looney Been Up To Since Leaving HGTV's Fixer To Fabulous?
Jenny and Dave Marrs made the genius decision to bring along their long-time carpenter friend Chase Looney when they got the green light for "Fixer to Fabulous." The humble handyman quickly won the hearts of HGTV fans everywhere, but a freak accident left Looney without an eye and fearing to return to the spotlight. Fortunately, he gained the courage to rejoin the home improvement series until it was clear that he would no longer be a regular fixture on the show.
Looney hasn't been in an episode since the beginning of Season 4, which has had fans wondering what he's been up to. In a January 2023 post on Instagram, Looney wrote, "Flash back to a simple farm style table I did for a little show I used to be [a part] of," indicating that he's cut ties with the show. Dave Marrs was the one to clue us in on what Looney does now, commenting: "Miss you brother! So happy the fire department is going well. Great stuff and hope you come back to the team soon!" Looney worked as a firefighter before joining the show, and an Instagram Story confirms that he's back in that line of duty.
According to another Instagram post — the latest on his feed, as of this writing — Looney is also building custom wood pieces, which he shared in the photos on the post. "For all of the messages I've received asking what I've been up to. Custom furniture made from locally milled walnut," he wrote. His bio on the platform has an inactive link to a website, with his company name, Chisel & Sawdust. It's unclear whether he's still in business, but his Facebook page describes the company as a family-owned woodworking business.
Why did Chase Looney leave the show?
According to Jenny Marrs, Chase Looney probably wouldn't have picked a career on TV but made the most of it, nonetheless. "Chase was such a good sport to agree to this crazy TV thing Dave casually mentioned to him one afternoon," Marrs wrote on Facebook, adding, "He wasn't really given an option NOT to be with us on the show but he graciously came along for the ride and we couldn't imagine not having him with us." Still, it was a sad day when viewers realized their favorite carpenter packed up his tools and left the set — becoming another bullet on the list of stars who left HGTV.
When Season 4 of "Fixer to Fabulous" aired in 2022, fans noticed that Looney was only in the first episode. He has been absent ever since. His exit from "Fixer to Fabulous" lines up with his divorce from his wife, Chelsie, whom he split from in 2021. Looney later confirmed this on Instagram, writing in a 2023 post: "First new family trip of 2023. Life is different with just the three of us. But one thing that hasn't changed is kids will always come first." This post made it clear he was going on a family trip with just his two children and not his ex-wife. Though Looney has never confirmed why he left the show, it may have been due to the big changes in his personal life.