AMERICAN Pickers’ Frank Fritz has died at the age of 60 following a devastating stroke.
Frank’s longtime co-star and friend Mike Wolfe shared the heartbreaking news over Instagram, “It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night.”
The former History Channel star had previously suffered a devastating stroke[/caption]
Plenty of fans were quick to react to the tragic news and shared kind words about the popular TV personality.
“We will miss you Frank!” one wrote as another commented, “Rest in peace.”
This comes after Mike, 58, made a lengthy statement on Instagram to share that his estranged friend Frank was in the hospital.
He wrote at the time: “I have been very private in the past year in regards to Frank’s life and the journey he’s been on. There have been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Frank’s friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend.
“Frank has suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. Please keep him in your hearts and thoughts.”
He concluded: “Frank, I pray more than anything that you make it through this okay. I love you, buddy.”
Frank’s passing comes one year after he was fired from his role on the History Channel show.
He had previously exited the program to recover from his brutal back surgery that left him with 185 stitches and two rods in his spine.
During his time off, Frank lost 65 pounds, and was living a healthier lifestyle, including being sober from alcohol.
As The Sun reported, Frank last appeared on American Pickers during a March 2020 episode.
He had previously been open about wanting to return to to the series after his hiatus, and revealed: “I’d still like to get back to my job, I miss my friends and my people and being on the road and meeting all those different characters.”
However, his termination was confirmed by Mike in 2021, as he said: “… I will miss Frank, just like all of you, and I pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.”
‘NOT THE SAME WITHOUT FRANK’
The reality series took a hit following Frank’s dismissal as the once impressive ratings have taken a dip without the fan favorite.
The Sun exclusively revealed ratings for the July 9 episode had just 833,000 viewers tune in as fans labeled the show as “boring.”
One wrote: “Very dry and boring without Frank – scripted… a very different show…”
“Not the same without Frank,” another reacted at the time.
BROKEN FRIENDSHIP
The two lead stars hadn’t seen eye-to-eye as Frank once told The Sun: “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.
“The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much.”
He added: “That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the frontman. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
Following his firing, Frank had been pouring his energy into his own antique shop located in Illinois.
As for Mike, the show has continued with his brother, Robbie, as well as fellow stalwart Danielle Colby.
His ex costar Mike Wolfe had asked fans to ‘pray’ for his estranged friend[/caption]
However, Frank once revealed his friendship with Mike may have been broken[/caption]
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