Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah-based home renovation show "Home Work" is set to be brought back to the Magnolia Network after local homeowners sharing their experiences with the show led to it initially being pulled by the network.
According to a report from Variety, the network conducted an investigation into the complaints made publicly against Andy and Candis Meredith — the Utah couple behind the home renovation show — and found there was no malicious intent from those who spoke out against the couple earlier this month.
"Magnolia Network is dedicated to sharing hopeful and genuine stories," Allison Page, president of Magnolia Network, said in a statement to Variety. "After speaking with homeowners as well as Candis and Andy Meredith regarding renovation projects for 'Home Work,' and hearing a mix of both positive and negative experiences, we do not believe there was ill or malicious intent."
In addition to announcing that the "Home Work" show would return to the network, Page said in the statement that Magnolia needs to do a better job in supporting the shows on the network and the people behind the series.
"Our commitment now is to provide appropriate resolutions for those whose experience with 'Home Work' fell short of our network's standards," Page told Variety in a statement. "While 'Home Work' will return to Magnolia Network, we recognize the responsibility we have to act on how we can better support not only our talent, but those who put their trust in them and this brand."
Magnolia Network — the creation of "Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines — pulled the show earlier this month after multiple Utah homeowners shared their experiences with the Merediths, which included allegations of shoddy work, projects going over budget and on-camera renovations leading to additional hefty bills.
After the allegations surfaced, the Merediths took to social media to defend themselves. Candis Meredith told KSL-TV she and her husband feel they took on too many projects at once.
"We were feeling very overwhelmed and doing our best to communicate, but I can understand how, when it's your home, that feels frustrating when things take longer," Candis Meredith told KSL's Matt Gephardt. Some have accused the couple of outright stealing money from clients, a claim the Merediths strongly denied.
More recently, the Merediths posted a string of posts and videos on their Instagram page further denying any wrongdoing. The Merediths said they often put down their own personal money to fund projects, and did not charge clients for the "hundreds of hours" they put into projects, according to one Instagram post. The Merediths wrote that they often worked as the middle man between clients and general contractors, and had to break the bad news to homeowners while "being held as the only responsible party while being completely out of our control."
"We worked TIRELESSLY for these clients and although there is always something you can learn and grow from, we stand behind the work and effort we put towards them," the couple wrote in an Instagram post.
The Merediths wrote they will "not accept losing our livelihood" due to allegations made against them that the Merediths say are not true.
"We understand the frustrations, we really do," the Merediths wrote in one post. "But these should have been resolved privately, through any means of communication, within the last two years and not in this malicious and salacious attempt to take away our means of living."
According to the Magnolia Network's website, "Home Work" is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. MST Saturday night. It was not immediately clear if episodes have been made available on the Discovery+ streaming service, as the series was available online before Magnolia Network had pulled the show.
