The Real Reason Frank Has Been Absent From American Pickers

One of the best things about American Pickers has to be the banter between Danielle, Mike, and Frank. Except… Frank hasn’t been around for a while now. When the most recent season debuted, he was nowhere to be seen. And there’s a sad reason why he’s been kept away from the hugely successful show.

Best of friends

Frank and Mike are best buds, which makes his absence all the more strange. The pair were so close that at one point, some were even saying they were in a romantic relationship. But that turned out to be just talk, as Mike now has a wife called Jodi Faeth. And it looked for a moment like Frank was going to get hitched to a woman, too, but it didn’t work out in the end. Nothing to do with Mike, we should add!

Growing up together

The pair’s friendship goes all the way back to the eighth grade, and they've bounced off each other perfectly ever since. In their case, it seems opposites attract. “Mike is like an eight-year-old boy in so many ways,” Danielle told the Miami New Times in 2012. “He’s a prankster and a jokester and always the center of attention… Frankie is the exact opposite. He’s the old man of the group.” Did those differences create a rift in the ranks?

Fan following

We don’t know for sure, but we do know that filming American Pickers is no picnic. Maybe that explains why Frank decided to leave? The team are no strangers to working every day of the week. And as they’ve become more popular, they’ve had to put up with fans following them everywhere. That’s something Frank described as “overwhelming” at the 2012 FRY Fest.

Hidden hustle

“What the viewer doesn’t see is the 16 to 18 hours a day we put in,” Frank told the Phoenix New Times in 2015. “They don’t see the crew that comes in at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning to set everything up. It takes a long time to make a show, and it’s a travel show, so we’re in a different hotel in a different area every night.” We wouldn’t blame him for wanting to say goodbye to all that.