AMERICAN Pickers star Mike Wolfe insisted he wants Frank Fritz back on the show, but admitted the fired host “can’t get it right” with his addiction battle.
Frank, 57, was fired from American Pickers in July after he took a nearly two-year hiatus from the show to recover from back surgery, which left him with 185 stitches and two rods in his spine.
Though Frank previously admitted the stars are feuding and haven’t spoken in two years, Mike exclusively told The Sun that he wants his longtime cohost back on the show.
Mike said: “We all do care about Frank and we want him back on the show. I would love to talk with him again, we would absolutely love to, but he just can’t get it right.
“Frank is just going through a lot personally with addictions. It’s unfortunate that he’s made decisions that have him the way he is.”
Frank previously told The Sun that he entered rehab for alcohol addiction in Iowa for 77 days during his time off the show.
Frank said: “I went to rehab and I’ve been sober now for 11 months.
“I didn’t like drinking anymore. My mom was an alcoholic and she died five years ago and it was alcohol-related. My grandfather was an alcoholic and he died. That didn’t sit well with me.”
Frank said of his time in treatment: “They gave me a lot of information and we were booked up for 13 or 14 hours a day. There was no sitting around watching TV or eating food. You were scheduled out for an hour, then an hour and half, all through the day.
“They really give you a lot of one-on-one time. I read 12 self-help books while I was there. I didn’t f**k around. I really got into it. I went there to learn and get the most out of it that I possibly could.
“I had a great time there and I helped other people who were having problems too. It’s one of the best things that have happened to me.”
Frank continued that he goes to meetings “twice a week” after the stint.
He said: “I sit back and listen and if I get one thing out of one person, that’s enough. I have a couple of sponsors and I’m sponsoring people too.”
Frank admitted he would’ve been sober for a year if it weren’t for a relapse.
He added: “It was maybe for four hours, but it was enough. The next day I went to a meeting and I got right back on track.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have a drink again because I don’t like the feeling anymore and some of the dumb things that I did.”
Frank continued: “I’m feeling really good. Life is good and I’d like to get back into the swing of things. I wish I had done it five years ago, I would have been a different person.
“It was the best thing for me and I wish I had done it sooner or I wouldn’t be in the position that I am right now.”
Frank has been open about wanting to return to American Pickers after his hiatus, as he said: “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.”
But Mike revealed in July that Frank has been fired from the show.
He wrote on Instagram: “I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he’s been like a brother to me. The journey that Frank, Dani and I started back in 2009, like all of life, has come with its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding.
“The support that you all have given us has been a constant reminder of what the show’s message has always been; thru these places, people, and things we all have a common thread. We’re here to not only take care of the past, but also each other.”
Mike concluded: “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.”
Frank previously told The Sun of their falling out: “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.
“That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the front man. 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.”
Frank is open to his own spinoff, as he said “thousands of people” want him back on the small screen.
As for Mike, The Sun obtained exclusive first photos of him with new girlfriend Leticia Cline kissing in public.
Mike and Leticia, 42, enjoyed a day of running errands and attending a local parade in his hometown of Le Claire, Iowa on Friday.
The new romance comes after Mike’s ex Jodi filed for divorce from him in November 2020 after 10 years of marriage.
They share 9-year-old daughter Charlie Faeth Wolfe.
