Mike Wolfe, who hosted the show American Pickers alongside Frank Fritz, opened his heart about the devastating death of the host.
Fritz died in September at the age of 60 after complications from a stroke. The two hosted the antiques show for 10 years, from 2010 to 2020. On social media, Wolfe bid farewell to his partner.
“It is with a broken heart that I share with you all that Frank passed away last night. I have known Frank for more than half my life, and what you saw on TV was always what I saw, a dreamer who was as sensitive as he was funny,” he wrote in the caption of a photo alongside Fritz.
“The same off-camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of many just by being himself. Who could have imagined that we would share a cabin in a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures,” Wolfe added.
Now, in an interview with People magazine last week, he shared that he held his colleague’s hand as he took his last breath. Despite the ongoing admiration for their television partnership over many years, he admitted that the two had become “disconnected,” but he was grateful to be by Fritz’s side in his final moments.
“I got the call saying he wasn’t doing well. I feel blessed that I was able to get there. I was there for about an hour before he passed, and I was holding his hand and rubbing his chest when he took his last breath. I took my fingers and closed his eyes.”
“I just told him that I wasn’t mad at him and that I loved him and that I cared so much about him. And then, when I could see he was struggling, I just said, ‘Go find your mom. Go find her right now. Go find her,’” Wolfe recounted.
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Photo and video: Instagram @mikewolfeamericanpicker. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
