Chip and Joanna Gaines became beloved household names after their successful HGTV series Fixer Upper debuted in 2013. The success has since led to many more ventures for the dynamic duo, including the opening of Magnolia Market at the Silos and restaurant Magnolia Table in the couple’s native Texas. Most recently, the couple launched their own TV network, Magnolia Network.
Their business ventures are impressive indeed, but it remains clear that both Chip, 46, and Jo, 43, put their family above all else. When the couple announced the decision to initially end Fixer Upper in 2018, they cited the need to put their children Drake, 16, Ella Rose, 14, Duke, 13, Emmie Kay, 11, and Crew, 3, first. “They’re so young, and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood,” Jo said. “Family is the most important thing in the world.”
Their kids practically grew up on their HGTV show, and would often make sweet cameos on their respective Instagram accounts. Below is everything you need to know about Chip and Jo’s five kids — the “most important” people in their world!
Drake Gaines
At 16, Drake is the eldest child of Chip and Jo. As chronicled in his parents’ social media posts, Drake is big on sports — particularly football. The teen is reportedly named after the historic and now-demolished Drake Hotel in New York City, where his parents honeymooned, as previously reported by Country Living. Last year, Drake celebrated a major milestone: getting his driver’s license. Chip told PEOPLE in March that his wife “cried her eyes out” when it happened. “I was so excited leading up to it, and Jo was too, kind of,” Chip said. “Then we get this kid his license, and the first morning he goes to drive, Jo bawls her eyes out. She was just devastated and wanted no part.” He added that she wanted to “hire him a chauffeur!”
Ella Rose Gaines
At 14, Ella Rose is Chip and Jo’s oldest daughter. Joanna has previously revealed that among her five children, Ella is the most like her. Like her mom, the teen has a love of interior design, among other interests. (In their HGTV series, too, Ella would often be seen helping her mom decorate days before the big home reveals.) “Ella is like me,” Joanna told PEOPLE in March 2019. “I think she’ll follow in my footsteps and have her hand in a lot of things. Right now she wants to cook, be a lead designer, and have a donut truck.”
Duke Gaines
At 13, Duke is one of three of Chip and Jo’s sons. Like his brother and dad, Duke is big on sports — particularly baseball. In her interview with PEOPLE, Joanna revealed that Duke and sister Emmie want to own a farm truck in the future to sell fruits and vegetables. “We printed labels for them, and once a week they go out and sell,” she told the outlet. “They’re just like Chip: They don’t take no for an answer!” During an interview with TODAY in March, Chip recalled a scary moment with Duke where he realized the cost of fame. While at a flea market, his son had wandered off, and a group of strangers excitedly swarmed him.
“It was a bit of a sad moment where I realized that fame had sort of overwhelmed and taken over my entire life,” he recalled. “And so I was basically on my way to kind of gobble him up and get him back into a safe place, and at about that same second, I was surrounded by this group of people.” He continued of the “disturbing” moment, “I realized in that moment I was incapable of communicating accurately that I was actually a desperate father trying to get my son into a safe place, but also at the same time kind of trying to resonate with these people and trying to not be rude.”
Emmie Kay Gaines
At 11, Emmie Kay is Chip and Jo’s youngest daughter. Her interests aren’t that different from her mom’s: Emmie is a plant enthusiast, a baker of chocolate chip cookies, and also religious. Joanna previously shared an Instagram post that gushed over her daughter’s faith after she discovered that Emmie had left a little drawing in her bathroom. She scribbled, “Hi God what are you doing?” on her bathroom counter top, to which Jo reflected: “I stared at her question and loved the thought of it and that that’s how she talks to God. May her faith always stay childlike.” Emmie is also involved in her mom’s work. Jo’s daughter lends her voice to the audio book reading of her book, The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be. “When I asked the kids if any of them wanted to read the book for the audio version, Emmie Kay was the first to raise her hand,” Jo captioned an Instagram post of the two.
Crew Gaines
At 3, little Crew is the youngest member of the Gaines gang. Chip and Jo recently welcomed him in 2018. And from the looks of his parents’ social media accounts, Crew is a big fan of watching his mom’s cooking show Magnolia Table, harvesting fruit, hitting up the beach, and sock fishing. Not long after his birth, baby Crew joined his mom on the TODAY show in November 2018. “We were talking the other day; he’s slowed down time for us,” Jo told hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. “He has just been a gift.” She also revealed that Chip wanted baby no. 6. “He wants him to have a sister,” Jo said, sounding weary. “But I love the process of being pregnant. I love giving birth.” Jo added that her other children are “obsessed” with their baby brother. “They are obsessed with him,” Jo added. “It really is one of those things where I have to fight to hold him.”