Frank Fritz, who is widely acclaimed for his performance in American Pickers series, won’t be returning to the show due to his speech issues followed by a debilitating stroke in July 2022.
An insider told The U.S. Sun that the 60-year-old actor "can’t come back and film, but the cast and show want him to."
It's been over a year since Fritz suffered the stroke, however, he still hasn't recovered fully and continues to be under a conservatorship and guardianship.
A second source said to the outlet, "The stroke affected his speech, so he really can’t return to the show."
However, he went on to console the sympathetic, adding, "But you never know, there is always hope one day."
Fritz last appeared on the American Pickers in March 2020 before going under the knife for a back surgery.
He officially exited the show the following year, then suffered a stroke in 2022, which led him to be placed under a conservatorship that was filed the same year in August.
The document obtained by the publication at the time stated, "Because of his stroke, Mr. Fritz’s decision-making capacity is so impaired that he is unable to care for his own safety, or to provide for necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, or medical care without which physical injury or illness may occur".
The petitioner also requested Fritz's longtime friend to be his guardian as he had already been helping Fritz in decision making since the stroke.
Earlier this year, an insider shared that Fritz watch the new episodes of the show and laugh about it.
"The crew comes to see him. They keep in touch," the source shared, "They come to see him when they’re in town".