What happened to Chase Looney on ‘Fixer to Fabulous?’

HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous has been letting audiences into the process of house-flipping since its debut season in 2017. While husband-and-wife duo Dave and Jenny Marrs — who are on a quest to transform homes in their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas — have remained the show’s central figures, Fixer to Fabulous has welcomed a swathe of recurring characters throughout its five-season run on the airwaves. 

One such character, Chase Looney, became a fan-favorite upon his debut appearance on Fixer to Fabulous in season 1. Since then, the carpenter, woodworker, and trusty handyman for Dave and Jenny has appeared sporadically on various episodes, though details around his off-screen personal life remain scarce. From his tragic firework accident to his current status on the home renovation show, here’s everything we know about what happened to Chase Looney on Fixer to Fabulous. 

What happened to Chase Looney on ‘Fixer to Fabulous?’

Fans of Fixer to Fabulous may have wondered what caused the scarring seen on the left side of Chase Looney’s face. A mere few days after filming in the pilot episode, Looney was involved in a tragic fireworks accident as part of his Fourth of July celebrations. Looney helped set up some fireworks displays and, while lighting a fifth set of fireworks, was blown in the face by a fallen motor. 

Speaking of the incident in a blog post, Looney explained that the explosion resulted in a “deafening boom” and burst of light, causing everything around him to “slow down.” After being rushed to hospital in Springfield, Missouri, Looney underwent eight hours of surgery. The doctors informed Looney that he had lost his left eye, and that movement of the left side of his face would be challenging. Looney was told that the scarring from the accident would be permanent.

Looney said that both Dave and Jenny came to visit him in the hospital, and assured him that there was still a place for him on Fixer to Fabulous. Looney was seen on episode thereafter sporting an eye patch and with visible face scars, though his handiwork remained just as pristine. Elsewhere in his personal life, Looney separated from his former wife, Chelsie, in 2021. 

As for his role on Fixer to Fabulous, it appears as though, at the time of writing, Chase Looney is no longer a part of the series. While his appearances on the show were always few and far between, the became even less frequent during season 4, and a clearer update on his status on the show arrived in January 2023. The handyman uploaded an Instagram post mentioning the “show [he] used to be a part of,” all-but confirming that he had parted ways with Fixer to Fabulous. 

Off screen, Looney is seemingly still employed as a carpenter, regularly posting images of work completed for clients. Looney’s departure from Fixer to Fabulous was also due to his work as a firefighter, with Dave commenting on a 2023 social media post that he missed his former handyman and is “happy the fire department is going well.”

The loss of the fan-favorite might give fans some pause, but Fixer to Fabulous — and the beautiful homes it creates — is still on the air, with the series currently enjoying its fifth season on HGTV.