Why Did Danielle Leave ‘American Pickers’?
Why Did Danielle Leave 'American Pickers'?
American Pickers was once one of the most popular shows on cable TV. The personalities of Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and Danielle Colby blended well together and fans tuned in to see what treasures Mike and Frank would uncover when they were not in the midst of intense fighting on American Pickers, at homes across the nation. But when Frank left the show and suffered a stroke, his future was uncertain with the show despite fans wanting Frank to return in 2024. Then came Danielle’s departure from the show, leaving fans wondering if American Pickers could continue.
Danielle’s choice to leave the show appeared to be a long time coming. There were signs when Danielle took a hiatus during Season 23 that she was not keen to return. While Danielle did return for the following season, it would prove to be her last as in February 2024, Danielle confirmed she was leaving American Pickers.
We will explore why Danielle Colby left American Pickers. Then look at why a health scare may have led Danielle to question her role on American Pickers as well as what Danielle is doing today after leaving the show.
Danielle Colby Officially Left American Pickers For A Fresh Start After Getting Married
Danielle had been engaged to Jeremy Scheuch since 2020. The two decided to get married in February 2024 and Danielle used this opportunity for a fresh start on not only her life but her career as well.
Before joining the cast of American Pickers in 2009, Danielle formed a burlesque troop out of Illinois and Iowa. However, once she started working as the office manager at Antique Archeology and filming for American Pickers, the burlesque took a backseat for more than a decade.
In February 2024, Danielle posted a series of memes to Instagram. One of which read, “You are not missing out because you have different priorities.” This, in conjunction with another post where she mentioned “failing to use an opportunity to enjoy something” while speaking about her burlesque career, showed that Danielle’s mind was elsewhere other than American Pickers.
Additionally, Danielle began a project in Clinton, Iowa. The renovation of a building in the downtown area will be the future home of the Stripping History Museum. This ties in with Danielle’s love of burlesque and may help to promote her business in the same field as well.
Danielle also wanted to spend more time in Puerto Rico, where she has been going during her downtime for years. As such, when she and Jeremy are not working on their 1930s renovation home, Danielle can be found in Puerto Rico helping to rebuild, helping at orphanages, animal shelters, and more.
Danielle Colby’s Health Scare May Have Led Her To Question Her Role On American Pickers
In 2022, Danielle faced a health scare that resulted in surgery. Danielle had been dealing with excruciating periods for three years that were causing her not to be involved in life as much as she would have liked to have been. But it was not until she started talking to Mike’s girlfriend, Tish, that Danielle felt motivated to contact a doctor.
“About four months ago I shared with Mike’s girlfriend Tish, that I was having a terrible time on set managing my menstrual cycles,” Danielle explained.
“It seemed like I was always bleeding, it was always an excruciating amount of pain, feeling like I was being held back from a lot of opportunities because I couldn’t figure out how to control the amount of pain I was living with.”
Danielle went on to say that it took about a month to find a female gynecologist, but that when she did, Danielle had to go through a battery of tests. The tests revealed that Danielle had uterine fibroids.
As a result of the fibroids, Danielle needed to have a hysterectomy. According to her Patreon account, Danielle’s doctor said that the surgery could not wait and had to be done immediately.
“My doctor informed me that this was not a situation, and I couldn’t live with it,” Danielle wrote. “In fact, this is a situation that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, surgically.”
The surgery was necessary because there were so many fibroids that the doctor was unable to biopsy to see if there was any cancer present. As such, Danielle went forward with the surgery and the painful recovery that followed.
During the recovery period, Danielle admitted via her Patreon account that she had “lost” her “desire to work” as a result of the “emotionally taxing time” after her hysterectomy. Because of this, she did not return to American Pickers for a time.
In the end, however, Danielle returned for one more season of the show. But with all that Danielle had dealt with personally, she clearly had a new direction that she wanted her life to take, which was away from American Pickers.
What Danielle Colby Is Doing Today After Leaving American Pickers
Since leaving American Pickers, Danielle has gotten back into burlesque dancing full time. Using the stage name Dannie Diesel, Danielle has been touring with the Burlesque Le Moustache troupe. Most recently, Danielle performed in Florida in April 2024, in front of an enthusiastic crowd that helped Danielle recognize that her change of career from TV personality back to that of burlesque dancer, per her Instagram post, was the right one for her.
“As a burlesque artist, exotic dancer, performance, artist, musician, it’s such a surge of love, that a performer feels when they look out into the audience, and they see the faces of the people that they love that are truly supporting them, cheering for them, clapping, screaming, it’s magical.”
Danielle went on to say that every time she takes to the stage, the “love and support” that she feels “becomes addictive.”
While Danielle had done a show in Puerto Rico in January 2024, the one in Florida was the first one that Danielle did without any restrictions as a result of her hysterectomy. Because of this, Danielle was grateful that she was back to doing what she loved.
When Danielle is not doing burlesque, she is in the process of starting a podcast. The podcast, tentatively named The Road Dog Diaries, will be giving a behind the scenes look at American Pickers. Having been there since the series began, Danielle has stories to tell. These stories are not only about her on-screen co-stars but behind-the-scenes antics as well.
The podcast will be hosted by Danielle as well as her manager and friend, Haley Atkin.
Given that the ratings on American Pickers has been diminishing, it is not clear what the future of the show will be. There have been reports both that Mike stopped filming during the most recent season due to poor ratings and that he has signed a contract for another three years, according to The Sun.What is clear, however, is that the show will go on without Danielle. After 14 years on the History Channel series, Danielle has found what makes her passionate and that is her dancing. How long Danielle will continue to do burlesque remains to be seen. But, for now, with her dancing, podcast, and museum in the works, Danielle has her hands so full that it will only be a matter of time before American Pickers becomes a distant memory.
