Why ‘American Pickers’ Stars Are Enduring More Life Twists and Turns

After 15 years of back-to-back picking, the stars of American Pickers are finally hitting pause. No, not on a vintage Sound Tech STS800E Stereo Cassette 8-Track Player — just filming. With Season 27 set to wrap in June, the popular reality show will take an unprecedented hiatus until January 2026, which gives Mike Wolfe and the gang their first real break since the series premiered in 2010. From personal growth to fresh adventures, the cast is taking this opportunity to embrace life beyond uncovering the treasures hidden in the trash, discovering that life off-screen has a few unexpected plot twists along the way.

‘American Pickers’ Danielle Colby Is Back on Stage After a Health Scare

For American Pickers star Danielle Colby, the timing of the show’s hiatus is so perfect, you’d swear it was staged. It isn’t, but Colby is ready to be. Staged, that is, announcing on Instagram that she’s returning to perform in her burlesque shows, where she’s billed as Dannie Diesel. Naturally, returning to the stage suggests that at some point prior, Colby was off of it, and that part of the story dates back to December 9, 2024. On that day, Colby announced that she would be canceling her appearance at an adult variety show, Dr. Lucky’s Blue Review, and all burlesque performances “for the foreseeable future,” saying:

“Had some very serious health issues happening within my family; I really don’t want to get too much in detail. It’s not my health I’m speaking of. I’m OK, I’m fine, but my family needs me right now.”

Colby returned to social media in January, but didn’t offer any updates until the aforementioned Instagram post on April 19th. While she didn’t disclose the nature of the health scare, Colby revealed who she was referring to earlier: Colby herself. Referencing the photo that accompanied the post, Colby shared that the night the photo was taken she was “in very bad health,” adding she was in extreme pain and in fear. With her health scare behind her, Colby is not only resuming her burlesque appearances, but is launching a new business venture in Iowa; a museum dedicated to the ecdysiast arts. Rather conveniently, the grand opening is slated for June 21st, just as the American Pickers hiatus begins.