The Roloff family patriarch has cast some doubts about the future of the show.
They’re one of reality TV’s most beloved families, but the Roloffs of Little People, Big World have been through a rocky road lately. As TLC’s hit series awaits a decision on Season 26, the clan has weathered bombshell relationship twists, terrifying health scares and explosive disputes over the fate of their iconic Roloff Farms.
From Matt’s surprise proposal to girlfriend-turned-fiancé Caryn that left her in tears, to son Zach’s life-threatening shunt malfunction requiring emergency brain surgery, to ongoing tensions with Amy and her new beau over running the farm, this tight-knit but complicated crew has faced more drama than ever before.
Here’s everything we know about the potential Season 26 of Little People, Big World, including whether Zach’s departure will spell the end of the series.
Will there be a Little People, Big World Season 26?
TLC has not officially announced if Little People, Big World will be renewed for Season 26. The long-running reality series remains one of TLC’s highest-rated shows, so a renewal would ordinarily seem likely. But signs point to a possible cancelation. For starters, there’s Zach’s recent announcement that he doesn’t plan to return (more on that below).
Then there’s the lengthy statement Roloff patriarch Matt posted on Facebook in late April, sharing some of the back-and-forth moments his family has had with the production of the show over the years. He explained that he was only able to come forward with his honest thoughts on the popular TLC show at the time of his Friday, April 26 post because a non-disclosure agreement he’d signed 20 years earlier had finally expired.
According to Matt, by 2010 his family already wanted to be “done” with filming the show due to the “grind” of the process and the disruptions it caused to his kids’ education.
“We thought we had completed our mission of educating the world on what it’s like to be a Little Person in an average size world…Enough TV filming already!!” his post said.
In the years that followed, Matt explained that his family continued to keep the show going through specials, wedding-themed seasons and more.
“This is WHY I THINK there is some hesitation to announce from TLC that the show is over…Even though the family as a whole is enjoying being away from it all after 19-20 years,” he wrote before acknowledging that some members of his family have already said publicly that they don’t intend to return to the show. “As more and more family members drift away from the show it becomes more difficult to produce the same content.”
Towards the end of the post, he acknowledged that “nobody really knows at this point” whether the show will go on.
“I feel very content and satisfied with the Run of shows and the journey we shared with you all,” he wrote, adding that they “never know what the future may bring.”
What happened in Little People, Big World Season 25?
Season 25 chronicled the daily lives of the Roloff family as they navigated relationships, businesses and major life events. Key storylines included Amy planning a big charity fundraiser on Roloff Farms, tensions between her and Matt’s girlfriend, Caryn, over planning styles, and Matt’s surprise proposal to Caryn in Arizona.
When was the Little People, Big World Season 25 Finale?
The Season 25 finale of Little People, Big World aired on TLC on April 23, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
Who is cast in Little People, Big World Season 26?
TLC has not made any casting announcements regarding Season 26, as the network has not officially renewed the series. The 25th season included parents Matt Roloff and Amy Roloff and their respective partners, Caryn Chandler (Matt’s fiancé) and Chris Marek (Amy’s husband); plus, Zach, his wife Tori and their three kids. The other adult Roloff children, Jeremy, Molly and Jacob, have all parted with the show over the years.
But Zach and Tori Roloff made a shocking announcement in February 2024 to say that they would not be returning to the show after its latest season.
The couple shared the big reveal on Thursday, Feb. 21, in an episode of their podcast Raising Heights. “We are not [returning to the series],” Zach, 33, shared. “We made that pretty clear the last cycle.”
Though the duo then explained that they hadn’t “officially” announced their departure to fans, Tori, 31, clarified further, “We are not coming back to Little People, Big World. Like, we are done. That part of our lives, that chapter, has closed.”
Zach agreed, reiterating, “I think the chapter has closed regardless of us being asked back. We’ve made it pretty clear we’re done with that chapter for multiple reasons…”
The question now is, Can the show continue without Zach and Tori?
Is Zach leaving Little People, Big World?
If he holds true to his word, yes. He and wife Tori made the announcement on their podcast in late February.
“It was no longer a project that we really believed in and so the last year was hard,” Tori said. “It was hard to show up every day for it.”
“It was tough, it was unfortunate ’cause you had such a run there,” Zach, who started on the show when he was around 13 years old, added.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Tori asked her husband of nine years if he ever “regretted” having his life filmed when he was a kid. Looking back on his younger years, he said there were “Episodes that I regret and there’s things I’ve said that I regret,” but that “overall” he would do it again.
Where does the Roloff family live?
The Roloffs reside in Oregon, with the family’s famous Roloff Farms located in Hillsboro, about 15 miles west of Portland.
Why did Amy and Matt get divorced on Little People, Big World?
After 27 years of marriage, Amy and Matt Roloff divorced in 2016. They cited having drifted apart over time as the reason for their split.
Are Matt and Caryn still together on Little People, Big World?
Yes, Matt Roloff and Caryn Chandler are still together and, in fact, are engaged!
On a Season 25 episode of Little People, Big World, Matt Roloff and Caryn Chandler shared the exciting news with friends—Matt proposed to Caryn during their trip to Arizona a few days prior. Caryn was caught completely off-guard by the unexpected proposal, admitting she had “no idea” it was coming.
Matt had secretly planned it by getting Caryn’s parents and close friends involved without giving her any hints. Caryn tearfully recalls Matt saying he wants to “grow old” with her before she said yes to his marriage proposal.
Did Caryn work for Matt and Amy?
Caryn Chandler was previously an employee at Roloff Farms before she began dating Matt Roloff following his divorce from Amy. Matt and Amy were married for 27 years before breaking up in 2015.
Amy previously spoke with Us Weekly, saying she and Caryn are cordial and respectful to each other.
“We can be in each other’s company,” Amy shared. “We can enjoy that time. I wouldn’t say we’re going to be best friends or anything.”
Why did Caryn quit Little People, Big World?
Caryn Chandler was still on the show for Season 25, but she may have decided to leave it at one point due to the ongoing family drama involving her fiancé Matt Roloff and his sons Zach and Jeremy. A source told The Sun that Caryn didn’t want to be caught in the middle of disagreements and conflicts related to the future of Roloff Farms.
During Season 24, tensions rose when Matt put part of the farm up for sale despite Zach and Jeremy’s interest in buying it themselves. While fans speculated that Caryn quit because of the drama, neither she nor the network officially announced her departure from the show.
What happened to Zach Roloff?
Zach Roloff faced a terrifying health crisis in February 2023. The 33-year-old star of Little People, Big World was rushed to the hospital after waking up with a painful migraine that progressively worsened.
The source of Roloff’s pain was a faulty shunt in his brain. A shunt is a surgically implanted device used to drain excess fluid from the brain down to the stomach to be reabsorbed by the body. Doctors discovered that Roloff’s shunt had developed two breaks, leaving him in a precarious situation his wife Tori describes as “sitting on a knife’s edge” without realizing it.
Emergency surgery was required to replace the broken shunt. While successful, the shunt replacement was a wake-up call. Zach admits any headache now is “triggering” after coming so close to a life-threatening crisis.
What is the release date for Little People, Big World Season 26?
TLC has not announced a release date for Season 26 of Little People, Big World yet, as the show has not officially been renewed.
How to Watch Little People, Big World
Previous seasons of Little People, Big World are available to stream on Discovery+.
