The Shocking Truth Behind the End of Fast N’ Loud: What Really Happened?

“Fast N’ Loud,” while it lasted, was one of the most important TV shows about muscle cars in the world.

The show ran for approximately 10 years, going through 16 seasons and about 170 episodes.

It was hosted on the Discovery Channel for the duration of its life and drew in millions of viewers.

However, in 2021, the show abruptly came to an end.

Many fans were extremely disappointed for several reasons, mainly because they didn’t know why the show ended and were sad to see it go.

 

 

The reason for the show’s ending was an enigma, as Discovery never really came out to give a clear explanation.

Join us as we dig deep into the real reason why “Fast N’ Loud” ended.

In December 2020, Joe Rogan had Richard Rawlings, the star of “Fast N’ Loud,” on his podcast, and Richard dropped a bombshell.

The bombshell was simple: he was out of the Discovery Channel, and there would no longer be any new episodes of “Fast N’ Loud.”

“Everybody hold onto your hats out there; ‘Fast N’ Loud’ is no more! I have exited Discovery, and I’m a free agent,” he announced.

This revelation took even Joe Rogan by surprise, as he was hearing about it for the first time.

In fact, most people were just learning about the cancellation of the show during that podcast.

It was a shocking end to a show that had started around eight years prior.

The first episode of the show aired on Discovery in June 2012.

After that first successful episode, the show went on to have 16 seasons, more than 150 episodes, and eight years of success up until that point.

At first, it was confusing to understand the state of the show.

Rawlings initially stated that he left Discovery and was no longer signed to the company, but this left some ambiguity as to whether the show was still on or not.

Yes, it would be strange to watch “Fast N’ Loud” without Rawlings, but that could still be done, right?

TV shows have changed their main characters over the years with minimal fuss.

For example, the showrunners of “Game of Thrones” changed both the actors of the Night King and Dario Naharis; was that an option for Discovery?

 

 

Apparently not.

It seems that Discovery was very unwilling to go ahead with plans for the show without Rawlings being present.

Rawlings was the main character and perhaps the only character of “Fast N’ Loud.”

Trying to continue the show without him would be like trying to shoot “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” without the Kardashians or producing “Top Gear” without Jeremy Clarkson.

It seems that Discovery felt the same way, as they were unwilling to proceed without Rawlings.

So, once he left Discovery and became a free agent, it followed that the show would also come to an end.

This leads us to the interesting question: why did Rawlings leave Discovery?

Was there any animosity between both parties?

Did his contract simply run out, and they refused to sign another one?

During the podcast, Joe Rogan tried to get answers from Rawlings, and that’s when things got spicy.

Initially, Rawlings said he left Discovery to broaden his horizons, take a step back, and move in a different direction in his life.

That sounds like standard stuff, right?

Many entertainers don’t want to work on one project for too long; after a while, they tend to get bored and decide to move on.

That seems to be what happened with Rawlings here.

 

 

He’s been contracted with Discovery for the better part of a decade, and it’s logical for him to want to explore other aspects of the industry.

However, during the interview, it became apparent that this wasn’t the whole story.

For one, Rawlings revealed that when he signed his contract with Discovery at the beginning of the show, he signed over all rights to every media platform.

Yes, that includes social media.

He mentioned, “I signed off on all media,” which meant he couldn’t even post a picture of a truck on his Instagram without his entire camera crew being there.

Ten years ago, when social media wasn’t as significant, that might have seemed irrelevant.

But as social media grew in importance, it became a terrible decision for him.

Rawlings admitted he used to beg Discovery to give him those rights back, but they refused.

Another flashpoint that suggests the relationship between Discovery and Rawlings might not be entirely amicable was revealed during the podcast.

Rogan asked Rawlings to discuss his relationship with the executives at Discovery, but Rawlings was reluctant to share details.

After some prodding, he finally stated there was a clause in his contract that prevented him from discussing his time at Discovery.

There was even a $25,000 fine for every time he spoke about it!

 

 

We don’t know exactly how wealthy Rawlings is or how much Discovery paid him, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to risk a hefty fine for speaking out against them.

This raises the question: would Discovery include such a clause if they didn’t have any grievances with Rawlings?

The answer is probably not.

Sadly, Rawlings is unwilling to fully disclose his experiences at Discovery, as it seems like an expensive story to tell.

However, it’s clear that he likely has a lot to say.

He’s not the only member of the “Fast N’ Loud” cast who might have grievances.

The show was plagued with controversy throughout its run, not all of which stemmed from friction between Rawlings and Discovery.

For instance, Rawlings had conflicts with crew members, including Aaron Kaufman, the show’s mechanic, who left due to personal issues with Rawlings.

Kaufman wasn’t the only one; Tom Smith and Jordan Butler also left the show due to personal differences with Rawlings.

Smith has gone on record stating that he and Butler left after a fan with cystic fibrosis visited the garage to take photos with one of Rawlings’ cars.

Apparently, Rawlings ordered the fan to get away from his car using profanity.

While we might criticize Discovery for not being on the same page with Rawlings, it’s crucial to note that Rawlings is far from blameless in this situation.

So, what is Rawlings doing now that “Fast N’ Loud” is over?

During his podcast with Joe Rogan, he mentioned wanting to start his own podcast, and it seems he has launched it.

The name of his new podcast is “Monkey Trap,” where he entertains his millions of followers on social media platforms.

 

 

He also recently unveiled a $500,000 food truck in Dallas that could feed 10,000 people per day and even comes equipped with a t-shirt cannon.

Will we see Rawlings on TV again anytime soon?

No one knows for sure, but in showbiz, they say never say never.

As fans, we can only hope that Richard Rawlings finds new avenues to showcase his passion for cars and perhaps share more of his story in the future.

The end of “Fast N’ Loud” may be a chapter closed, but the legacy of muscle cars and the thrill of restoration will always remain alive in the hearts of enthusiasts.