Will Little People, Big World Return for Season 26?

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The Big Picture

  • Zach and Tori Roloff's decision to leave Little People, Big World was influenced by familial tensions and a desire for privacy.
  • The show's potential future is uncertain, with key family members expressing disinterest in returning to filming.
  • The ongoing feud over the family farm has strained relationships and contributed to the show's possible conclusion.

The Little People, Big World Season 25 finale has left the fate of the long-running TLC reality show hanging, especially since it marked the end of Zach and Tori Roloff’s journey. The couple originally announced their decision to quit back in February 2024 on their podcast Raising Heights, citing familial differences as the reason. Zach Roloff opened up about their exit in the following words “We are not [coming back], and we made that pretty clear the last cycle. This last cycle was rough between the family and the farm deal, and we’re done with that. We’ve moved on.” His wife added that with the rising tensions over the ownership of the family farm, it became hard for the two of them to continue filming.

The 25th installment of the show featured parents Matt Roloff and Amy Roloff and their respective partners, Caryn Chandler and Chris Marek, along with Zach and Tori Roloff and their three kids. The other adult Roloff children, Jeremy Roloff, Molly Roloff, and Jacob Roloff, have all parted ways with the show over the years. However, since Zach Roloff was the only person in the family besides his parents to be born with dwarfism, he naturally became one of the show’s main leads. Now that the couple has chosen to move on from the show, is it possible for the TLC show Little People, Big World to continue without them?

Little People, Big World
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A reality series documenting the lives of the Roloff family on their Oregon farm. Matt and Amy Roloff, along with their children, navigate the complexities of life with dwarfism. The show provides an up-close look at their daily routines, family interactions, and the various projects they undertake on the farm. Through their experiences, viewers gain insight into the challenges and triumphs of living with a physical disability, as well as the strong bonds that hold the family together.

Release Date March 4, 2006 Cast Matthew Roloff , Amy Roloff , Jeremy Roloff , Zach Roloff , Molly Roloff , Jacob Roloff Main Genre Reality Seasons 25 Network TLC Streaming Service(s) TLC GO Expand

Matt Roloff Shares His Perspective and Hints at the Show's Future

Following his son’s departure from the family show, the Roloff family patriarch has opened up about his side of the story. In a lengthy Facebook post, Matt Roloff noted all the reasons why this might just be the end for Little People, Big World. For starters, Roloff revealed that after Season 25, he was no longer under a contract (NDA) with TLC, and hence, could speak his mind “much more freely.” The reality star went on to address the rumors about the show’s future and admitted that a lot of his family members, including his fiancé are no longer interested in filming anymore.

So, even if the show was to be renewed by the network, the Roloff family patriarch isn’t too sure about who would want to come back for it. Matt Roloff's exact words in this case were: "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-- Caryn and many other family members have publicly stated they are done with filming," he added. He shared with Entertainment Tonight that if this were to be the end of the series, it would be "fine by [him]." He added, ""400 episodes or something, you kind of feel like you've done it [all], so if there comes a circumstance where we feel like we need to share more, [if] the opportunity comes up, maybe."

He also revealed that the family initially planned to end the show in 2010 to return to normal life and even announced the news in a press release. However, weeks later, TLC approached them to film six specials, leading to the Wedding Farm season in 2012. Eventually, the show resumed its original format. Roloff did go on to say that he couldn’t say anything about the future of the show. But if it was to end after Season 25, he believes that “TLC did a nice job on the season finale episode hedging their bets and putting a nice button on the show and where the family (members that still participate) stands.”

The Feud Over the Roloff Family Farm Was the Beginning of the End

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Speaking of family, Matt Roloff also acknowledged that the show has always been a “relationship-based program.” And with the obvious distance between him and his son Zach Roloff, it was difficult to produce the same kind of content as before. Fans of the show know that the father and son have had a rocky relationship for a while now. It all started when Zach Roloff, the eldest son, started talking about taking over the family farm.

However, when Matt decided to put 16 acres of the farm on the market without consulting anyone, his son felt extremely betrayed. Their feud reached its peak when Matt Roloff offered his son a piece of the land for $4 million, an amount Zach couldn't afford. The father and son negotiated for a year and when Matt Roloff refused to accept his son’s offer, he packed up and moved to Battleground, Washington, along with his wife and three kids.

The drama continued when Matt Roloff went on the record to claim that his son had completely cut him off from his grandchildren. In the Little People, Big World Season 23 premiere, Matt Roloff and his fiancé revealed that Zach and Tori Roloff had stopped bringing their kids to the farm after the feud. Matt Roloff shared how hard the separation had been for him, saying "My job as a grandpa is to love my grandkids and that’s the sad part, you never get all that time back."

Zach Roloff Wants To Protect His Children From the Pressure of Reality TV

Zach’s side of the story was a little different. After having been a part of the show since 2006, the Roloff family has been in the public eye for nearly 20 years. In the same podcast episode where the couple announced their departure from the show, Zach Roloff opened up about having his entire life filmed when he was a kid. Roloff, who started starring in the show at the age of 13, admitted that there are a few episodes and instances that he regrets, which explains why the reality couple didn’t want to put the same kind of pressure on their children. Zach and Tori Roloff were honest about their son Jackson Roloff being uncomfortable with filming. Tori went on to add that as parents, it was important for them to respect their children’s wishes and step away from the world of reality TV, especially since it had started bothering them.

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Zach and Matt Roloff’s Differences Might As Well Be Irreconcilable at This Point

In the Little World, Big People Season 25 finale, Zach noted how his relationship with his family had evolved over the years, admitting that while the farm was a huge part of his life, he couldn’t say the same for his children. However, he did come to his children’s defense, saying, “No one’s holding grudges. No one’s intentionally not going to the farm. There’s just no interest. The kids don’t ask, there’s nothing we’re hiding from them. It’s just they don’t ask, and they have their own space up here,” referring to his property in Washington.

In another episode of his podcast, Zach Roloff also spilled the beans on the current dynamic between him and his father. The reality star admitted that they did not have much of a relationship. He also talked about how he had been giving himself and his father space after filming ended. But watching the show six months later definitely brought up old wounds for him, especially since they hadn’t actually settled their differences.

Roloff Junior continued to call his father out, claiming that he was “still in denial” and believed that he didn’t do anything wrong. The exact words Zach used to describe his father’s behavior were:

“It’s a narcissism, so no, it’s not great.”

However, he hopefully added that time might heal their wounds eventually. There has been no update on the show’s 26th installment yet.

All previous seasons of Little People, Big World are available to stream on Max in the U.S.

Watch on Max

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