Why Tarek & Christina El Moussa Kept Their Split a Secret in Front of the Cameras for Nearly Eight Months

Flip or Flop stars Tarek and Christina El Moussa kept up public appearances for nearly eight months after secretly splitting

They’ve been secretly separated for months after an alarming incident involving a gun. Now HGTV’s Tarek and Christina El Moussa say they are committed to figuring out a future for their kids – and their business. Subscribe now to get an inside look into the dramatic split, only in PEOPLE!

Tarek and Christina El Moussa separated long before their public announcement on Monday, but that didn’t stop the pair from keeping up their public appearances.

“We have been working towards this for the past five years, and, as you can imagine, fame is a mixed bag,” they say in the latest issue of PEOPLE. “We plan to continue our professional life together by being professional, by doing our jobs well, by being prepared and by working hard.”

• Watch the full episode of Tarek and Christina El Moussa: Inside Their Split, streaming now on People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the app for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, Chromecast, Xfinity, iOS and Android devices.

Currently filming for HGTV, they’re also releasing a book, Flip Your Life, in March and have several other businesses together.

Despite their shocking split, a source says Christina is focused on salvaging their hard-earned brand. Since their secret separation in May, the couple has continued to shoot episodes of their HGTV series (which pulls in 3 million viewers per episode) plus a cozy holiday-themed promotional ad for the show. It’s unclear whether the network was aware of the pair’s true relationship status while the stars put up a happy façade.

• For more on the El Moussas’ split, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

As for the Flip or Flop stars’ future, the couple had no concrete plans for divorce at this time and say they’re dedicated to their children (daughter Taylor, 6, and son Brayden, 16 months), as well as their business commitments.

“We plan to continue working together in front of the camera,” they say. “The most difficult part of the decision to separate was the kids. We want the best for them, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure that. We hope that we can get to a better place and that our kids will continue to be as well-adjusted, bright and loving as they are now.”