INTERVIEW: Josh Gates heads to Egypt for live ‘Expedition Unknown’
Photo: Josh Gates poses in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza in Giza, Egypt, as seen on Expedition Unknown. Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel / Provided by the network with permission.
Josh Gates is the go-to TV host for all things that go bump in the night. If there’s an ancient legend in the world, there’s a good chance Gates and his team at Expedition Unknown have investigated the truths and talked to eyewitnesses.
Never a person to sit back on his laurels, Gates is upping the ante with Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live, a two-hour event taking place at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Discovery, Travel Channel and Science Channel.
That’s a lot of Gates to go around.
On the special, Gates is expected to unearth some of the stories behind ancient artifacts in Egypt, including a mummy’s tomb that has never been opened. He will be joined by other adventurers, including TV host Chris Jacobs, Egyptologists Dr. Zahi Hawass and Ramy Romany, and Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.
Some of the cool features on the TV event include an insider’s look at the chambers of an excavation site, which holds a treasure trove of objects, including a 3,000-year-old limestone sarcophagus. Gates will open that sarcophagus live.
Recently Gates shared emails with Hollywood Soapbox as he prepped the TV special. Questions and answers have beens slightly edited for style.
What can fans expect on Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live?
I think the exciting thing about this is that they should expect the unexpected. This is an exploration of an ancient Egyptian tomb at an active archaeological site. It is archaeology in real time, and anything could happen! We are certain to encounter incredible historic relics along the way, and the event will culminate in opening a sarcophagus live. As to who will be inside … we’ll all find out together.
How difficult is it to prepare for a live show where you don’t know what you might find?
The logistics of trying to broadcast from a tomb in the middle of Egypt is intense. It is going to be 3 a.m. in Cairo as we broadcast live to both coasts in the States. In terms of preparing, I will be accompanying legendary Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, and I’m essentially in the same seat as the viewer — encountering things for the first time. It is tough to prepare for that, but it’s also really exciting to step into the unknown. The best preparation is to be ready to be surprised.
Do some of these ancient mysteries and stories ever scare you? You’ve been to some places and encountered certain adventures that folks find quite scary.
Sure. Venturing into dark tunnels and ancients tombs can be harrowing. But, there is such a sense of excitement to real exploration, that the adrenaline kicks in, and I just want to know what’s around the next corner.
Where did you get this spirit of adventure?
First and foremost from my parents. My father was a deep sea diver who was often returning from exotic locales. So from an early age I was exposed to a life of adventure. Also, I was a child of the ’80s, so Indiana Jones and The Goonies were major inspirations!
Your sense of humor is legendary on TV. You have a way of making a tough situation a little easier to handle. Have you been funny since you were a child?
You’ll have to ask my parents, and I appreciate the compliment! I get a lot of my sense of humor from my mom. She’s British and hilarious, and keeps everyone laughing.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live with Josh Gates will premiere Sunday, April 7 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Discovery, Travel Channel and Science Channel. Season five of Expedition Unknown premieres April 10 at 9 p.m. on Discovery. Click here for more information.
