Is ‘Expedition Unknown’ Host Josh Gates an Actual Archaeologist?

Expedition Unknown returns with its Season 16 premiere on November 5, which means host Josh Gates will be back in the spotlight. The show features Gates hunting for “the truth behind the world’s most iconic and fascinating legends.”

Gates has been hosting the program since 2015. It takes him all over the world as he “investigates iconic unsolved events, lost cities, buried treasures and other puzzling stories.” But is Gates’ background actually in archaeology? Scroll down for what we know.

Is Josh Gates an archaeologist?

Yes, Gates is an actual archaeologist who graduated from Tufts University, where he majored in archaeology and drama. He is a licensed and avid scuba diver, so he’s been able to partake in sub-sea archaeological excavations, as well.

Gates is a trustee on the Archaeological Institute of America’s governing board and a member of The Explorers Club.

Throughout his career, he has explored over 100 countries, according to his website. In addition to Expedition Unknown, he has hosted Destination Truth, which aired on Syfy from 2007 to 2012, and eight Ghost Hunters specials, as well as Expedition X. He also created the talk show Josh Gates Tonight, which premiered in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What happened to Josh Gates and Hallie Gnatovich?

In 2014, Gates married his Destination Truth costar Hallie Gnatovich. They welcomed two children together before separating in 2020. In August 2021, Gnatovich confirmed their split and revealed that the divorce had actually already been finalized a month prior.

“I’m posting this to share some news regarding Josh and myself,” she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post. “We’ve been separated for about a year and a half now; our divorce was made official July 13, 2021. We are currently figuring out our new lives and learning how to parent our wonderful children, in partnership. Solidarity to those in similar situations.”

While Gnatovich, who identifies as queer and uses she/her pronouns, did not reveal the reason for the split, she does refer to herself as a “recovering people pleaser” on her website.

Where does Josh Gates live?

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Gates’ home base is in Los Angeles, but as he notes on his website, he also spends quite a bit of time on airport floors.

How did Josh Gates lose weight?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates underwent a 30-plus-pound weight loss as he changed his eating habits while finally having some downtime. In an interview with Men’s Health, Gates noted that his regular schedule usually sees him out of town for 200 days a year, which makes sticking to a regular diet difficult.

“I spent a few weeks sitting at home not doing much [during the pandemic], and it kind of hit me… I have this time and it is important to use this time,” he said. “There’s so much about this current situation that is tragic, but it is also a real shakeup for most of us from this routine that we are in. For me, the pandemic was an opportunity to craft a new routine.”

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Gates said his workout routine is simple: Just keep moving. “It’s about being active,” he explained. “I am not trying to get into a specific kind of shape or train for a specific thing. I am at my best when I am being active every day and making time in my schedule every single day to go jogging or hiking or go for a walk. Even a simple 30-minute walk can do wonders for your day. My routine is a combination of that and monitoring what I eat.”

The Discovery Channel star also noted that he’s had success with calorie counting, although he knows that’s not for everyone. “For a lot of us who kind of mindlessly eat, it works,” he shared. “I am kind of a stress eater, and a fitness tracking app can do wonders for that. It is so instructional to see what you think you eat in a day compared to what you really eat in a day.”

Expedition Unknown, Season 16, Wednesday, November 5, 9/8c, Discovery Channel

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