Sig Hansen Believes People Live Vicariously Through Deadliest Catch

Since 2005, "Deadliest Catch" has shown viewers what it takes to get one popular meal from sea to table. The king crab is the favorite food of many, and while out fishing on the Bering sea, the "Deadliest Catch" crew make sure to get plenty of it. The waters are treacherous and unforgiving, but the reward is enough to keep many of the crew coming back for more each fishing season. Now, after 18 seasons, and overcoming numerous obstacles including navigating a pandemic and the devastating death of Todd Kochutin in February 2021, "Deadliest Catch" remains one of the most popular reality TV shows on today.

For most, "Deadliest Catch" is one way to experience one of the world's most dangerous jobs without actually participating in freezing and hazardous conditions. For some, however, the show is a source of inspiration to work a high-stakes job and reap the high reward that comes with it. "Deadliest Catch" is an even tougher job than you think, though, and Discovery has spent years trying to showcase the risks. These risks, blended with reality television drama, have kept fans engaged for almost two decades, but the stars of "Deadliest Catch" have their own guess as to why people love the series so much.

In an interview on YouTube with Bonnie Laufer, "Deadliest Catch" star Sig Hansen held nothing back when asked why he thought the show gained so much popularity. "That's easy. Everybody wants to live vicariously through us. Everybody wants to pretend they can be a man — that's what it is." He delivered the blunt statement with a chuckle, as if fans living their fishing dreams via television series isn't actually something Hansen would love to change about the show.

Other stars of "Deadliest Catch" have also mentioned that fans of the show tend to believe that anyone can handle the gig. When speaking with ComicBook.com, "Wild" Bill Wichrowski had similarly harsh words. "I'll be generous and say one in ten people will make it, and that's probably an exaggeration. So when they get up there, and they realize, 'Holy smokes, this is ten times worse than I thought it would be.' All of a sudden, doing roofing with their uncle or their father, it doesn't seem that bad."

So for fans, fishing for weeks at a time aboard a boat as an unforgiving sea throws it about might seem easy from the warmth of a living room. However, the crew actually on the boat know otherwise. Nevertheless, the glimpse into a job and world unknown to many are more than enough to keep "Deadliest Catch" popular.