Emily Riedel Announces Retirement from Bering Sea Gold, Launches New YouTube Series Focused on Family, Fortune, and Freedom

After more than a decade as the most prominent female face on Discovery’s Bering Sea Gold, Emily Riedel is officially stepping away from the cameras. In a YouTube video published on January 8, 2025, titled “I quit Bering Sea Gold. You won’t see me on TV anymore”, Riedel announced her retirement and laid out a new vision: a life of mining, family, and storytelling—on her own terms.

“This is my official retirement announcement,” Riedel says in the video. “I’ve retired from Bering Sea Gold after 12 years of service.”

Her decision marks not just the end of her time on network television, but the beginning of a self-driven chapter that includes a family-run YouTube series documenting gold mining life in Nome. With this transition, Riedel is reclaiming both narrative and purpose—shifting from the spotlight of scripted reality to the autonomy of real life on camera.

From Discovery to Independence

Riedel’s new series, now in its second season, captures the day-to-day realities of a family-run dredging operation. From equipment overhauls and deepwater dives to quiet domestic moments and crew camaraderie, the show offers fans a more authentic look at gold mining life.

Riedel described the experience of making her own show as a major shift, emphasizing how she and her team now manage every aspect of production—from filming to editing. She explained that the greatest benefit is having “complete creative control” and the freedom to tell the story as it really happens, without “manufactured drama.”

The shift came after Emily turned down Discovery’s offer to return for another season. Though tempted by the familiarity of the show, she ultimately embraced the creative freedom that comes with going independent.

Raw Beginnings, Real Struggles

Riedel made her television debut in Bering Sea Gold Season 1, Episode 1 (“Paydirt”) on January 27, 2012, in her early twenties, navigating not only the dangerous world of underwater gold mining but also personal relationships and public scrutiny. Early seasons portrayed her as emotional and inexperienced—a narrative she says failed to capture her full strength.

Reflecting on her early portrayal, Riedel admitted she was “devastated” after watching the first season:

“It amplified the scary experiences and the emotions… and the triumphs I felt were kind of left out.”

Over time, Emily transformed from novice diver to dredge captain. She endured near-death experiences, bought and rebuilt her own dredge, and survived the death of a crew member—all while filming a reality show.

After the death of crew member John Bunce on September 1, 2012—a tragedy that deeply impacted the entire mining team—Riedel came close to walking away from gold mining entirely. “I thought I was going to quit,” she admitted in the video. But the decision to purchase Zeke’s dredge and run her own operation ultimately renewed her purpose and gave her something to fight for.

A New Chapter: Gold, Family, and Control

Today, Emily and Alex live in a permanent home in Nome—a stark contrast to the yurt and abandoned hospital she once called home. Their YouTube series is gaining traction, their mining operation is thriving, and their family is growing.

Riedel shared that while the hard work of gold mining continues, her day-to-day life looks very different now. With a crew compound, a more capable dredge, and plans for deeper operations, she noted, “It’s all very healthy and sane.”

They’ve also redefined how they tell their story. Unlike Bering Sea Gold, their YouTube series respects the privacy and dignity of their crew. “We’re not making that kind of Television,” she said, adding that they focus on character-driven storytelling and respect for their crew. “We’re not interested in humiliating anybody,” she emphasized. Instead, the show captures what it means to risk everything for independence: “You’re the king of your destiny when you’re a gold miner.”

Reflecting on a Decade of Change

Emily’s time on Bering Sea Gold unfolded alongside dramatic cultural shifts. As the only female dredge captain on the show, she recalls initially being dismissed—both behind the scenes and in how early seasons were edited. In her 2025 YouTube video, Riedel said, “There weren’t any women there. And when I told them I wanted my own dredge… they said nobody’s going to believe that.”

By the time the #MeToo movement reshaped Hollywood and media narratives, Discovery leaned into promoting her as a symbol of female empowerment. “All of a sudden there was a woman Captain America,” she noted. “And Discovery was like—hey, we also have a woman, you guys!”

Yet by the time she left the show, public appetite for such portrayals had faded. “There was this mass cultural burnout… women can do anything—it’s only The Men Who doubt her that hold her back. People got really tired of that attitude,” she said.

“I feel like I was there at the beginning, the middle, and the end of those cultural changes… and yeah, I don’t know what to make of it.”

Through it all, Riedel continued to mine—evolving both as a dredge operator and as a public figure.

What’s Next?

Emily Riedel’s goals for the next decade are clear: more gold, more family, and a growing YouTube channel.

Riedel emphasized that their gold mining journey is far from over. She spoke about the steady progress they’re making—investing in better equipment, refining their operations, and committing more fully to their YouTube presence each year. The show, she noted, is already gaining momentum: “It’s working—and it’s only going to get better.”

For longtime fans, her retirement from television might feel like a goodbye. But for Emily Riedel, it’s the start of something far more rewarding: control over her story.