Wil Willis shocked Forged in Fire audiences by declining to return as the host of the eighth season of History’s competition series on November 18, 2020. Even after a month after season eight’s release, no formal statement was issued to explain why he left Forged in Fire.
What happened to Wil Willis on Forged in Fire?
“As with any legacy series that has had the luxury of being on the air for five-plus years, viewers may notice different names and faces from time to time,” History said at the time of the recasting of the show’s host. It continued: While we are grateful to Wil Willis for all he has contributed to the series, we are happy to begin this new chapter and welcome Grady Powell into the ‘forge’ as our new host.
However, fans were not given clear answers to issues such as “Why is Wil Willis not on Forged in Fire?” and “What is the reason for Wil Willis’ departure from Forged in Fire?”
Willis ultimately spoke out on the topic when he participated in the 73rd edition of the B3F Podcast on December 23, 2020. He claimed that since joining the program in 2015, he had become tired of hearing lectures on knife manufacturing from the cast and fans. “After a time, everything becomes routine; it becomes repetition,” he said. And look, nobody in the history of the [expletive] planet has received more [expletive] lectures on knife manufacturing than me.”
Furthermore, he believed that the information he had obtained about knives would be meaningless if he did not use them in real life. “However, the fact is that all of that information is useless if you can’t [expletive] implement it.” So that’s why I began creating knives,” Willis said, indicating he had a knife-making company.
Wil Willis is having a great time being a father.
While the reality television star’s desire to take a break from the program in order to concentrate on his business is one likely reason for his departure from Forged in Fire, the birth of his newborn boy is another. Willis and his wife, Krystle Amina, had a baby, Flash Orion Willis, on March 6, 2020, just before the premiere of season eight. He seems to be loving parenting since becoming a father, as he routinely uploads photos of his child on Instagram. During the prior podcast interview, he also discussed the difficult nature of the show’s shooting procedure.
View this post on Instagram
He said that it typically takes “three to five days to shoot one episode,” acknowledging that the process was “boring” at times. Furthermore, it kept him away from his family. Even while the program wouldn’t be the same without Willis, many fans would be relieved to see him focused on his young family and his future career.
Grady Powell Replaced Wil Willis in ‘Forged in Fire.’
Following Willis’ unexpected departure from Forged in Fire, Ultimate Survival Alaska alum Grady Powell took over as the new host. Powell is a former United States Army Green Beret who has starred in a few reality television shows, including two seasons of Dual Survival on the Discovery channel.
Willis was a distinguished Air Force para-rescue expert who had previously served as an Army Ranger (Third Ranger Battalion). He’s also been on television series including Special Ops Mission, Triggers: Weapons That Changed the World, and Last Call with Carson Daly.
