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Zeke Tenhoff: The Gold Digger Who Never Gave Up on Bering Sea Gold

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Zeke Tenhoff: The Gold Digger Who Never Gave Up on Bering Sea Gold

One of the well-known cast members of the reality television series Bering Sea Gold is Ezekiel Tenhoff, popularly known as "Zeke." There have been four seasons of the Discovery Channel show, which mostly follows the cast members' lives as gold dredgers. Although the circumstances may be dramatized for entertainment, they are actually factual. Alaska's subzero conditions and temper tantrums between cast members can be difficult to deal with. After leaving the show, Zeke's whereabouts and financial position were unknown, but in 2021 he made a comeback as the Captain of The Black Swan. 

Who is Zeke Tenhoff ?

Zeke Tenhoff rose to fame as a cast member of the Discovery Channel reality series "Bering Sea Gold." Due to his popularity with younger audiences, Zeke has been one of the more intriguing characters. Whether on purpose or not, he has contributed to the drama in the show and increases some viewers' enjoyment of it. He has a sizable fan base who are interested in learning more about him, read this article.

Zeke Tenhoff from Bering Sea Gold
Zeke Tenhoff from Bering Sea Gold

Early life of Zeke Tenhoff

He was born in Alaska in 1987 and raised there in an unusual household. There aren't many details available concerning Zeke's childhood and adolescence. As a result, he did not attend a formal school and instead learned a great deal about the world and life through unstructured homeschooling. He was an exceptionally bright child, though, which benefited him later in life. He is the oldest of three kids; Sam and Gabe Tenhoff, who were frequently spotted during "Bering Sea Gold" operations, share his interest in diving. He struggled to achieve recognition and success because he was forced to confront the necessity for financial independence at a very young age. He tried a number of occupations before finding his true calling in life, but at the age of just 20, after a few successful trips, he was able to purchase his first yacht.

Career of Zeke Tenhoff

In the field of professional gold dredging, Zeke is a flexible worker. In addition to serving as a captain, he was a deep-water diver. Additionally, he has unmatched prospecting and motivational skills. In 2008, Zeke built his first boat, "The Clark," from the ground up.

 He later invested in a professional gold dredging business and bought a new boat called "The Edge. Zeke has never let anybody else take over as captain over the years. Zeke is reportedly doing things that many of his followers could only imagine from the outside. Zeke rarely has to answer to anyone and frequently does as he pleases. Zeke does not appear to alter his ways despite the fact that his carefree attitude has caused more harm than good.

  • About Bering Sea Gold

In 2012, the reality television series "Bering Sea Gold" made its debut on the Discovery Channel. The show focuses on the challenges and perils that gold miners encounter every day as they labor in the Bering Sea off the coast of Nome, Alaska. These miners struggle with severe weather, extremely low temperatures, and technological challenges as they search the ocean below for gold. The crew of gold miners portrayed in "Bering Sea Gold" is different, and each one has special abilities and character traits. The cast consists of individuals and groups that recover gold from the ocean floor using a variety of tools, including dredges, sluice boxes, and suction dredges. The intense rivalry between the characters is one of the show's central themes. Miners frequently battle with one another and the clock to recover as much gold as they can since there are so few places that permit mining, the costs of operations are so expensive, and the mining season is so brief.

  • Appearances on TV

During the first season of the 2012 television program "Bering Sea Gold" on Discovery, Zeke joined the cast. The program chronicles the tribulations and exploits of gold miners from Alaska who are seeking a life in the Bering Sea's deep depths. In addition, Zeke participated in the spin-offs "Bering Sea gold: Under The Ice'' and "Bering Sea gold: After The Dredge." In 2013, Zeke was invited to appear as a guest on "The Jeff Probst Show.

  • What Happened to Zeke Tenhoff in the show?

Fans of "Bering Sea Gold" typically have a favorable opinion of Zeke Tenhoff. Although he wasn't always the friendliest person around the gold dredging operations, his commitment to his work and creative approaches to maximizing profits make him one of the most enduring characters on the show. Fans missed him when he ceased appearing in "Bering Sea Gold" when the ninth season was over, which is to be expected given all of his positive qualities. People assumed he had been sacked from the show or that something terrible had happened to him because neither Discovery nor his fellow cast members could explain his abrupt disappearance. Even the possibility of his demise was the subject of some very persistent rumors. In actuality, no explanation for Zeke Tenhoff's disappearance from "Bering Sea Gold" has been made public. It's rumored that his financial difficulties caused him to relocate in search of another, more lucrative employment. Some websites have even conjectured that he battled addiction issues throughout those two years. Zeke's personal Facebook page was frequently updated during the years he wasn't on TV, leading us to believe that perhaps he was simply in need of an interruption.

Previous relationship of Zeke Tenhoff

Zeke spends a lot of time working with his crew and producing his show, which inevitably affects his personal life. From a distance, his intimate life appears to have more storms than the sea, which is the difference.

His close friend and coworker Emily Riedel was the subject of his first serious romantic relationship. Soon after she graduated from college, Zeke introduced her to the world of gold dredging. She went out and bought her own boat and joined him in the same show. Fans had a fantastic opportunity to observe their relationship's development in "Bering Sea Gold" because they frequently disagreed on both practical issues and romantic matters. They experienced many happy love moments as well, but they also went through many breakups, all of which were depicted on film. With a great deal of maturity and responsibility, they continued to collaborate even after their breakup. Even more so than as love partners, it appears that they get along well as straightforward friends and colleagues. Both parties benefited from their working partnership, however it ended in 2017.

  • Dating new girl Sarah Dunn

When Zeke first met Sarah Dunn, he was having trouble adjusting to the suicide of his best friend John Dunce. The tragedy drove the TV star into serious depression and substance misuse as it became too much for him to endure. Approximately at the same time, Zeke arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana. There he met Sarah Dunn, and their romance developed further. Zeke returned to Nome, Alaska, after some time to heal. Later, Sarah accompanied him, and they stayed in Nome together. A food truck they operated was called "Au Gratin." But eventually they split up, and Sarah went back to New Orleans.

Zeke Tenhoff and Alexis Alamillo's Engagement

 Zeke Tenhoff is engaged to Alexis Alamillo but does not yet have a bride. They posted a social media announcement of their engagement. Alexis is a professional rigger and artist who has performed with Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man, and other art events. 

Zeke Tenhoff from Bering Sea Gold and his fiance
Zeke Tenhoff from Bering Sea Gold and his fiancé

She also has rigging experience, which could be helpful for Zeke's gold dredging enterprise. They have not yet had any kids.

What is he doing now?

Zeke Tenhoff is currently performing more than well, despite the fact that we don't know what he was doing from 2017 to 2020. He finally returned to "Bering Sea Gold" in 2021 while serving as the Captain of The Black Swan. The 13th season of the show has benefited from his ground-breaking techniques for extracting marine gold, earning him the title of "mad scientist" for the show. Though further information isn't yet available, Tenhoff is said to have fallen into a period of serious depression and drug misuse. He spent some time in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a result, but he eventually returned to Nome to resume his life. He claims that Sarah gave him the push he needed to rebuild his life.

Net worth of Zeke Tenhoff

Each season of the show has seen a slight but steady rise in Zeke Tenhoff's wealth. By the conclusion of the second season, his pay was $22,000, and by the end of the fourth, it was nearly $65,000. As of 2023 Zeke Tenhoff's estimated net worth of just over $200,000 is mostly due to his perseverance in diving for gold. Additionally, he receives a respectable income from the fees he is paid to participate in the program.

Zeke’s Social media 

He has a Twitter account with more than 1,823 followers where he updates about his personal life, opinions, and gold-digging exploits. Additionally, he has a Facebook page with over 6,500 followers where he formerly uploaded images and videos related to his job and travels. He doesn't use Instagram.

 Biography of Zeke Tenhoff

On January 20, 1987, Ezekiel Eugene "Zeke" Tenhoff was born in Nome, Alaska. Despite having spent his whole youth at home, he chose to devote his life to sea gold mining out of a desire to become financially independent of his parents.

Trivia

  • Zeke had a highly publicized romance with fellow cast member Emily Riedel, and he is engaged to Alexis Alamillo.
  • The show has been renewed for a 13th season thanks to high ratings and fans' enthusiasm for the cast members.
  • Zeke's whereabouts and financial situation were unknown after his exit from the show, but in 2021 he returned as the Captain of The Black Swan.

StarFacts of Zeke Tenhoff

Full name

Ezekiel Zeke Eugene Tenhoff

Popular Name

Zeke Tenhoff

Age

36 years old (as of 2023)

Date of Birth

January 27, 1987

Place of Birth

Alaska, United States

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

Caucasian

Education

N/A

Profession

Gold Miner, Reality Television Personality

Net worth

$200,000

Gender

Male

Sexuality

Straight

Ex-Girlfriend

Emily Riedel,  Sarah Dunn

Marital Status

Unmarried

Relationship Status

Engaged

Fiancé

Alexis Alamillo

Children

None

Zodiac Sign

Aquarius

Siblings

Sam Tenhoff, Gabe Tenhoff

Parents

N/A

Height

N/A

Weight

N/A

Eye Color

Brown

Hair Color

Brown

Social Media

FacebookTwitter

FAQs

How did Zeke from Gold Divers fare?

Zeke left the show after Season 9 to take a break, travel, and try out some other occupations after dealing with some personal challenges, but he has often stated on the program and in interviews that gold mining is in his blood.

Does Zeke of Bering Sea Gold have a wife?

Zeke Tenhoff, one of our favorite miners, deserves our congratulations. Zeke announced on social media on May 14, 2022, that he had proposed to the lovely Alexis Alamillo.