You Just Might Hear Former 'Gold Rush ' Star Todd Hoffman on the Radio Soon

Ready to strike gold, again! Gold Rush Season 9 premieres Friday, October 12, and fans of the Discovery Channel series will watch on as a group of miners undergo the hardships of a six-month long journey mining in the Yukon in Canada. 

Though the top-rated Discovery show is coming back for another season, cast member Todd Hoffman is not. The Oregon-native revealed last season that he and his crew will be bailing out of the fan-favorite show. So, what happened to Todd, 49, to make him want to quit? 

The series, which premiered in 2010, centered on Todd's dreams of making money and literally "striking gold." Risking their lives, and sometimes their health, fans watched as Todd and his crew battled the wilderness and the terrain of mining different parts of the world. Though some moments were happier than others, the guys trekked on — with the prospect of gold in their future.

In the Season 8 episode titled “American Dreamer,” Todd looked back on the ups and downs of the past years. He then announced that he would be leaving the show to pursue other dreams. The reality star has since started his own media production company called ZUM Media, and he wants to focus his attention to that, claiming he "learned a ton about how to do things in television."

As expected, fans were upset by Todd's decision to leave the show. "Wouldn’t be the same without the bungling Hoffmans. Where will we get the fun of watching this show without Todd and Jack?" one viewer tweeted before another added, "Todd Hoffman and crew Thank YOU!  YOU HAVE INSPIRED A NATION." 

Not only is Todd retiring from being a prospector, but he’s dipping his toes into the music industry — and he’s apparently already got a few offers after uploading his performances online. "Who knows?" he said in the episode. "Stranger things have happened. I want to break it big. I want to hit it out of the park." You can even listen to his single, "Simple Man," on iTunes right now!

Now, without Todd, Rick Ness takes over as the new crew leader. As his quest for gold is shown in the season premiere, a team is assembled, and they arrive in the Klondike. 

In an exclusive clip shared on The Hollywood Reporter, Rick explained is new role "I've been working for Parker [Schnabel] for six years, but I'm done working for somebody else. I want to work for myself," he said. "And this is my chance. I've got everything on the line. My house. Every penny I have. I've got my friends with me, their livelihoods. It doesn't get any bigger than this." 

With a new leader, and a whole different crew, we wonder how fans will react to the absence of Todd and the Hoffman family? We know we already are missing his over-the-top personality!

Though fans witnessed Todd and his crew experience the trials and tribulations of mining (and we can’t forget that disastrous South Africa trip where he barely broke even), Todd has made quite a mint from prospecting. 

According to Hollywood Mask, the reality star is worth $7 million, which includes the money he collected from mining, and the royalties from his hit television show.

Well, with Season 9 about to kick off, we wonder if Todd will be catching the latest episodes. We will definitely be looking out for a tweet … or two!

Be sure to watch new episodes of Gold Rush on Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on Discovery Channel.