After Revealing His Cancer Diagnosis on 'Deadliest Catch,' Wild Bill Gives Fans an Update
Wild Bill said he hopes he's been "convincing some people to get tested" since sharing his prostate cancer diagnosis.
Published June 26 2024, 1:41 p.m. ET
The crab fishermen on Deadliest Catch have yet to find a challenge in the sea that they haven't accepted. And no one knows more about not stepping down from a fight than Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski. During his time on the Discovery Channel reality show Wild Bill has persevered against any professional obstacle that comes his way.
Season 10 of the series opened with Wild Bill facing another challenge, this time regarding his health. He shared on the show that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and decided it wasn't going to keep him from working during a busy crab season.
In light of seeing his determination to come out on the other side of his cancer battle, many fans are concerned about how Wild Bill is doing now. Here's what to know.
How is Wild Bill from 'Deadliest Catch' doing now?
The trailer for Season 20 of Deadliest Catch revealed Wild Bill would be taking viewers along as he navigated his cancer diagnosis. When the season premiered on June 11, 2024, he said he was determined not to quit working and decided to be as transparent about his health as possible. However, he admitted telling the world about his health history wasn't easy, though he knew doing so could help someone.
"I'll be honest," Wild Bill said on the show. "It's kind of weird to put [the diagnosis] out there to the public. I'll explain to people what happens as it goes ... I'm willing to put it out there to let people see the journey in hopes of convincing some people to get tested."
Wild Bill was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, which viewers saw on Season 19 of Deadliest Catch. As far as we know, he is still receiving treatments for his diagnosis and discusses the process on his Facebook account. In a post from February 2024, Wild Bill confirmed to a fan that "My cancer numbers are good," though he admittedly had "N]o energy from hormones" at the time, but confirmed he "looks like on the back side of it for now."
The 'Deadliest Catch' captain is mourning the loss of his co-star, Nick Mavar.
Many of his fans have invested in Wild Bill's recovery. The fisherman has been with the series since 2010 and has experienced several sudden losses since he's been on the show. One significant loss came in 2020 with the death of deck boss Nick McGlashan.
Nick died at age 33 of a drug overdose following a long battle with substance abuse. After learning the news during the show's sixth season, Wild Bill broke down in an emotional Deadliest Catch scene.
In June 2024, the Deadliest Catch family endured another tragedy. On June 14, Variety reported deckhand Nick Mavar died of natural causes at age 59. Nick starred on the show from Seasons 1-17. Wild Bill took to Facebook on June 15 to honor his legacy.
"Nick was a true fisherman through and through," he wrote. "Was also a true friend . He will be missed by so many. Proud to have known you."
Despite the changes to his health and grieving loved ones, Wild Bill is still pushing. And no one can deny how inspiring that is!
Deadliest Catch airs on Discovery Channel on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST.