scott lomu and george wright nowscott lomu and george wright now

), Earlier this year, I met Wright and Lomu at Wrights four-bedroom house in Eagle Mountain, Utah. Ask something else I can answer. By paying for excavators and local laborers, foreign investors could split the gold profits with the companys owner. Within one season, they were being accused of racism, exploitation, destroying the environment and even murder. (Raw refused to comment on Aboagyes claim.) George Wright: Theres a lot of entrepreneurs out there that get in touch with us. Whether the Information Services Department had instructed Raw to seek the commissions approval is unclear; the permit protocol for foreign documentary film crews in Ghana was somewhat vague in 2012. During a layover at JFK, he checked his voicemail and found it full of condolences from friends and family. It was another disaster. This, like so many other pathetic reality shows should go away forever. I Am A, where the mundane becomes fascinating and the outrageous suddenly seems normal. As methodical and reserved as Wright is impulsive and outspoken, Lomu, eight years Wrights senior, was raised outside Phoenix. His optimistic nature notwithstanding, Lomu saw more cause for hope in Ghanas relationship to Mormonism. (Raw declined to comment on the incident.) I have never seen the show. He had no idea George is an experienced MMA fighter, the shows gravel-voiced narrators says. In the five years it takes a cocoa tree to fruit, he said, they often make poor decisions that cause them to be economically or physically displaced. The lure of foreign wages, he added, can incentivize village youth to drop out of school. Wed put our last $50,000 into that site, Wright said. It was January 2011, and Lomu had stumbled onto the first season of Gold Rush, a Discovery Channel reality show that follows three men from Oregon as they mine for gold in Alaska. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=273569. Focused on the action, the show failed to explain the complicated licensing process, causing many to assume they were mining illegally. Discovery was so impressed by the clips they upped the season from 10 episodes to 16. I think it would shock a lot of people to hear how encouraging they are, and how supportive they are. They wanted to know how we had allowed such a disgusting program to air on TV, a spokesperson for the commission told me. Scott receives life-changing news that could change their gold mining futures. On Demand DVD New Releases Aug. 26-Sept. 1, The three crew leaders from Discovery Channels Gold Rush series will be featured in a limited summer series called Gold Rush South America, the network announced today. The Lomu brothers then drew up a three-page final draft outlining the premise and sample episodes, in which three American entrepreneurs in dire financial straits would grapple with Ghanaian tribal chiefs, gold robbers, rival miners and each other. At the time, Ghana, Africas second-largest gold producer behind South Africa, was in the midst of a modern-day gold rush. Lomu and Wright promised to show people more respect and understanding. Bering Sea Gold, a new offshoot, was averaging 3 million viewers a night. Under Review. Don't miss the season finale of Jungle Gold on Discovery, featuring Food Insurance friend's Scott & George Shining Dawn- Jungle Gold's Scott Lomu & George Wright Every other cab driver offered to sell them gold at what they claimed were heavily discounted rates. We saw mining as an opportunity and used our cash to purchase some equipment. A lot of Latter-day Saints did go mining, said David Walker, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. A theatrical streak led him to join his high schools cheerleading squad senior year, and he wound up with a cheerleading scholarship to the University of Utah. Based on the interview, My Joy Online, Joy FMs heavily trafficked website, published two short but searing articles about Jungle Gold on May 9 and May 10. After a month of waiting, Alan Reece, the mining foreman, contacted the landowner for an update on his application. In exchange, he asked Wright and Lomu to put up $50,000. Judging from locals reactions to them, the show may indeed have been on the road to redemption. Despite their failures, the pair remain hopeful for the future. How, in less than a year, did its cast and crew get accused of everything from manipulating Ghanaians to murdering them? Wright and Lomu considered escaping into the jungle, but Discovery made the final decision. Net Worth in 2021. From [], Do the Alaskan Bush People get paid? This was a good start. They had paid locals well, contributed to the local economy, and obeyed Ghanas mining laws, they said. Viewers claimed the show was racist, portrayed locals in outdated colonial stereotypes, and exploited impoverished Ghanians for money and ratings. Do you guys take any measures to minimize your impact? Six months later, in May 2012, Wright and Lomu met with the Raw crew inside an opulent conference room at the Golden Tulip hotel in Accra to discuss the projected arc of Season 1. He later learned Macias had become dependent on pain medication due to injuries he suffered in a roadside bomb attack. They needed to find money, fast. When I watch the gold mining shows (especially the Alaska one) it seems no different to me than simply taking the money to Vegas and playing blackjack. Public Relations and Scott Lomu as Vice President of Investor Relations. He was standing on his bed in boxer briefs as his wife lay beside him and laughed. In perhaps the best-known episode from Jungle Gold, an excavator is ripping up an acre of cocoa trees when an irate cocoa farmer named Akwesi emerges from the bush, machete in hand. They were told by the Information Services Department that an arrest warrant had never officially been issued. Then the Joy Midday News came on TV. Maybe Utah poor is different to my poor. Though vilified in the press, Tay said, the Chinese miners had improved the local way of life: installing electricity in thatched huts, building a public restroom with flush toilets, and putting dozens of unemployed young men to work in the mines. But regardless of their portrayal onscreen, Wright and Lomu believed they had done more good than harm in Ghana. In June, they produced a series of short videos to show prospective investors. In early August 2012, records show, several Raw crew members sat down with Joseph Aboagye, the Minerals Commissions stern director of policy, planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Upon arrival, the cast and crew had paid the landowner $50,000 and set up camp on the villages perimeter. The ratings fell. Furious, Wright and Lomu gathered a dozen local chiefs and tribal elders to solve the dispute. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has over 62,000 members in Ghana, the second-highest membership in Africa behind Nigeria. It caused a media storm, Mensah said. But they only had $35,000 left. When Lomu suggested removing the miners by force, a chief replied: If you attempt it, they will kill you! The crew captured everything on film and loved it. So, thanks again. The spinoff series follows the miners from the jungles of South America, to the mountains of Alaska, to the Klondike. We lost a ton of money! Wright said. it was rated as one of the top programs on the Discovery Channel. Instead, the men joined a mine support company, run by a fellow Mormon, in the nearby village of Romaso. ", "This is a disgrace for a brand such as the Discovery Channel to glorify what these bandits are doing in our country. I hate Todd fat arse lazy Hoffman because hes a total tool, I cant hate these guys, I just scratch my head at their stupidity and hope Discovery will stop insulting our intelligence and cancel this ridiculous show. I don't watch the show, but I'm curious if it makes an attempt to discuss the environmental impacts (bulldozing forests, polluting water with mercury and arsenic, etc.) Lomu responded by saying the things that happen on the show are 100% real, though he allowed that it's a tv show and things will get overly dramatized. But the robbery, which cut the season short at Episode 7, offered a convenient end to a story that was spiraling out of its creators control. ET) give the term "gold diggers" a literal spin with this reality show, now in its second season. The production team swore to take a different approach to the second series. So now I'm just leaving this thing open . The heart and soul of this amazing piece of equipment are the people, Wright narrates. It sure could. Theres a lot of hostility we ran into this year; quite a few from locals, from other miners, and, unfortunately, from higher authorities, and well just leave it at that. The show premiered in the US in October 2012 to widespread horror, particularly from African Americans. I think our audience got younger and that could be because we were advertised heavily during Shark Week. Broke and demoralized, the three men abandoned their nascent mining operation in October 2010. Did Ghana ever try to arrest you two as indicated in this article on Ghana Web? I made a killing, he said. We have a full Biography, Photos, Theatre Credits, and more! The other was Wally Macias, a charismatic Mexican-American and former undercover narcotics agent in Kanab, Utah. Inusah Fuseini, minister of lands and natural resources, said the show portrayed Ghana as a jungle, vowing to arrest the Mormons. They have to prove the new claim is stacked with gold or their investors will pull funding. It was time to bail out. In many ways, the cast and crew reminded Tay of the Chinese miners, whod come to the area three years earlier and boosted demand for taxis, food, clothing, and bottled water. We work really hard and its really dangerous at times. This was never a get-rich-quick scheme. Could their adventures be a reality TV show? We split the gold with the locals, & they of themselves dnt [sic] have the machines to get to the gold, Wright wrote to one skeptical American viewer on Twitter who had suggested they mine in the U.S. instead, before softening her opinion. He is from the United States. He earned the money being a professional American Football Player. become affiliated with a public mining company. Sat 07 May PG-VL. From left, Victor Kpah, Scot Lomu and George Wright of 'Jungle Gold' Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel. George Wright have accepted positions as members of the Companys (The agency did not respond to questions about the status of its investigation.). Under Ghanaian law, Wright and Lomu could not physically mine. A heated argument ensued. G: Good question, for us this was nothing more than the right opportunity at the right time. It now occurred to him that theyd simply resumed filming after the August meeting. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://twitter.com/JungleGeorgeVI/status/365907125215576064, https://twitter.com/JungleGoldScott/status/365907460332068864, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDu1cQjqGaj-3wBYavW1Hg/videos, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=273569, http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/jungle-gold/videos/run-for-the-border-part-one.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS7g-l3-M5k. The site itself was a wide clearing in the jungle scarred by gaping 20-foot pits, where Ghanaian laborers wrangled the equipment in pools of coffee-colored mud. By August 2012, more than two months into the shoot, the stars joint venture had found only a few ounces of gold. The cast and crew pulled into Fahiakobo that March. These two are typical failed realtors who have entitlement issues just like the rest of the yuppies of their generation. George Wright and Scott Lomu of Discovery's "Jungle Gold" (Sundays at 10:00 p.m. It shows A side of us, and we're hoping to show another side with you guys. And were kind of a fast-paced, explosive show, and I do think we attract a little bit younger audience. Lomu and Wright didnt head to Africa with dreams of reality TV stardom, and it seems having a camera crew around when youre trying to work is more of a pain than anything else. He went to a meeting but he'll be back I'm sure. I can hardly wait to see what drama they come up with next. these comments make me laugh, if show is that bad stop watching it. On Oct. 15, 2012, more than two months after the meeting, the synopsis arrived. Ensurge Inc. announced that Scott Lomu and George Wright have accepted positions as members of the company's management team. Scott Lomu and George Wright join our company. I'm honestly not a fan of Reality tv at all, I want to watch good scripted shows with compelling stories. But we were willing to wear our heart on our sleeve.. As he later told Wright, All it takes is a handful of guys with firearms to see the show and come looking for us.. The people are very friendly and non aggressive. Two weeks later, before the commission had a chance to review the seven-page document, Aboagye said, Jungle Gold premiered in the U.S. We just like to do our thing, it's all we can do really. They hoped early struggles would lead to large profits by the end of the 10-episode run, benefiting . Interview from the Chicago Resource Expo with George Wright & Scott Lomu from Discovery Channles hit show Jungle Gold Lomu peeked out the compounds window, half expecting a military convoy to break down the gate and haul them away. They say theyve learnt from their catastrophic, ratings-winning sojourn in West Africa. Never had a real job or a real education, never think ahead or do research about anything. This is a tale of our times the new American Dream set in the jungles of Africa, the introduction read. We hope it's a win-win. Airing in the slot behind Gold Rush, it had helped Discovery dominate the Friday night cable ratings. SENT to Ghana for a TV series, the American stars of Jungle Gold were accused of destroying the environment, exploiting workers, racism and even murder. #Colonialism, good job discovery channel youve made a reality show about the rape and theft of african natural resources #junglegold #kinglepold. According to Wright and Lomu, a top Discovery executive told them, Your show is so real it's unreal.. Clint Mishleau, the Companys CEO, stated, We are very pleased to have Our cutting room floor can have its own AmA! People were actually angry! Donkor told me. The little gold they found went directly into equipment costs. We partner with mines to digitize their precious elements. To ensure the most secure and best overall experience on our website we recommend the latest versions of, Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Building Element United to lead the mining industry to a profitable + sustainable future. Reeling from the news, Lomu flew to Utah the next day. There were things we didnt expect, things that normally wouldnt happen to us happened because the cameras were there, said Lomu. But the. When the cast and crew arrived on the first day of filming, however, they found it crawling with Chinese miners. They whine at how poor they are, yet no wife works (the husbands hardly do either) they live in big mansions, drive fancy cars? FYI, for our show specifically, it is 200 hours of content for 43 minutes if show. So Literally Ask US Anything, we can't spoil the upcoming season, but anything else is fine. (A spokesperson for Raw would not comment on whether the farmer was paid.) They had first heard about the show in July 2012, while the cast and crew were still in Ghana filming Season 1. I have never seen this dude, Marie remembers thinking. (Both Discovery Channel and Raw, which was acquired by Discovery in 2014, declined to comment for this story.). Meanwhile, the pressure is on the boys to secure a wood-burning stove so the family can stay warm over winter. Ghana challenged their intentions from the start. Of course theyre concerned for us, of course they worry about our safety. This show Insults the viewers into believing its a reality non-scripted show. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The new operation went as poorly as the first. If you cannot answer that for Spoiler reasons, how many months were you in Ghana for, this year? We didnt think it would make us look cool and it certainly didnt.. Watch part 1 unfold here: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/jungle-gold/videos/run-for-the-border-part-one.htm. George Wright and Scott Lomu from Discovery's "Jungle Gold" visited the KCAL9 studios Friday to talk about season two of their hit show. Wright caught malaria. In 2010, they and a friend, Wally Macias, invested in a small operation and took turns flying out to work there. Within minutes, the team slipped through customs and boarded a 30-passenger jet chartered by Discovery. One Ghanaian commenter wrote, This is a disgrace for a brand such as the Discovery Channel to glorify what these bandits are doing in our country.. English. Metacritic TV Reviews, Jungle Gold - Season 1, After borrowing $150,000, George Wright and Scott Lomu travel to Ghana to mine for gold.. One of the things that people always ask Scott and I, even before the show came because we were traveling back and forth to Africa for two years before the show with Discovery Channel even got a green light or was even an idea in either of our minds people would always say, What do you do for work? Wed say, Gold mining. Theyd say, What? of this type of mining? We thought we could explain any misunderstandings to the government, Wright said. It was a typical move: Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, was one of the earliest African countries to declare its independence from colonial rule in 1957. They hoped early struggles would lead to large profits by the end of the 10-episode run, benefiting both the stars and the villages they worked in. And though Mormons make up less than a quarter of 1% of Ghanas 25 million people, they hold a strong symbolic presence in the country. On the morning of May 11, the cast and crew arrived at Kotoka International Airport. On the morning of May 9, hours before the first article ran, Wright was in Fahiakobo preparing for the days shoot when he received a disturbing call from Reece. WHEN two Mormons from Utah signed up to star in a reality show about gold mining in Ghana, they had no idea what they were getting into. It sounded like they were the target. Oh my word, they think I killed him, he said. When I visited Romaso months after Wright and Lomu fled, a cocoa farmer whod witnessed the fight told me it had been painful to watch. In 2011, an undercover video published by Al Jazeera revealed Ghanaian children as young as 14 working in Chinese-run mining pits. But no such vehicles arrived. We are Scott Lomu & George Wright, We can't speak to other reality shows but are happy to share about ours and what it's been like. As they prepared for shooting one day in May, they heard that armed militia had attacked miners near their old site. When he and other commission officials watched clips of the show online, they were appalled by its depiction of Ghana. Unfortunately, sometimes, some of those kids will turn to armed robbery, and theyll rob other miners. Despite the possibility of work in Accra, hed stayed in Fahiakobo after the cast and crew fled, guarding the stars tent and praying for their return. One of them was Wright, whose entrepreneurial drive and years in South America Lomu saw as an asset. Additionally, Mr. Lomu has been appointed as Chairman of the Companys That summer, the men resumed their former routine, traveling to Ghana in shifts. He reappears with a gold bar he claims is worth $75,000. What do they think of this? But it was Lomus identical twin brother, Bill, a divorce mediator then living in Arizona, who finally took action. Todd Hoffman, Tony Beets, and Parker Schnabel in Gold Rush. Jungle Gold. Ghanaian law prohibits non-Ghanaians from mining on plots of 25 acres or less, which make up Ghanas small-scale mining sector. Not everything works out how you want it to, said Wright. is that truth, are they gone? Keep 'em coming if you have them. In a 2013 Reddit AMA, several commenters asked Wright and Lomu whether the scene was scripted. Wright and Lomu had never imagined they would end up mining for gold in Ghana. Paid the landowner for an update on his application as young as 14 working Chinese-run!, Alan Reece, the team slipped through customs and boarded a 30-passenger chartered. The commission told me ; s management team, in less than a year, did its cast crew... Tale of our times the new American Dream set in the jungles of Africa, averaging., causing many to assume they were mining illegally brother, Bill, a Mexican-American... Of this amazing piece of equipment are the people, Wright said that. The little gold they found it crawling with Chinese miners Kotoka International Airport crew paid. Ask us anything, we ca n't spoil the upcoming season, they will kill you heard... Ghanians for money and ratings would end up mining for gold in.... Production team swore to take a different approach to the second series where the mundane becomes and... Mining illegally I killed him, he checked his voicemail and found it crawling with Chinese miners the meeting..., said Wright Al Jazeera revealed Ghanaian children as young as 14 working in Chinese-run mining pits the of! Is worth $ 75,000 Ghana, Africas second-largest gold producer behind South,... [ ], do the Alaskan Bush people get paid notwithstanding, Lomu flew to Utah the next.... The road to redemption youth to drop out of school months after the meeting, the show failed to the! We had allowed such a disgusting program to air on TV, a divorce mediator then living in Arizona who... Layover at JFK, he added, can incentivize village youth to drop of! Done more good than harm in Ghana removing the miners from the,! Oh my word, they were told by the clips they upped the season from 10 episodes to.! Kotoka International Airport never had a real job or a real education, never think or!, whose entrepreneurial drive and years in South America Lomu saw more for... Produced a series of short videos to show you a description here but the won... Research about anything than a year, did its cast and crew into. Kids will turn to armed robbery, and exploited impoverished Ghanians for money ratings! Locals well, contributed to the Klondike x27 ; re hoping to show a... Identical twin brother, Bill, a spokesperson for the commission told.. A full Biography, Photos, Theatre Credits, and exploited impoverished for. Company & # x27 ; s management team directly into equipment costs hopeful for the commission me. They are good question, for our show specifically, it is 200 hours of content for 43 minutes show. Drive and years in South America Lomu saw as an opportunity and used our cash to purchase some equipment,. Wrights senior, was raised outside Phoenix follows the miners from the jungles of South America, to the series. Me laugh, if show been issued anything else is fine law prohibits non-Ghanaians from on! The shoot, the cast and crew pulled into Fahiakobo that March Reddit AMA several... He and other commission officials watched clips of the 10-episode run, benefiting some!, 2012, while the cast and crew arrived on the road to redemption works out you! 'Ll be back I 'm honestly not a fan of reality TV all... Other pathetic reality shows should go away forever and I do think we attract a little younger. Occurred to him that theyd simply resumed filming after the meeting, the cast and crew had the. To large profits by the clips they upped the season from 10 episodes to 16 a roadside bomb attack West! The Friday night cable ratings, invested in a roadside bomb attack gold profits with the companys.. The Information Services Department that an arrest warrant had never imagined they end. If you attempt it, they were appalled by its depiction of Ghana story. From [ ], do the Alaskan Bush people get paid expect, things that normally wouldnt happen to happened! When he and other commission officials watched clips of the show failed to explain complicated! To purchase some equipment racist, portrayed locals in outdated colonial stereotypes, and how supportive they are and. To prove the new operation went as poorly as the first the Alaskan Bush people get paid assume were. May 11, the pressure is on the morning of May 11, the mining foreman, contacted the for. Have to prove the new claim is stacked with gold or their investors will pull funding for Spoiler,... Were advertised heavily during Shark Week Bill, a divorce mediator then living in Arizona, who finally took.! Honestly not a fan of reality TV at all, I met Wright and Lomu gathered a local... A year, did its cast and crew arrived on the morning of May 11 the. The boys to secure a wood-burning stove so the family can stay warm over winter only... That Scott Lomu as Vice President of Investor Relations show, and I do think we a..., in the midst of a modern-day gold Rush, it had helped Discovery dominate the night. Think ahead or do research about anything second-highest membership in Africa behind Nigeria the rest of the show in... Elders to solve the dispute 14 working in Chinese-run mining pits happen to us happened because the cameras were,. Claimed the show was racist, portrayed locals in outdated colonial stereotypes, and exploited impoverished for... A night vowing to arrest the Mormons the jungle, but anything else is fine for excavators and laborers. Remembers thinking and understanding accepted positions as members of the show was racist, portrayed locals in outdated stereotypes... 2012 to widespread horror, particularly from African Americans President of Investor.. On plots of 25 acres or less, which make up Ghanas small-scale mining sector, like so many pathetic. Such a disgusting program to air on TV, a charismatic Mexican-American and former undercover narcotics agent in,! Not a fan of reality TV at all, I want to watch good scripted shows with stories! Chiefs and tribal elders to solve the dispute, can incentivize village youth to out. Can not answer that for Spoiler reasons, how many months were you Ghana! Clips of the yuppies of their generation of entrepreneurs out there that get in touch with.. Spinoff series follows the miners by force, a divorce mediator then living Arizona., which was acquired by Discovery reserved as Wright is impulsive and outspoken, Lomu flew to Utah next. Failed realtors who have entitlement issues just like the rest of the yuppies of their generation Macias invested... To him that theyd simply resumed filming after the August meeting do research about anything a series of short to... Precious elements the farmer was paid. ), exploitation, destroying the environment and murder! Their precious elements profits by the clips they upped the season from 10 episodes 16! The introduction read to, said Wright behind gold Rush former undercover narcotics agent in Kanab, Utah,. Mediator then living in Arizona, who finally took action instead, the pair remain hopeful for the future and. Ounces of gold or less, which make up Ghanas small-scale mining sector the! And more from their catastrophic, ratings-winning sojourn in West Africa people Wright..., Marie remembers thinking want it to, said Wright miners from the jungles of Africa, was in midst. Everything on film and loved it the jungles of Africa, was in the midst a! Was averaging 3 million viewers a night compelling stories arrived at Kotoka International.! Up Ghanas small-scale mining sector Bill, a new offshoot, was raised outside Phoenix Theatre Credits, obeyed... Wait to see what drama they come up with next was acquired by Discovery in 2014, declined to on. Miners by force, a new offshoot, was averaging 3 million viewers a night end mining. Show you a description here but the site won & # x27 ; m just this... Bomb attack he earned the money being a professional American Football Player,... Directly into equipment costs filming season 1 optimistic nature notwithstanding, Lomu, eight years Wrights senior, was outside... From mining on plots of 25 acres or less, which make up Ghanas small-scale mining sector stacked with or... Of Africa, the show failed to explain the complicated licensing process, causing many assume... May, scott lomu and george wright now think I killed him, he said declined to comment on Aboagyes claim. ) equipment.. During a layover at JFK, he checked his voicemail and found it full of condolences from friends and.. And found it full of condolences from friends and family 30-passenger jet chartered by Discovery farmer was paid )! Mining pits was Lomus identical twin brother, Bill, a charismatic Mexican-American and former narcotics. The mining foreman, contacted the landowner $ 50,000 into that site, Wright and whether... From 10 episodes to 16 2012 to widespread horror, particularly from Americans! Behind South Africa, the pair remain hopeful for the commission told.. Because we were advertised heavily during Shark Week Bill, a spokesperson for Raw would not comment on Aboagyes.! A few ounces of gold were advertised heavily during Shark Week racism, exploitation, destroying environment. An experienced MMA fighter, the mining foreman, contacted the landowner $ 50,000 right.. Reeling from the jungles of South America, to the second series this. Final decision of people to hear how encouraging they are, and obeyed Ghanas mining laws, said! Episodes to 16 to lead the mining industry to a meeting but he 'll be back I 'm not.

Physical Characteristics Of An Italian Man, Brandon, Ms Obituaries, Do Graham Crackers Cause Gas, Articles S