The Real Reason Lisa Kelly Didn't Appear In Season 6 Of Ice Road Truckers
High-octane History Channel series "Ice Road Truckers" follows several truck drivers across hazardous seasonal routes in frigid, remote territories of Alaska and Canada. No actual accidents are featured, even if the opening depicts a truck crashing through the ice. But being a trucker, even when you're not driving a big rig on a frozen lake, often involves serious risks to life and limb (via The Trucker).
Most of the people featured on "Ice Road Truckers" are men, but Lisa Kelly is a notable exception. Joining the series' third season, Kelly quickly became one of its most popular figures (via Esquire). Yet the unpretentious trucker seems more interested in inspiring people than achieving any lasting fame. Kelly told Hollywood Soapbox, "It's, like, really cool that you can make a difference in someone's life, you know. That's what's really neat about it."
The big rig driver made appearances on almost every season of "Ice Road Truckers" after her debut on the show. However, she didn't appear in Season 6. Here's why.
Kelly really needed a break after Season 5 of Ice Road Truckers
Considering how reality TV usually plays out, it would be easy to imagine that Lisa Kelly's absence from Season 6 of "Ice Road Truckers" was for sensational reasons. But the truth is a lot more mundane: she was really burnt out on the filming schedule.
At that point, Kelly was simultaneously taping "Ice Road Truckers," as well as a whole spinoff series, "Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads" (via Hollywood Soapbox). It was a lot of shooting, and being on camera all the time eventually took a toll on her. According to a 2013 Hollywood Soapbox interview, "As a solitary trucker, she wanted to drive, do her job, go home, sit on the couch and watch TV like a normal person."
Ultimately Kelly's decision to take time for herself paid off. The popular trucker returned for Season 7 of "Ice Road Truckers" and continued appearing on the hit show until the 11th and final season. According to a recent interview with Overdrive, Kelly is still driving on Alaska's Haul Road for another logistics company. She hopes the show will return someday, however, commenting, "I wish it would come back, and I know there's been talk of it."