How The Curse Of Oak Island Changed Gary Drayton's Life Forever
Since "The Curse of Oak Island" is a reality show about tenacious treasure hunters who are searching for mythical riches in a secluded location, it's easy to think that the people involved will experience fantastic things regardless of what they actually manage to pull out of the ground. In an interview with Lincolnshire World, Oak Island Fellowship team member Gary Drayton confirmed this sentiment and discussed the way the show has upended his life.
"I would never in a million years thought taking a chance to help out in a behind-the-scenes role on a fledgling treasure-hunting show in Canada would lead to where I am now," he said. "Becoming a full-time member of Rick and Marty's 'fellowship of the dig' certainly changed my life forever."
After some recurring appearances on Season 4, Drayton joined the main cast in Season 5 and has been a mainstay on "The Curse of Oak Island" ever since. As a longtime metal detection enthusiast, his efforts have led to several fascinating discoveries, and the show has made him famous. "[A] side effect of being on such a popular TV show is I get recognized wherever I go," Drayton said while opening up about his life after becoming a familiar reality show face. "Some of the strangest places people have asked for selfies are in a hospital operating room and in King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings on a recent trip to Egypt. It's all good as one of my favorite things about being on the show is the fans, I get to meet people from all walks of life."
Drayton's social media skills have helped his rise
Ever since Gary Drayton convinced the Lagina brothers' team that his skills can help with their search, his affable presence has become a regular and important part of the show. As such, it's no wonder that his public recognition has increased. It also doesn't hurt that he's mastered the social media aspect of the fame game. In fact, he's been building up his fortune-seeking brand on this front well before his "Oak Island" fame.
"I remember when I first joined social media sites posting photos of Spanish treasure and modern jewellery finds from Florida to show what could be found with a metal detector," Drayton said. "Posting those finds caught the attention of metal detector companies, treasure magazines and eventually TV producers which has lead to a large following of fans on my social media accounts." Drayton makes a point of maintaining a connection with his fans online. "No matter how busy I am, I still find the time to answer questions from my loyal fan base, hopefully helping others to have success in the fantastic hobby of metal detecting," he explained.
Drayton's light-hearted, joking style might have made him popular, but he's by no means a solo act on the show. On the contrary, he's explained that he enjoys the unique treasure hunting on "The Curse of Oak Island" specifically because it's based on teamwork. However, whenever he's not working on the show he runs a personal business in Florida, where he instructs people in his brand of treasure-seeking.