# Jeremy Wade Reveals Shocking Truth Behind River Monsters Cancellation at 69
For nearly a decade, Jeremy Wade captivated audiences with *River Monsters*, diving into the world’s deadliest rivers to uncover legendary creatures and face unimaginable dangers.
When the show abruptly ended, fans were told it was the natural conclusion of his journey. However, at 69, Wade has finally broken his silence, revealing a far more unsettling reason for the cancellation that goes beyond simply running out of monsters to find.
Before becoming a TV icon, Wade was a biology teacher in Kent, England, and abroad in places like Sudan and India. Teaching provided stability, but his true passion was exploring remote waterways. During holidays, he ventured into regions where folklore and danger intertwined, collecting stories of giant fish and mysterious disappearances.
A near-fatal bout of malaria in 2007 forced him to reflect on decades of notes, birthing the idea for *River Monsters*. Premiering on Animal Planet in 2009, the show combined detective-style investigations, extreme angling, and authentic local voices, quickly becoming a global phenomenon with over 1.3 million viewers per episode in the U.S. alone.
As the series expanded, Wade and his crew tackled increasingly perilous locations, from the Congo’s treacherous currents to the Himalayas’ icy rivers. Behind the thrilling episodes, however, lay a heavy toll.
Wade endured severe malaria, a brutal arapaima strike to the chest, and a near-fatal encounter with an electric eel. His crew faced lightning strikes and exhaustion, with some stepping away by Season 7 in 2015 due to burnout. The physical demands, coupled with diminishing new species to explore, hinted at an inevitable end.
Yet, the deeper truth Wade later shared was far more alarming. The real reason for ending *River Monsters* wasn’t just a lack of creatures; it was the dying state of the rivers themselves. Returning to filming locations, he witnessed once-thriving waters turned lifeless by pollution, overfishing, and industrial development.
Wade also grappled with the unintended consequences of the show’s success, fearing it might encourage illegal fishing or poaching of vulnerable species. This ethical dilemma, alongside Animal Planet’s shift to cheaper, family-friendly content, made continuing the show in its original spirit untenable.
Post-*River Monsters*, Wade redirected his focus to conservation. In 2018, he launched *Mighty Rivers*, examining the health of vital waterways like the Ganges, threatened by pollution and climate change.
In 2019, *Dark Waters* tackled invasive species and ecological collapse. No longer hunting monsters, Wade now asks why rivers are under attack and what can be done to save them. His evolved mission underscores a urgent call to protect these ecosystems before they’re lost forever, revealing a heartbreaking reality behind the end of an iconic series.