Ice Road Truckers' Star Still Dealing With the Consequences of Fame
Alex Debogorski has to deal with desperate fans.
Among the reality shows that focus on relationships and scandal, the History Channel's Suicide Missions series stands out for its dangerous challenges. And Ice Road Truckers (IRT) certainly holds a special place in that series.
Though IRT ended five years ago, fans still remember the thrill of watching drivers cross frozen lands, lakes, and rivers in a truly suicidal attempt to transport much-needed goods to remote spots in Alaska and Canada.
And the first name that comes to mind when IRT is mentioned is, of course, Alex Debogorski, the irreplaceable cast member for all 10 seasons of the show.
Every time Debogorski got behind the wheel, he risked his life. But his firm belief that his faith would protect him from danger seemed to help the trucker. And both his suicidal missions and that deep faith earned him a sizable fanbase.
This fame was unexpected and definitely not desired, the trucker told Overdrive Online. In fact, becoming a household name didn't do much to change his view of the world or himself.
He just treated filming for IRT like any other job. A lot of times he didn't even know what was going on with the other contestants.
"I don't know what [other drivers are] doing," Debogorski said describing the filming process. "I just drive the truck I'm driving. We don't spend time in a truck stop holding hands."
The only thing he had to change was the adoption of an alternate personality for the show.
"I went from doing normal things, and now I have a split personality. I go from a bum in a coffee shop to a truck show star," the trucker shared.
But while Debogorski, a loving father of 11 and grandfather of 13, was indifferent to his fame, his fans were much more invested. The driver said some of the fans used to come to his house.
He even recalled a story about how he once returned home from one of his trips to find fans from Germany in his house. "They asked me, 'Where were you? We've been here for three days,'" he described.
Such attention from fans is definitely not something an average person would enjoy and want to deal with.
"It's a circus," Debogorski said, referring to IRT and reality television in general.