As Gold Rush enters its 15th season, Parker Schnabel, a central figure in Discovery’s hit series, reflects on how his career has impacted his personal life.
Now 30 years old, Schnabel’s life has been dedicated to mining and the high-pressure environment of reality television, leaving him little time for romance.
Despite his success as a millionaire miner, Schnabel admits he’s no closer to achieving one of his biggest goals—starting a family.
In Gold Rush Season 15, Parker Schnabel aims to expand his mining operations beyond the Yukon and explore new, challenging territories for increased gold production.
He is focused on innovative techniques and equipment to maximize efficiency and output.
Additionally, Parker seeks to solidify his reputation as a top-tier miner by overcoming unforeseen obstacles and setting new benchmarks in the gold mining industry.
Parker Schnabel explains how his career gets in the way of his love life
Speaking candidly with PEOPLE, Schnabel discussed the unique challenges his lifestyle poses when it comes to dating. Having spent half his life as a gold miner on television, Schnabel jokes that even describing his job can be daunting.
“I try to explain it in a way that doesn’t sound like Mad Max,” he said with a laugh. “It’s hard to explain that without it sounding like some dystopian insane world. I’m in the woods and you’re living in a f—ing bunker washing rocks, looking for little shiny rocks.”
This demanding career is one of the main reasons Schnabel has struggled to find a long-term partner. “Then it makes dating incredibly difficult,” he admitted. “They’re like, ‘What do you do?’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’”
Although his career has taken center stage, Schnabel does hold out hope for a family in the future. “I do hope to have a family and a life outside of TV eventually,” he shared. However, he added, “I do have a life outside of TV, but the show will end completely I think before I have kids, I would suspect.”
Parker Schnabel previously dated Ashley Youle
Schnabel’s career focus has previously impacted his relationships. During Gold Rush Season 7, Schnabel introduced fans to Ashley Youle, an Australian veterinary nurse he had met while visiting Australia.
The couple’s romance blossomed on-screen, with Youle joining Schnabel’s team and assisting in the gold room. However, their relationship ended after two seasons.
In 2018, Schnabel revealed that personal issues contributed to the breakup. Schnabel refrained from delving into too many details about their split, indicating that their time together came during a particularly challenging period in his life.
Despite their promising start, the pressures of Schnabel’s mining career and the emotional toll it took ultimately proved too much for the relationship. While he reflects on past mistakes, Schnabel’s focus remains on his work and ambitions, with hopes that one day he can balance his demanding career with a family life.
As Gold Rush continues to captivate audiences, Schnabel’s story serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of success. His fans, however, continue to cheer for both his mining endeavors and his personal happiness.
Gold Rush Season 15 airs Fridays at 8/7c on Discovery Channel and streams on Max.