Forged in Fire has been on the telly since 2015. There have been two hosts for Forged in Fire: they are Wil Willis and Grady Powell. We have also seen five judges namely J. Neilson, David Baker, Doug Marcaida, Jason Knight, and Ben Abbott. Wil Willis hosted Forged in Fire from seasons 1 to 7 before Powell now took over from season 8.
Who is the Forged in Fire Host?
The current Forged in Fire host is Grady Powell. For those who have been huge fans of the show, one thing that became apparent post-season 7 of the hit reality TV series is that there is a new “sheriff” in town, in the person of new host Grady Powell.
In St. Louis, Missouri, Powell was born on September 15, 1987. His TV career took off while he was backpacking through Europe following his retirement from the army in 2012 (he had joined in 2009). He was asked to be in a Portuguese Cell Service Provider’s TV commercial. He followed that up with Mark Burnett and Dick Wolff’s NBC production Stars Earn Stripes in mid to late 2012.
Grady Powell Became the Host of Forged In Fire at the Start of Season 8
Just about eight years after his foray into television and entertainment in general, Grady Powell was contracted by the producers of Forged in Fire to replace departing host Wil Willis. He took over in November 2020, which was when season 8 of the show premiered.
When Was Forged in Fire Host Changed?
In 2015 when Forged in Fire first started showing on TV, the person doing the hosting was Wil Willis. He was good at what he did and many fans loved him.
However, after season 7 of Forged in Fire ended, the host was changed and it now became Powell. Many of the people that liked watching the show were not too happy about this. The network had to come out and calm them down. They reassured them that the quality of the show will not go down.
Wil Willis’ Departure from Forged in Fire
2020 was rough and tough but good things still happened. For Wil Willis, his wife gave birth to a son, Flash, on March 6 of that year. Willis was so happy and it showed in some things that he did later. For instance, he said that he didn’t want to host Forged in Fire anymore. Wil Willis left Forged in Fire so that he will have more time to spend with his kid and wife. Also, you know that Wil Willis had been hosting Forged in Fire for a long time Man simply got bored.
List of Forged in Fire Judges
- James Neilson – James Neilson is a knife maker and master blade smith. He was on seasons 1 and 2 of Forged in Fire, skipped season 3, and then returned towards the end of season IV.
- David Baker’s role is to grade the beauty of weapons made as well as their historical accuracy. Since day one, he has been on the show.
- Doug Marcaida: Just like Baker, Marcaida has been on the show since season 1. He is an expert in edged weapons.
- Jason Knight – For season THREE, Knight replaced Neilson who was having surgery. The master smith left after episode 7 of season 4, and Nielson came back from episode 8.
- Ben Abbott is a nine-time champion on Forged in Fire and in 2022, he became a host.
Forged in Fire Hosts and Judges
| Name | Role | Seasons Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Wil Willis | Host | Seasons 1–7 |
| Grady Powell | Host | Seasons 8–Present |
| Doug Marcaida | Judge | Seasons 1–Present |
| David Baker | Judge | Seasons 1–Present |
| J. Neilson | Judge | Seasons 1–4, occasional appearances in later seasons |
| Ben Abbott | Judge | Recurring from Season 4, Full-time from Season 5 |
| Jason Knight | Judge | Season 3 (temporary replacement for J. Neilson) |
Did a Forged in Fire Judge Die?
Apart from injuries and surgeries, no Forged in Fire judge died. The rumors may have started when they took time off the show. But as we have said above, they took time off to go treat themselves.
There are some people who once they feel any pain, they would start acting like it is the end of the world. However, others can endure well. Take Doug Marcaida for instance. When season 4 of Forged in Fire was being shot, his shoulder took a hit. There was pain but he lived with it for some time. It was only when it got worse that he now had surgery for it.
Another Forged in Fire judge James Neilson once slipped and broke a small bone in his hand. He also thought it was something he could ignore but he later had to get surgery.
Who is David Baker from Forged in Fire?
Born David Lain Baker on June 12, 1962, in Long Beach, California, USA, the 62-year-old is also an actor best known for Dragonball Evolution (2009) Beowulf (2007), and Elmo’s Fire (1985). Since 2015, David Baker has been a judge on Forged in Fire.
Forged in Fire Filming Location
To date, all Forged in Fire Episodes are filmed at Brooklyn Fireproof Stages in Brooklyn, New York City, New York.
Part of the set up on set includes a large judges’ table from where the judges watch everything that is going on during the competition. There is also a separate worktable for each of the four contestants per time. There is also the pantry which is used for various handle materials, as well as for several metal types. Safety is given top priority on the set of Forged in Fire.
Where To Watch Forged in Fire
Some people are lucky in that they find out about a show when it makes its debut on TV and then follow it from day one. For others, it may be some years before they now find out about the show. Whether you belong to the first or second category, so long as you want to watch Forged in Fire, you have options.
You can catch Forged in Fire on Discovery+, Netflix, and Hulu. The show is also on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu, but do know that the option is Buy/Rent.