When Expedition X returned for a highly anticipated new season, viewers were met with a noticeable absence. Longtime co-host and fan-favorite paranormal investigator Jessica Chobot was no longer trekking across the globe alongside scientist Phil Torres. Her sudden departure left countless fans searching for answers, especially as the Discovery Channel remained relatively quiet regarding official statements about the cast shakeup.
Chobot had been an integral part of the Expedition X dynamic since its premiere in 2020. With her deep-rooted passion for the unexplained, she helped ground the show’s supernatural investigations, perfectly balancing Torres’ heavy reliance on scientific skepticism. When the series returned with new host Heather Amaro stepping into her shoes, a significant portion of the audience took to social media to express their disappointment, repeatedly asking what prompted the original host’s exit.
Addressing the mounting speculation, Chobot utilized her personal social media platforms to clarify her absence. Rather than pointing to any dramatic on-set fallout or behind-the-scenes conflict with executive producer Josh Gates—which had been a popular fan rumor—she revealed that she had stepped away from Expedition X to pursue a brand-new project within the Discovery network.
That highly anticipated project finally came to light with the premiere of a gripping, true-crime-meets-paranormal limited series titled Bigfoot Took Her.
Stepping away from standard ghost hunting, Chobot’s new venture takes a more sophisticated, investigative approach to an unusual cold case. Teaming up with LAPD veteran Robert Collier, the three-part documentary explores the bizarre 1987 disappearance of 16-year-old Theresa Bier in central California. While local lore famously blamed the disappearance on a mythical Bigfoot abduction, Chobot and Collier dig past the legends to uncover a much darker, grounded reality involving police reports, hidden witnesses, and potential ties to a real serial killer.
For fans who felt the void left by her Expedition X departure, Bigfoot Took Her proves that Chobot hasn’t left the investigative world behind. Instead, she has successfully transitioned into a new television era that blends her love for cryptid folklore with hard-hitting true crime reporting.
