As the first season of EXPEDITION IMPOSSIBLE comes to a close, and after a season filled with danger, disaster and displays of remarkable courage, host Dave Salmoni reflects back on what made this season so special for him. With both the good and the difficult marking this past season, Dave thought that, for him, what made the whole adventure so extraordinary was sharing the experience with everyone. He explained that the greatest part of it was, “It was like a big camping trip with my friends — that it was my job was a bonus! I felt like I was camping in the mountains. The contestants were great and I enjoyed becoming friends with them. And the crew, they were my type of people. We had a great time!”
Looking back over the various tricky challenges dreamed up for the contestants to conquer, Dave admitted his favorite was The Light the Way challenge, where each team used the lamps to decipher the maps. He said, “While I didn’t get to do many challenges, I enjoyed seeing the contestants doing them. But this one was my favorite because it reminded me of Indiana Jones. I enjoyed the Indiana Jones type of challenges.”
Then talking candidly about the EXPEDITION IMPOSSIBLE competition and whether it was easier or harder than he anticipated as a host, Dave said that, while he had anticipated how hard it was going to be, “The contestants found it about 99% more challenging. I think they thought ‘It can’t be really dangerous because it’s on TV,’ but it was. They were real camels, untrained, and white-water rapids that were very dangerous. They had to figure out how to deal with these things.”
Yet after witnessing first-hand the trials and tribulations that the contestants faced, Dave said he would not hesitate to be participant if there were another edition. He confessed, “I would love to be a participant. I love my job and want to keep doing my job. But that was the worst part, having to watch the participants do a course and wanting to be a part of that!”
Dave is also quick to remind fans and viewers that for the finale that the one thing that they should pay close attention to as the teams approach the finish line is the element of surprise. He explained, “Viewers have gotten to know the teams and have chosen their own team that they’d like to win. But every team has its chink — the thing that slows them down. You’ll be surprised by those in the end.”
As for the behind-the-scenes, not yet revealed antics, Dave laughingly admitted that there are some great bloopers that have not aired on the show. He revealed there have been, in fact, hundreds of such great comedic moments that the fans have not seen. He shared, “Everybody has had something happen — whether they’ve slipped on a rock or tripped on something, everybody has a blooper. When they were camping up in the snow, some of the contestants put their socks and shoes on the campfire to dry. We were receiving calls for any extra pair of shoes because theirs had burned up. It was pretty funny. Also, what people would say when they came across the finish line — they’d be talking about how many times they had to stop to go to the bathroom. Some of it was like ‘Whoa, that’s too much information.’ They also teased me about my Canadian accent. They couldn’t understand what I had said a couple times and had me repeat it for another take.”
Finally as to whether or not the show has been devising new challenges for EXPEDITION IMPOSSIBLE should it continue another season, Dave enthusiastically said, “The Challenge Department learned a lot. But they’ve been doing this for a long time and already had plenty of great ideas. And the medical team learned a lot. We’ll be better prepared for the next season. This season was great to access what worked and what didn’t. Next season is going to be great!” 
To see who the big winner is and if it is the team you have been rooting for, be sure to tune in for the season finale of EXPEDITION IMPOSSIBLE on Thursday, August 25th at 9PM on ABC (CTV in Canada)
Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to TheTVAddict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).