The longtime Deadliest Catch captain tells PEOPLE that despite ongoing speculation about his health following multiple heart attacks<\/a>, he has no plans to step away from the wheelhouse anytime soon. After season 21 ended with a major health scare, as a doctor recommended Hansen consider retirement<\/a>, his mind is set for now.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep hearing those rumors myself. The more I hear that, the more I kind of want to rebel and not do that,\u201d Hansen says.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see retiring anytime soon,\u201d he adds. \u201cObviously, I want to see my daughter [Captain Mandy Hansen] move in and partake more, but she had her children, our grandchildren, so that didn\u2019t happen right away. My son-in-law Clark [Pederson] has been stepping up more and more, and he\u2019s perfectly capable. But for me, that\u2019s still kind of an ego thing and I don\u2019t want to retire just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Sig Hansen on ‘Deadliest Catch’ The milestone birthday itself wasn\u2019t much of a celebration. \u201cI didn\u2019t, that\u2019s the whole beauty of it, you know?\u201d Hansen says when asked how he marked turning 60 in April. \u201cBeing in denial is a beautiful thing. It actually works, believe it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n Hansen adds that he’s become “wiser” and avoids putting himself in “harm\u2019s way” as much these days. \u201cI actually get more fearful as I get older. That\u2019s the truth,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n And while he acknowledges his time on the water won\u2019t last forever, he\u2019s not ready to hand over the crown just yet. \u201cI know time is limited, so I want to keep doing it while I can,\u201d Hansen says. \u201cI think there\u2019s a little ego involved. And I don\u2019t want anybody knocking me off my throne just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know there\u2019s a line of people waiting, but I\u2019m not ready for that.\u201d<\/p>\n As for what retirement might eventually look like, Hansen says he and his wife have begun building a future beyond fishing with an event center in Norway. But even then, he says he doubts he\u2019ll ever fully disconnect from the industry that has defined his life.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I could ever fully retire,\u201d Hansen says. \u201cEven if someone else was running the boat, your mind is still active. You\u2019re thinking about the weather, where they\u2019re at. You can never turn it off. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d respect myself if I could just walk away from it completely.\u201d<\/p>\n A year after Deadliest Catch celebrated its 20th anniversary, Hansen says he\u2019s still amazed by what the Discovery series has become. Deadliest Catch premiered on the network in April 2005, with Hansen appearing in the show since its premiere season.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first started the show \u2014 or the documentary as it were \u2014 it was more about just kind of showing the world what the fleet was all about and how we did our work and our jobs,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it just kind of snowballed into Deadliest Catch and a phenomenon. It\u2019s still pretty flattering today, and I think it\u2019s going to keep continuing on. That\u2019s the whole beauty of it. It\u2019s just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n While much has changed since season 1, Hansen says some aspects of the industry remain the same. The veteran fisherman says safety improvements have been a major focus over the years, particularly as camera crews became an integral part of life onboard. Those behind the series are “trying to be as safe as we can under the circumstances,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Sig Hansen on ‘Deadliest Catch’ Though the captains have collaborated more than in years past, Hansen admits trust still only goes so far among fishermen. \u201cOver all these decades working with these guys, it\u2019s still competitive, and we still don\u2019t have trust in each other, honestly,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019ll all say the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJonathan is a great guy, but he can still lie to you, and I\u2019ll lie back. It\u2019s embedded in our DNA. I don\u2019t lie to my wife. I don\u2019t lie to my kids. But I sure the hell lie to fishermen. That\u2019s when I\u2019m on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, Hansen’s age has brought a new level of respect among the fleet. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything to prove anymore,\u201d he says. \u201cI think the ego thing has taken a little sidestep, and now we\u2019re more into, \u2018OK, let\u2019s just get down to business and not try to one-up each other.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n One of the most emotional storylines the show’s 22nd season centers on the death of deckhand Todd Meadows<\/a>, which occurred while working aboard the F\/V Aleutian Lady. His presence will continue<\/a> throughout the season in footage filmed prior to the accident. He was 25.<\/p>\n Hansen says the death “happened suddenly” and there’s “still speculation about what happened and why,” noting that the Coast Guard is investigating. The captain also recalls spending time with Meadows shortly before his death.<\/p>\n \u201cI was actually with him and my crew before one of our trips,\u201d Hansen says. \u201cWe shot a game of pool together and he seemed like a very friendly fellow. He was very proud of his two kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Deadliest Catch airs on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET\/PT on Discovery Channel.<\/p>\n![\"Sig](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ae4a412f1fb6c33d5e4e560e533dca0e.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Discovery Channel<\/p>\n![\"Sig](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/85516ee307b89e9c75da1d5681937266.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Blair Bunting\/Discovery<\/p>\n