Lincolnshire TV treasure hunter Gary Drayton discusses life on and off the infamous Oak Island

Meet the Lincolnshire cauliflower cutter-turned TV star who is helping to rewrite the history of the Americas - and garnering a legion of fans in the process.

Former Boston and Spilsby man Gary Drayton is a popular face on the TV show The Curse of Oak Island - where he is the resident ‘metal detection expert.’

The show follows the multi-million pound effort to solve the mystery of a 230ft deep booby-trapped treasure pit on a small island located off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.

The man-made shaft - known as the ‘money pit’ - floods every time someone digs past the 90ft mark.

It was first discovered in 1795 by some young boys who were were exploring the island. Multiple treasure hunting teams have tried to solve the mystery over the centuries, with six losing their lives as a result.

The show follows the latest effort, lead by Canadian brothers Rick and Marty Lagina.

Theories as to what may be hidden in the pit range from the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant to the lost works of William Shakespeare and pirate treasure.

After joining the show in season two, initially in just a behind-the-scenes role, Gary was quick to win over the show’s producers. It wasn’t long before he was elevated to the Lagina’s inner circle - becoming a member of their ‘Fellowship of the Dig’.

With his comical quips, distinctive Lincolnshire accent and positive attitude, it’s easy to see how Gary, 62, has become a fan favourite.

His archaeological finds, just inches beneath the surface, point to a hidden history of the island. An island which many now believe was visited by the Knights Templar centuries ago.

Now in its 10th season, the show has featured a number of significant artefacts unearthed by Gary - including a lead cross from the 1300s believed to be of Knights Templar origin, Templar coins, a cut Roman coin and token, a 2,000-year-old Roman pilum (tip of a spear), a gold-plated gemstone brooch dated to the 1300s or earlier, and Spanish civil war coins.

He also found a 15th century European military horseshoe - predating the earliest horseshoe to ever be found in Nova Scotia by more than 200 years. These finds all point to a discovery of the New World long before Columbus made landfall in 1492.

But Gary’s new TV fame isn’t just restricted to Oak Island - his metal detecting skills and likeable charm have also seen him waving his metal detector on the Discovery channel’s Expedition Unknown and Curse of Civil War Gold shows.

Off-screen, his metal detecting success on beaches in Florida, where he now lives, has seen him unearth an Incan gold and emerald ring worth around $500,000.

His growing celebrity status has resulted in an online demand for merchandise, with Gary now selling T-shirts and baseball caps featuring his catchphrases from the show - such as ‘holy shamoly’ and ‘top pocket finds.’ He also offers expert metal detecting lessons to fans young and old, from his Florida base.

How has your life changed since joining The Curse of Oak Island?

“I would never in a million years thought taking a chance to help out in a behind the scenes roll on a fledgling treasure hunting show in Canada would lead to where I am now. Not surprisingly, surface metal detecting wasn’t too high on the search agenda for a team trying to find treasure hundreds of feet below the ground in a booby-trapped money pit.

"It took what I refer to as the three ‘P’s of treasure hunting, patience, persistence, perseverance and a whole lot of important detected artefacts to persuade the team that surface metal detecting is a valuable asset to the search. Becoming a full time member of Rick and Marty’s ‘fellowship of the dig’ certainly changed my life forever.

“Another one of my favourite metal detecting sayings is ‘you never know, unless you go - and I am more than happy to tell you, I went, and now I know!”

You get a lot of love on the OI Facebook groups. Can you tell us about your fan base?

“I remember when I first joined social media sites posting photos of Spanish treasure and modern jewellery finds from Florida to show what could be found with a metal detector. Posting those finds caught the attention of metal detector companies, treasure magazines and eventually TV producers which has lead to a large following of fans on my social media accounts. No matter how busy I am, I still find the time to answer questions from my loyal fan base, hopefully helping others to have success in the fantastic hobby of metal detecting. If you are a follower of my social media pages you probably already know I don’t take life too seriously.

“Posting on social media sites gives me an opportunity to put a smile on people’s faces with a dad joke or a light-hearted comment, probably to be expected by someone who loves doing what they do for a living and gets paid to do it. I know the Oak Island treasure hunt is a serious business, but there is always room in the work day for a pun or dad joke to lighten the mood when things don’t go our way.

“Another side effect of being on such a popular TV show is I get recognized wherever I go. Some of the strangest places people have asked for selfies are in a hospital operating room and in King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings on a recent trip to Egypt. It’s all good as one of my favorite things about being on the show is the fans, I get to meet people from all walks of life.”

What are the most important finds you have made on Oak Island?

“Without doubt the medieval lead cross recovered from Smiths Cove during season five is my favourite Oak island metal detecting find.

“Up next on my favourite finds list would be the antique brooches recovered on various lots around the island and the cut Roman coin was also pretty cool. Any time we recover artefacts that should not be on the island - as in the case of the Roman coin in North America - it’s a really great feeling.”

Your 'top pocket' finds seem to suggest either a Templar presence or a Roman one on Oak Island - how does it feel to be helping the team to rewrite the history of the New World?

“I still love driving across the causeway to Oak Island because every time I do it I know I have the chance to potentially remake or make North American history using my metal detector. It’s also a pretty special feeling knowing you are part of a treasure hunting team working to solve North America’s longest treasure hunt. When I meet fans of the show they always tell me how they love my positivity and excitement at the metal detecting finds, I guess there really is no hiding the fact that I really do love my job.”

One of your phrases on the show is 'Roman, Baby!' Do you think it's possible the ancient Romans could have visited the island?

“To be honest, because of the discoveries the team have made, anything is possible. But I personally believe it is more likely a group of people with ancient treasures took them to Oak Island. The medieval lead cross, Chinese coin and cut Roman coin are a long way from home and not exactly the type of things I would ever have imagined detecting in Nova Scotia Canada. In my opinion these intriguing finds cannot just be one-offs, and I will try my hardest to find more when I return to metal detect on Oak island.”

How do you keep busy outside of filming on OI?

“I still stay very busy in the Oak Island off-season, working six or seven days a week giving metal detecting and treasure hunting lessons to Oak Island fans in Florida. One of my favourite things about being a regular cast member of the show is meeting and greeting fans of the show.

“My treasure hunting lesson business allows me to hang out with die hard fans of the show and change their treasure hunting fortunes as I help them get ahead of the metal detecting curve.

“I meet people from all over the world and from all walks of life who want to take up metal detecting because they saw me on TV having a great time saving history.”

Tell us about your connection to Lincolnshire?

“You can take the boy out of Lincolnshire, but you cannot take the Lincolnshire out of the boy! This pretty much sums up my relation to the county I was born in, and will always consider to be my home. I am very fortunate to still be able to cross the pond and visit family and friends back in Lincolnshire on an annual basis. Catching that first sight of the Stump as we approach Boston in the rental car is still one of our favourite starts to a holiday in England. Seeing the Boston stump means fish and chips, Lincolnshire sausages and a pint of Batemans bitter are on the menu as we visit family and friends around Lincolnshire. Of course no trip back home would be complete without the chance to swing my ‘magic wand’ metal detecting in the local farmers fields full of English history.”

What does your wife Jennifer and your two daughters make of your new-found fame?

"My wife and daughters don’t actually watch the show, but they always tell me how proud they are of me being able to do what I love to do for a living. The treasure hunting life is a family commitment as I spend many months away from home every year traveling and filming abroad. I really miss the family and pets, but we all make sacrifices to live the treasure hunting dream.

"From Lincolnshire to Oak Island Canada and living the American dream, treasure is where you find it!”