PRESS
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August 26, 2025
Reality TV isn’t real anymore—this is. Our style is raw and imperfect on purpose: no re-enactments, imperfect cuts, even missed moments of action. That honesty is what my community responds to, and it’s why they believe in me. With David and Lonecast, I know we can take that connection even further. This isn’t just partnership—it feels like the right team to make something truly lasting.”
The partnership is not limited to the Yukon Ali channel. Both Durr and Lawrence see this as the start of something much bigger, with future ventures already being planned under the Lonecast banner. Durr also holds an interest in the company, ensuring her voice is not only front and center in the content but also embedded in the creative and strategic direction of the business itself.
Gold Rush Producer David Lawrence Partners with Alison Durr (aka Yukon Ali) Through Lonecast Media Group
Los Angeles, CA / Whitehorse, YT — Lonecast Media Group has announced its creative partnership with gold miner and digital creator Alison Durr, best known to fans online as Yukon Ali. Together, she and veteran producer David Lawrence are building a new frontier of gold-mining storytelling—rooted in authenticity, independence, and a shared vision of what unscripted content can be.
Lawrence, whose career spans over two decades, began his training in the early 2000s at Tiger Aspect, before producing some of the UK’s best-loved formats including Britain’s Got Talent and The Apprentice. He later joined Raw TV, where he worked across global formats such as Homestead Rescue, multiple Gold Rush spin-offs, and development projects. Lawrence then spent more than seven years on Discovery’s Gold Rush itself, with a hand in over 100 episodes of the franchise.
“Television has given me an incredible career and taught me how to tell stories that reach millions,” said Lawrence. “But what excites me now is the chance to tell stories in a more personal way—without filters, without compromise. Working with Alison feels different: it’s not just a collaboration, it’s a bond. We consider each other family, and our families are part of this too. Alison’s long-time partner and fellow miner Allen, and my wife Ariel, herself a seasoned television executive, have both been supportive from day one. That makes this partnership even more meaningful.
Television gave us the craft — but YouTube gives us the truth. For real reality, you have to look online. With Alison, I feel we’re finally doing that—building something honest, fun, and authentic, without the layers of editorial oversight and commercially-driven strategy that shape so much of television.”
Alison Durr has been mining in the Klondike for over a decade and was quickly welcomed into the tight-knit community of Dawson City—an anachronistic outpost that still carries the spirit of the original gold rush. Though firmly embracing middle age, her spark and energy shine through, winning her a loyal and positive fan base that spans generations.
Ironically, despite her authentic credentials, Durr narrowly missed out on a casting into the main Gold Rush series—appearing only briefly on an episode of Mine Rescue with Freddy and Juan. While it’s possible television executives may have underestimated her potential, audiences online proved otherwise. Her voice, once sidelined, has become one of the most engaging and relatable in modern mining storytelling.
Her breakthrough came on social media with a TikTok video that surpassed 30 million views. On YouTube, her Yukon Ali channel has since quadrupled its subscriber base in just four months, with content regularly attracting six-figure viewership. In fact, the channel now outpaces many established competitors—delivering audience growth more than 20 times faster than Discovery’s official YouTube channel.
Durr knew she needed a partner who could help shape this momentum into something lasting. Enter David Lawrence. Together, they discovered an instant connection, feeding off each other’s energy, experience, and vision. Lawrence brings heavyweight television clout; Durr brings the raw, authentic story that viewers crave.
“I trusted nobody else with my story,” said Durr. “David gets the Yukon, he gets this life, and most importantly—he gets me. Mining can be tough and isolating, and telling that story honestly matters to me. What we’re doing together isn’t just about showing gold—it’s about showing grit, humor, resilience, and the reality of this lifestyle.
About Lonecast Media Group
Lonecast Media is a multi-platform production company founded by David Lawrence. Focused on authenticity, creativity, and independence, Lonecast blends the craft of traditional television with the freedom of creator-led content.
As one trade journalist observed: “Lonecast is a loaded title. On the surface, it’s a company name; beneath it, a manifesto. It reflects a solitary stride away from the old television order — a declaration that stories can be forged outside the traditional machine and still find their audience. The most authentic stories aren’t built in edit bays — they’re lived, filmed, and shared raw. Audiences don’t want scripted arcs, they want the really real — and that’s what Lawrence and Durr are giving them.”
Another noted: “There’s a certain irony here: both Lawrence and Durr were, in different ways, overlooked by the traditional media machine. Yet that may prove to be their greatest advantage. By self-publishing on their own terms, with complete creative autonomy, they’re charting a path to success that feels not only authentic but exciting. In the long run, their independence may give them more power than the old system ever could.”
That independence is also visible in the audience response. Fans leave thousands of comments across the Yukon Ali channel, consistently praising the honesty and pace of the storytelling. Their reactions highlight Lonecast’s core ethos: that while traditional reality TV is increasingly seen as manufactured, platforms like YouTube have become the true home of real reality.
For Lawrence and Durr, the message is clear: television has given them their start, but it’s the online space that truly holds room for characters this bold. Digital-first platforms offer not just freedom, but possibility — a place where new kinds of stories can thrive and connect directly with audiences.