Here’s Why Phil Torres Is Missing From 'Expedition X' Season 11

TV personality and outdoor explorer Phil Torres has been part of the Expedition X family since 2020, serving as a co-host. While he’s watched Jessica Chobot leave and be replaced by Heather Amaro, there’s never been any concern about Phil’s spot on the show, or that he might be leaving.

But when Season 11 premiered on Jan. 7, 2026, Phil was nowhere to be seen (or heard) while Heather and Jack Osbourne investigated Vulture City, Ariz., a well-known ghost town. Naturally, his unexpected absence had many assuming he’d left the show. So, is Phil still on Expedition X?

Relax, Phil Torres is still on Expedition X. He was simply absent from Season 11’s premiere episode to handle a family-related matter. Phil actually took a brief break from filming to take paternity leave as he and his wife welcomed their second child, daughter Fjora Birdie Torres, who was born on March 15, 2025.

“Fjora Birdie Torres flew into our lives on March 15, 2025,” Phil shared in an Instagram post on March 18. He later returned to the platform, updating fans about his upcoming absence from the show. In a Jan. 5, 2026, Instagram post ahead of the Season 11 premiere, he explained that he would miss the first episode but would assume his role in the second. “I was on paternity leave for the first episode, and will be back with the X team Jan. 14!” he captioned the promotional post.

So for anyone worried Phil had said his final goodbyes to Expedition X, think again. He returns in Episode 2, titled “Atomic Ape Cat,” where he and Heather “hunt a monstrous black cat with an ape-like face,” according to IMDb’s synopsis. Later in the season, the team will also explore North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, a location many often associate with the spirit of Blackbeard.

Phil’s absence in Season 11 of Expedition X isn’t the first time he’s been noticeably missing from the show. One fan pointed out in the comments of his Jan. 5, 2026, Instagram post that he had also missed the Season 10 premiere due to paternity leave. Phil acknowledged the comment, replying, “Yep! Filmed both of these episodes during that break, but they spread out the release of them.” So, while Phil may seem like a busy, outdoorsy guy, he’s also got a lot going on in his private life.

Phil is actually married to Norwegian model Silja Danielsen. The two tied the knot on Sept. 23, 2018, in Seattle, Wash. They originally connected in 2014 through a “mutual scientist friend,” according to Brides magazine. After getting engaged in August 2017, they married a year later. The couple went on to welcome their first child, daughter Atlis Bjear Torres, on March 20, 2022, the night of the Spring Equinox, per Discovery.

They later decided to expand their family again, welcoming their second daughter, Fjora Birdie Torres, in March 2025. Her name was inspired by one of Atlis’s first words, “Birdie,” Phil shared in his March 18, 2025, Instagram post announcing her birth.

He also revealed, “Fjora was born in her amniotic sac! A rare occurrence of only around one in several hundred thousand births.” Naturally, Phil’s announcement sparked congratulatory messages from both Heather and Jessica, with Heather calling them a “precious family” and Jessica describing Fjora as “adorable.”