A New Travel Show Centering a Plus Size Person? Ohhh Yes! “Never Say Never” with Jeff Jenkins is One to Watch!

Jeff Jenkins (ChubbyDiaries) is an award-winning contented creator that helps chubby radical question the world. His infectious tone and can-do cognition has landed him his ain question show, “Never Say Never”, connected Nat Geo and Disney+ airing connected July 9th 2023 (mark your calendars).

Jeff’s cardinal connection is that everyone tin travel arsenic they are close now, nary substance their size, contention oregon background.

We had the privilege to talk with Jeff astir his upcoming show! But earlier you work connected and larn much astir this large & gangly traveler, instrumentality a peek astatine the trailer of “Never Say Never.”

Tell maine wherefore you wanted to marque this show?

Jeff: I cognize what my ngo is and this was different strategical mode to instrumentality my message.

Image via Nat Geo

Why the rubric “Never Say Never”?

Jeff: I instrumentality nary credit, that was Nat Geo. I gave them 3 titles that they tested and this rubric won. It was really a humble moment, due to the fact that this rubric tested amended than each the different ones. There wasn’t adjacent a adjacent second, truthful it made maine beryllium like.. okay….yeah.

How did you get into traveling? When was your archetypal trip?

Jeff: The archetypal travel that I tin genuinely retrieve wherever I was like, “Hey man, I similar this question thing!” Like going from spot to place, it’s really a small pugnacious story.

My ma was fleeing from Florida to Connecticut due to the fact that of a home unit contented betwixt her and her hubby astatine the time. We took a Greyhound from Orlando, Florida each the mode to Connecticut, which was a time oregon 2 process.

To beryllium connected that bus, to spot each those trees, and each these caller things, going done metropolis to city, stopping astatine remainder areas and each that stuff, I was like, “Oh I similar this! I similar this a lot!”

To beryllium honest, I was excited astir it. I was similar 4 oregon 5 years old, truthful it’s not similar I knew a lot. I didn’t cognize the magnitude of what was happening successful my mom’s beingness astatine the time, but that was precise significant. 

So, it was your archetypal consciousness of adventure?

Jeff: Yeah, my ma wrapped it up similar that, similar it was an adventure.

Image via Nat Geo

Sounds similar your ma is simply a precise brave woman.

Jeff: She truly is. I beryllium her truthful much.

45 countries! What was your astir positive size affable country?

Jeff: South Africa. Doing the antithetic experiences, determination were tons of positive size men and women. There were a batch much accommodations made for everyone. I would spell to a edifice and they’d person nary limb chairs and I thought that was fantastic. The antithetic excursions I did, I was capable to bash them without immoderate complications oregon anything.

Least Plus size friendly?

Jeff: About that.. It has to beryllium determination successful Europe.

Was it much similar an attitude, oregon similar you couldn’t acceptable successful the seats and stuff?

Jeff: Yeah, I’m going much truthful successful that sense. Europe has each these aged buildings. Like tiny doors. The radical successful Europe person been large successful the consciousness of that way. But similar limb chairs, integrative chairs, not plus-size friendly.

Most of these South Asian countries are connected the aforesaid boat, too. And I would adjacent accidental Vietnam mightiness be, with adding radical to it, whitethorn beryllium my slightest positive size affable place. Mostly the stares. It made maine precise uncomfortable. I don’t cognize if it’s due to the fact that I was achromatic oregon fat. But I deliberation it was due to the fact that I was abdominous due to the fact that determination were immoderate different achromatic radical with america that weren’t getting stares.

Image via Nat Geo

Have you felt harmless traveling arsenic a Black man? Do you bash probe earlier traveling to guarantee your safety?

Jeff: I really consciousness much harmless traveling extracurricular of the state than wrong the country. I decidedly for the astir portion consciousness safe. I bash my research. A batch of times, I cognize radical that person gone earlier maine and that helps retired a lot.

Outside of the Caribbean, I ne'er consciousness discriminated against. I’ve gotten much favoritism from the Carribeans. It comes from edifice oregon work staff. I deliberation it’s 1 of those things, they deliberation achromatic patrons are better, truthful it’s a bias.

I’ve learned however to header with it. There are times I’ve stood up for myself, too. And the infinitesimal I brought consciousness to it, they changed and gave maine the acquisition and the aforesaid work that everyone other was getting. 

Do you person a bucket database travel that you would dice to do?

Jeff: ANTARCTICA! I truly privation to bash it connected the ship. I privation to bash the transition that feels similar we’re astir to extremity implicit but we aren’t. People person told maine astir the lack of sound. You’ll beryllium determination and you tin perceive your heartbeat. Yes, that is thing I privation to experience! And for maine to beryllium capable to accidental I’ve been to each the continents. 

It looks similar you spell connected rather adventurous feats during the show… What were you astir acrophobic to try? 

Jeff: Climbing a 70 ft stone cliff. Yes, similar virtually basal climbing. Hands and feet, that’s it! You’ll person to hold and find retired if I marque it up the mountain, but it was decidedly a feat.

The much you went up, you lone had a small portion of rock, similar you wouldn’t adjacent deliberation you could get a grip connected it. It’s really making maine a spot tense present reasoning astir it.

Are you acrophobic of heights?

Jeff: I’m acrophobic of falling. I emotion heights if I’m secure. It’s the fearfulness of falling.

Totally get that! What was the astir fun?!

Jeff: I got to Sumo wrestle with a erstwhile satellite champion. I trained similar a Sumo, the full thing. The full intent was to liberate the thought of shame that mightiness travel from being a larger person.

I emotion the word you use, “Isolation fears.” How tin your mean chubby traveler guarantee they volition beryllium capable to partake successful an enactment portion traveling?

Jeff: I ever say, bash your research. Look up the excursion and find retired the dimensions, telephone ahead, the website mightiness adjacent fto you cognize if they person thing you tin use, oregon modifications.

I deliberation this amusement and my connection person been that I was 1 of the archetypal oregon largest radical to bash immoderate of these excursions, and these circuit operators recovered retired they tin easy marque a modification. So, we’re hopefully being capable to amusement different circuit operators that they tin bash it, too.

Image via Nat Geo

Was determination immoderate escapade that you couldn’t bash owed to deficiency of accommodations?

Jeff: TV is amazing. And it played to what I already knew what humans were susceptible of doing. A batch of radical accidental positive size radical can’t bash this excursion due to the fact that of safety. But humans are creative.

I mean, determination are airplanes, skyscrapers, it’s each astir being innovative. Disney does a large occupation with that, it’s much positive size affable than immoderate different taxable park, you person to beryllium originative and person positive size radical successful caput erstwhile gathering retired an excursion.

Was determination immoderate enactment you refused oregon would garbage to do?

Jeff: Bungee jumping is disconnected the list. 

What’s the astir unsocial nutrient you’ve eaten portion traveling?

Jeff: In Japan, they enactment each of the chickenhearted connected the stick, each piece. They’ll grill it and barbecue that atrocious boy. It was truly bad… not good. The heart, liver and tegument weren’t good, but each different portion of the chickenhearted was great. The chickenhearted feet really weren’t bad, but the organs didn’t enactment for me.

I besides ate a scorpion successful Thailand. It tasted similar a popcorn kernel. The ones that get stuck successful your teeth, it’s that texture and crunch. It wasn’t meaty astatine all, truthful it was conscionable hollow. I ate it erstwhile and called it a day.

Image via Nat Geo

Do you usually solo-travel? If so, why?

Jeff: Majority of the clip it’s solo oregon with a camera person. Sometimes my woman gets to travel with me. Although my occupation is amazingly fun, it’s inactive my business. It’s decidedly work.

What’s your favourite question accessory?

Jeff: It’s not truly a question accessory, but this telephone is my life. I utilized to question earlier iPhones were out. I had to look up Rick Steves books and Lonely Planet conscionable to get my itinerary oregon to cognize wherever to go.

So, to beryllium capable to bash truthful much, from transportation, to directions to damn adjacent everything, I’ll ne'er permission location without it.

Also, a life straw is ever a bully idea. And I emotion my portable speaker.

Will determination beryllium a play 2?

Jeff: We don’t cognize yet. We’re astir getting to a spot wherever we’ll find retired soon.

Where bash you anticipation to spell from here?

Jeff: Make much dope contented and I’d emotion to beryllium successful a spot to marque my ain shows. Give different radical opportunities that I’ve had.

I emotion your slogan, “Live Life Now!” Do you person immoderate encouraging words to permission with the readers?

Jeff: A batch of times it is conscionable astir committing. There are astir apt truthful galore things you’ve thought astir doing, it’s been connected your bucket list, present it’s clip to perpetrate to it and spell for it!

How chill is this amusement going to be?! We volition beryllium tuned in… volition you??

When we deliberation astir positive size practice connected TV, “Never Say Never” is simply a chill caller summation to what we volition person entree to. We’ve highlighted various positive size groups connected FB centered astir travel, and astir precocious Hiking communities, too!

I anticipation that this amusement inspires a caller question of positive size radical taking that escapade they’ve ever wanted to, particularly aft watching “Never Say Never!”

Sooooo, ticker enactment anyone?