Hunting the Unknown

When I say Brittany Barbieri is the real-life Barbie Doll Indiana Jones, I mean it. This woman can deep-dive into turtle poop one day, crack open decades-old UFO cases the next, and still show up looking like she walked out of a doll box, with brains, boots, and a burning need to expose the truth.

Brittany isn’t just the star of The Lost Monster Files on Discovery; with over twenty years of experience, she’s a certified ufologist, cryptozoologist, TV consultant, spiritual badass, and full-time mom who can talk mothmen, hauntings, and alien implants before breakfast. She’s got the looks of a movie star and the grit of a field scientist. And believe me, this woman does not play.

We first met on Instagram a gazillion years ago and became instant besties.  Brittany showed up with zero ego and a hell of a lot of knowledge. The friendship was instant. The interview? Overdue.

Brittany’s roots? They’re wild. Born in Tucson, raised near the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado (yes, that Stanley Hotel), she grew up immersed in ghost stories, western legends, and family UFO sightings. Her parents were that rare combo of practical and paranormal—her dad talked stars and space; her mom raised her on tales of Irish fae, leprechauns, and lake monsters. “I had ghost stories and alien sightings in my blood,” she told me. “Literally both sides of my family were wide open to it.”

Before she was on-screen chasing monsters, Brittany was modeling and working behind the scenes in film and TV. Oh, and casually consulting for shows. But her brain wouldn’t shut off. She needed answers and not the Googled kind. The real kind. So, she dove deep into libraries, maps, archives, and haunted fields. She’s one of the few women in the field who actually goes into the field, mud, ghosts and turtle poop included.

Let’s get one thing straight: Brittany doesn’t chase monsters. She hunts truth. On The Lost Monster Files, she dives into legendary cases with the heart of a historian and the fire of a scientist. Her inspiration? Ivan T. Sanderson, the OG zoologist who coined the term cryptozoology. Brittany’s now the unofficial torchbearer for his legacy, reintroducing real science to a field being overrun by TikTok hoaxes and self-published “monster hunters”. And that is what sets her apart.

“My job isn’t to hype fear,” she said. “It’s to dig deeper, find patterns, and push people to ask the right questions.” And dig she does. This woman literally unearthed 30+ vetted cryptid cases submitted them herself for potential show segments and still had time to pack lunches for her kids. Don’t ask how. I’m convinced she’s part vampire.

Let’s talk about her family, because honestly, it’s goals. Brittany’s husband isn’t in the paranormal at all, and that’s exactly what keeps her grounded. “When I raise an eyebrow, he knows—it’s time to get the kids out of the room,” she joked. Her daughter, only four, already senses spirits. And yes, Brittany is raising her babies with the same openness and protection that her mom and grandma gave her.

“My daughter walked into a house during an estate sale, took one step on the staircase, and immediately said, ‘I can’t go up there, Mommy. It’s bad.” So, what did Brittany do? She backed off. She listens. Because she knows what it’s like to grow up sensitive in a world that gaslights you. Her family isn’t just part of her brand; they’re her anchor.

Brittany was mentored in Ufology by legendary investigator and author Donald Schmitt and collaborates with Professor Jeff Meldrum on Sasquatch research. When it comes to UFOs and UAP reports, she works closely with Ben Hansen of Hypocenter Productions and serves as a consulting expert for shows like Station 2-1-1 and Fifth Kind.

Before making the paranormal her full-time focus, Brittany worked as an exotic animal trainer, a professional photographer, and spent years in film and television. Her on-camera credits include Unidentified with Demi Lovato, UFO Witness, and Jack Osbourne’s Night of Terror (Travel Channel, Virginia City season finale), and so much more.

That’s why she’s one of the most respected women in the field—and why people like Jack Osbourne, Ben Hansen, and major networks continue to work with her. Not because she’s flashy but because she’s the real deal.

Between her work on The Lost Monster Files and her non-stop investigations, Brittany’s not slowing down. She’s submitting new projects, researching the Arctic, oh, and raising two kids. 

So yeah, if Barbie had boots, brains, and a badass EVP recorder? She’d be Brittany Barbieri.