Some of the best reality shows ever have come out of Bravo, including the behemoth Real Housewives franchise. I'm a super fan personally, and make sure to tune in to all the cities as they air on TV and streaming with a Peacock subscription. My personal favorite is Salt Lake City, which had a trip to Greece as well as a crossover with Below Deck Down Under this past season. The latter show just premiered, showing the crew's perspective off all the drama. And there's one insane plot line that might have hooked me into the full season.

I've never watched an episode of any Below Deck show before, but I tuned in this week to see more of the cast of RHOSLC, especially my fave Angie Katsanevas. While it was fun seeing the upstairs/downstairs drama of their time on the yacht, one story about the crew blew my mind... and might keep me watching though all of Below Deck Down Under's fourth season.

I Can't Get Over Alesia Being A Sous Chef Who Can't Cook At All.

The Housewives were offscreen for the fist half of Below Deck's premiere, allowing us to meet the crew who would be the main stars of the Bravo series. While it was fun to see them narrate the Salt Lake City women's various fights onboard, I was truly baffled by the fact that Sous Chef Alesia Harris fully has no idea how to cook.

While I've never worked in the luxury environment of a yacht, I was in the service industry for a number of years, across three corporate restaurants. I know too well the importance of a strong Sous, who is essentially the right-hand man of the Chef. Even folks who haven't been servers have watched The Bear (streaming with a Hulu subscription) and seen this essential dynamic at play.

When Alesia said that she "wasn't trained" as a chef, it definitely gave me reason to pause, but I initially gave her the benefit of the doubt. After all, I worked with some BOH employees who learned on the job rather than going to Culinary School. But then she started trying to work alongside Head Chef Ben Robinson, and her lack of skills became a glaring (and baffling) storyline that I'm fully invested in.

The level at which Alesia couldn't cook was more than anything I could have guessed. She struggled with basics like cooking an omelette, chopping up greens for a salad, and even choosing a plate for chicken tenders to go on. And her bravery in not only taking the job on The Katina but allowing herself to be filmed as she floundered is a quality I wish I had.

All that being said, I don't love the way that Chef Ben speaks to her. He's constantly calling her pet names, which I found to be lowkey inappropriate. And I don't think that yelling at her is going to make any situation better. But I do share his confused reaction to her having seemingly no skills in the kitchen.

This storyline is by far the one I'm most invested in after one episode of Below Deck Down Under, and they've hooked me enough that I'm gonna keep watching even after the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City crossover ends. And I have to wonder how many Housewives fans might be on the same boat (pun intended).

Below Deck Down Under airs new episodes Mondays on Bravo as part of the 2026 TV schedule. As for RHOSLC, the entire show is streaming no on Peacock. Now let's all say a prayer for Alesia.

When Below Deck Down Under’s second season ended, fans weren’t sure if they would see Captain Jason Chambers again. That was due to the sophomore season being marked by sexual misconduct/assault allegations regarding various crew members. Ultimately, Bravo chose not to hold the unfortunate season against the fan-favorite Captain Jason Chambers — who was not involved in the allegations. What is changing, though, is that as Season 3 hits the 2025 TV schedule, a major crew member is being added.

For the first time in Below Deck franchise history, a sous chef has been added to help aid the consistently overworked chef. This is definitely a massive milestone, and I hope the other shows take note.

Who Is Below Deck Down Under's First Sous Chef?

The crew sizes always differ from season to season and show to show in the Below Deck franchise. So its amazing that after 12 years on the air, a sous chef has finally been added to the ranks of the culinary team. Anthony Bird was introduced in the first episode of Below Deck Down Under Season 3 alongside the rest of the new crew, including the returning Head Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and deckhand Harry Van Vliet.

As much as fans have begged for a sous chef to be added to help alleviate the workload for the underpaid crew members, Head Chef Mace-Ralph seemed more apprehensive towards the idea. Upon first meeting Bird, the two got off to a rocky start, which, honestly, was to be expected, given the kind of drama that accompanies a reality TV show like this.

Bird asserted that his skills would be enough to assist during guest meals and that he could work as a team alongside Mace-Ralph. The latter had other plans, though. Not wanting to compromise her name or the guest experience, Mace-Ralph regulated Bird to hand the crew meals and dishwashing duties, which frustrated the young sous chef.

This is only the season premiere, so it’s understandable that both talented chefs are butting heads. I have high hopes that they’ll figure it out and realize that they are there to help each other instead of competing against one another. And, should they eventually mesh, they can set a standard for other spinoffs.

Why I Hope The Other Shows In The Below Deck Franchise Follow Suit

There are a few reasons why other BD shows should consider a sous chef. First off, for years now, fans of the franchise (like myself) have been vocal about the lack of help the chefs on board the super yachts receive. Not only are they responsible for cooking up gourmet, multi-course meals for difficult guests with varying palates and preferences every day, but they’re also tasked with feeding the crew and keeping the kitchen in a clean and organized state. There have also been instances in which the Head Chef has been woken up during their allotted breaks and rest times to make additional meals for demanding guests.

It’s a lot of responsibility for one crew member to bear. Occasionally, members of the interior team will step in to help but, without culinary experience, that sometimes leads to more stress. And, in some instances, it causes more drama that can even end with the chef being fired — which happened on Season 11 of Below Deck.

With an additional kitchen team member, the two chefs could split responsibilities, allowing them to get more work done and even have some much-needed downtime. It would also help aid the nonsensical drama that sometimes occurs between the chef and interior team since they wouldn’t former wouldn’t need to rely on their help so much.

And, of course, it also adds potential for more drama, as fans saw with the premiere episode of Down Under. Not only will there be tension between the two chefs, but it also adds an additional person to get swept up in boat romances and other drama. Nevertheless, the addition of a sous chef could be invaluable for the points mentioned above, and one can only hope that this becomes commonplace within this franchise.

You can catch new episodes of Below Deck Down Under on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo or by streaming them with an active Peacock subscription the next day.

Below Deck fans have been incredibly vocal about their feelings regarding Season 11's nonsensical drama, taking to social media to air their opinions and grievances almost immediately. Most of the time, they’ve been in agreeance. For instance, they all seemed to agree that Fraser Olender was this season’s villain and even banded together to support the new chef after the interior team tried to outrank him. However, reactions to a car argument in the finale have definitely been a mixed bag.

As many witnessed last night, Season 11 ended with heated back-and-forth that broke out between 2nd Stewardess Xandi Olivier and Stewardess Barbie Pascual while on the way back to the yacht after their final night out. It’s not the first time these two have disagreed, as they've been getting on each others’ nerves the entire season. However, it did mark the first time they really got into it. While the crew seemed to rally behind Xandi, the fans are having a harder time deciding which crew member was actually in the wrong. 

Xandi And Barbie Get Into The Worst Argument Of The Season 

This has been a tumultuous season for the two stewardesses, to say the least, and this finale moment was serious. Likely feeling the courage of copious amounts of alcohol (which always seems to ruin reality TV) after their final night out, Xandi made a comment on the car ride home. She asserted that she would have let Barbie go if she had more of a say in who got fired. Naturally, this angered Barbie, who felt like the interior team, specifically Xandi, had been against her from the very beginning. 

Xandi tried to clarify her statement, saying that Barbie had improved since coming on board with a bad attitude and that she was glad she made it to the end. Yet the latter wasn’t thrilled with the secondhand praise and instead lashed out. As Barbie continued to shout about her grievance and the lack of support she received from everyone, including her “boatman” partner Kyle, Xandi seemed to suffer from an anxiety attack. 

As the St. David rallied behind Xandi and tried to get Barbie to stop yelling, matters only got worse. In the end, Barbie ended up packing her things and storming off the boat at two in the morning.

Fans Aren’t Sure Which Stewardess Was In The Wrong

Thankfully, the argument stayed verbal, with neither woman getting their hands on the other, but both reactions have left fans wondering who really was in the wrong. As more and more tweets piled up on X, clear teams were drawn, with some fans rallying behind Barbie and others giving support to Xandi. 

Team Barbie seem to agree that Xandi’s comment was unnecessary and out of line. A number of fans also aren’t fond of how she managed to become the victim in the entire thing with her reaction to being yelled at, despite being the one who got Barbie fired up to begin with:

Interestingly enough, Team Xandi also seemed to agree that her comment was unnecessary. While they weren’t thrilled with the delivery, many did share Xandi’s same sentiments, arguing that Barbie never shed her entitlement and attitude and was difficult to work with on several occasions:

After watching the season myself, it’s clear that both women have fair points. Barbie struggled with her work ethic at times, and Xandi made situations more difficult for her by not supporting her. While everyone is busy taking a side between the two women, one fan broke through the noise by recognizing who really started this entire mess -- Fraser:

Had Fraser been an actual leader like he was supposed to, he never would have turned the interior team against Barbie. He also should have figured out a way to defuse the argument in the car instead of immediately coming to Xandi’s aid when she couldn’t take the heat. 

While the argument might have made for explosive TV, all it’s really done is divide the already struggling Below Deck fandom. The childish final antics all proved to many that this cast was not great, with many hoping to never see them on Bravo again:

Thankfully, this season of Below Deck is now over, but you can still catch up on all the drama by streaming the episodes with an Peacock subscription. Also, Below Deck Mediterranean Season 9 premieres Monday, June 3rd on Bravo at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule, and it promises a whole new kind of drama fans won’t want to miss. 

Below Deck continues to struggle as the drama between crew members simmers closer to explosive territories. This week it wasn’t just Chief Stew Fraser who found himself at odds with Chef Nick, who replaced beloved Chef Anthony after his firing, but also Steward Paris. It seems like the interior team can’t figure out how to support the kitchen, and fans are sick of the nonsensical drama. They were quick to take to social media to defend him, but I have mixed feelings about all the praise. 

In case you haven’t caught this week’s episode or streamed it with a Peacock subscription yet, here’s what you missed: Frustrated with Nick’s lack of communication with him, Fraser seemed to pass his duties off to Paris this charter. While it’s not unusual for a lower-status steward to help out during food services, it was surprising to see Paris challenge every decision Nick was making. Not only did she demand that he add more garnish to the plates, but she also completely changed the service plans during the beach lunch and later even criticized his crepe-making skills as if she were a professional chef. 

Fans Are Praising Chef Nick For Keeping His Cool This Week 

Chefs on reality shows aren’t known for keeping an even temper — just look at Chef Gordon Ramsay who rose to television fame by shouting insults at contestants on Hell’s Kitchen — but Nick appeared to do just that this week, at least in some fans’ eyes:

It’s one thing for the interior to micromanage the chef if the food isn’t up to standard, but Chef Nick has faced no complaints from the last two charters he’s been on. Even Captain Kerry has praised his work, much to the chagrin of Fraser. The fact that he’s excelling at the job he’s been hired to do is yet another reason why fans, like the one below, can’t help but root for his success and defend him against the interior team. 

It shouldn’t be up to Below Deck fans to defend a Chef who appears to be doing a great job in the eyes of the guests. In fact, if Fraser was the type of leader he claims to be, he would have pulled Paris from food service before he got called into Captain Kerry’s office at the end of the episode. 

But He’s Not Perfect, And Fans Shouldn’t Treat Him As Such

As much as I agree with all the things fans are saying about Chef Nick online after this week’s episode, there is a part of me that is apprehensive of all the support he’s getting. Sure, he’s a great chef, but he’s also been caught on multiple occasions making snide and often misogynistic comments to and about Paris.

Last week was ripe with his rude comments about Paris, even calling her his third favorite stew. Things got even worse this week when he said in his confessional that she should go “scrub toilets” instead of judging the way he does his job. 

Sure, Paris’s job might entail cleaning bathrooms after the charter guests, but Nick said it in a derogatory way that rubbed me the wrong way. It felt less like a gentle reminder to “stay in her lane” and more of a comment about how she is beneath him and should remember that. Besides, it’s not the first time he made a comment like that about her.

It would be a lot easier for me to support Chef Nick like the countless other fans if he told Paris to stick to her job and he’ll stick to his in a respectable, adult manner. Instead, the two continue to play games, spurred on by the villainous Fraser’s own medalling. 

With only one charter left this season, it’s unlikely that any of the three drama offenders will face any real consequences like joining the handful of fired cast members from this season. At this point, I'll take the frivolous boat romances over this tasteless drama. 

You can catch next week's episode on Monday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo, also make sure to check out the 2024 TV schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen soon. 

With a new chef and charter guests who were both polite and appreciative (unlike

RHONY alumni Jill Zarin who fans couldn't stand) this week’s episode of Below Deck should have been a breeze for the St. David crew members. Unfortunately, that was not the case and fans of the reality series were forced to watch them continue to bicker over irrelevant things instead of focusing on the job at hand. 

While drama is usually a great thing for reality TV,  fans of the yachting franchise are growing tired of the same contrite drama happening over and over again. One would think that the producers would have learned something when so many fans took to social media to express their hatred in Season 8 of Below Deck Med. However, it seems like they haven’t since the original series that's currently airing on the 2024 TV schedule is making the same mistakes. If there’s one thing that Bravo fans are good at, it’s making their annoyances known on social media and this time is no different.

The Fraser Vs. The Food Drama Continues With A New Chef 

Despite being tasked as the Cheif Steward responsible for keeping the interior team running smoothly, Fraser continues to cause drama. From the very start of Season 11, he’s been a problem with many fans calling him the villain of the St. David. 

Two weeks ago, Fraser had a hand in getting the beloved Chef Anthony fired, and fans were not pleased about it. Now, Fraser is stuck dealing with the consequences of his actions as he clashes with Chef Nick. Fans might be more sympathetic to Fraser’s feelings had he not been so unhelpful to the former chef. However, that's not the case, and fans are reacting like this:

Instead of being happy that Chef Nick hasn’t made the same mistakes that Anthony made in regard to guests’ preference plates, Fraser spent the entire episode nitpicking the lack of garnish on the plates. This would have been a valid criticism had the guests brought it up, but they were more than pleased with their food. 

To make matters worse, instead of confronting Nick himself, he had his interior team do his dirty work for him which isn’t something someone in a leadership role should ever do. 

All this is to say, fans, like this one below, are not happy with him:

Of course, Fraser didn’t stop there. Just like he did with Chef Anthony and his personal issues with Barbie, he ran straight to Captain Kerry in the hopes of getting him fired. Thankfully, the Captain is on to Fraser’s game and put him in his place, once again, which fans appreciated:

Captain Kerry is a true leader. Maybe Fraser can learn a thing or two from him. 

The Boat Romances Have Somehow Gotten Worse Since Last Week 

Last week’s disastrous episode should have proven why boat romances are not a good idea, and yet the St. David crew hasn’t learned a thing. These relationships are usually fun to watch, but that has not been the case this season as fans are sick of the immature games and choices the crew members are making. 

Ben and Sunny’s will-they, won’t-they relationship seemed like it came to an end last week after he tried to get back with his ex Camille. Sunny was heartbroken, relying on the interior team to support her as she made it clear that she was done with him for good. Unfortunately, their break didn’t last long and Sunny found herself falling for Ben’s game again to the horror of many fans, like the one below, who see him for the player he is. 

Sunny needs the interior ladies to give her tough love and remind her that Ben is a giant jerk who doesn’t deserve her. A boat romance, especially with a guy who only wants you because he can’t have someone else, is not worth the stress or your reputation. 

Sunny and Ben aren’t the only crew members who have developed feelings for each other. A few episodes ago Barbie and Kyle finally took their flirtatious friendship to the next level. Things should be smooth sailing for the two who are very clearly into each other, but Barbie’s been too busy worrying about what her father is going to say about it. 

Perhaps fans would be more sympathetic to Barbie’s conflicting feelings if Kyle was a bad guy, but he’s not. He’s actually the most respectable of the bunch. There is no reason for her to be this conflicted about a consensual adult relationship, and yet she continues to cry about what her father is going to think about it. X User @Dustin_Cone said it best, tweeting:

Thankfully, by the end of the episode Barbie had come to her senses and realized that she’s an adult who can make her own decisions. Hopefully, she holds firm with her decision and doesn’t backslide like Sunny did. 

There are two more episodes of Below Deck Season 11 and for the franchise’s sake, I really hope the St. David crew gets their act together. Part of what makes the yachting show so much fun is getting to watch the crew have fun with each other while also judging the ridiculous charter guests behind their backs. The sooner the series gets back to that, the better. 

If you’re interested in seeing how this season plays out, don’t forget to tune in to Bravo next Monday at 9 p.m. ET or stream the episode the next day with a Peacock subscription. 

Season 11 of Below Deck has been the farthest from smooth sailing, leading many diehard fans to wonder if the franchise is in trouble. From losing two crew members in one episode to last week’s firing of the fan-favorite chef, the St. David crew just can’t seem to catch a break. While this week’s episode saw the crew members with a better group of charter guests than the previous episodes, which included an appearance by RHONY alumni Jill Zarin, the crew members still found ways to bicker with each other regarding their various boat romances. 

Fans were once again treated to the drama unfolding between Bosen Ben and Lead Deckhand Sunny. This time things got even worse when Ben imploded his undefined relationship in an attempt to get back with his former boat “situationship” Camille, who was not interested. As if that’s not bad enough, fans also witnessed the aftermath of Stewardess Barbie and Deckhand Kyle’s shenanigans after last week’s night out. 

Mixing work with pleasure is never a good idea, and it’s even worse when you’re living quarters are also where you work. And yet, for some reason, that has never stopped the various Below Deck crew members over the years from trying to do just that. Best case scenario it ends in heartbreak, worst case scenario it ends with someone having to leave the charter season completely. Though the crew members aboard St. David have had to learn the hard way that boat romances are never a good idea, they should have known better because there are a handful of reasons why these types of relationships basically never work. 

The Boat Romances Are Never Clearly Defined Leaving One Party Often Wanting More Than The Other 

On a personal level, the biggest reason so many Below Deck romances between the crew members fail is because they never clearly define the relationship. Communication is key when it comes to these complicated pairings, and yet none of the people involved in them are ever mature enough to sit down and really talk things out. Perhaps, that’s because of their young age or, more likely, it’s because they don’t actually want to be tied down to just one person. 

To be fair, Sunny did try this season to explain her expectations to Ben when the two of them started getting closer. She sat him down on more than one occasion and explained how certain behaviors (like him openly flirting with stewardess Cat when she joined the crew) made her uncomfortable. Despite initially hearing her out, Ben never followed through with his actions. 

Perhaps the biggest offense happened this week when Ben started posting on social media about Camille while still being intimate with Sunny. Instead of owning up to his mistakes, he gaslit her into believing their failing relationship was all her fault. Fans immediately took to social media to call out Ben’s atrocious behavior. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dethrones Fraser as this season’s villain. 

Boat Romances Always Interfere With The Important Work That Needs To Be Done

One of the biggest reasons why boat romances are not a good idea is because they always end up affecting how the crew members handle the important and often dangerous work that needs to be done. Dealing with yachts is not an easy task, and the crew should have a clear head when working instead of worrying about who they’re going to bed with when their shift is over. 

In Ben and Sunny’s case, not only have their arguments backed them into uncomfortable corners where they’re forced to work alongside each other despite wanting distance, but it’s also come to affect the rest of the deckhands too. Albeit not fair, the minute Sunny was named as Lead Deckhand, Dylan immediately blamed the promotion on her relationship with Ben instead of on the impressive skills she has. 

Stewardess Barbie was smart enough to catch feelings for a coworker who was in a different department, but it still didn’t stop their drama from affecting her work. This was clear in the latest episode to air on the 2024 TV schedule when she confided in Fraser (of all people) that she was having a rough day thanks to all the teasing she’d be receiving after sleeping with Kyle. 

As much as they try to deny it, it affects the guy’s work abilities too. Instead of focusing on cleaning up the yacht before the next charter, Ben and Kyle spent much of the time moping around wondering what’s wrong with the girls they’re interested in instead of taking a look in the mirror. In doing so, they neglected to clean certain areas of the boat that Captain Kerry had to point out. 

Everyone Will Always Have An Opinion About The Relationship 

While it’s true that no relationship goes without outside input from friends and family, the Below Deck boat romances are almost always under heavy scrutiny from the other crew members on board, as well as the fans when the episodes start to air. This can sour even the best relationships if everyone is constantly telling you that you deserve to be with someone better. 

Season 11 is a perfect example of this. As far as I can remember, there hasn’t been one episode this season that one of the girls hasn’t pulled Sunny aside and told her that she deserves better than Ben. The even worse example of this happened this week when Ben, having listened to Kyle vent all day long, took it upon himself to tell Barbie that she needed to have a chat with him about where the two of them stood. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! 

Unfortunately, No One On Below Deck Ever Learns 

Eleven seasons of Below Deck and several spin-offs later, one would think that future crewmembers would swear off relationships while they’re working and the cameras are filming. However, that has never been the case. Diehard Below Deck fans have been watching romances and flings destroy things on these charters for years now. 

It happened last season on Below Deck Mediterranean when Luka found himself interested in stewardesses Nat and Jessika, while also smitten with a former crew member from a previous charter season. Even this season’s Chief Stew, Fraser, has found himself in hot waters before. In Season 9, he was a willing member in a three-way hot tub kiss that left many fans speculating about his relationship status with the two other crew members involved. And based on a teaser for next week’s episode the Chief Stew might find himself lip-locked again, only this time with a charter guest.

This season isn’t the first where love has threatened how smoothly the charter runs and it won’t be the last. While I personally think boat romances are never a good idea, they do make for good TV, so I can’t be too mad about them. If you are interested in seeing how things play out for the handful of failing romances aboard St. David don’t forget to tune in to Bravo next Monday at 9 p.m. ET or stream them the next day with a Peacock subscription.  

The Below Deck franchise continues to struggle, as Season 11 faces more rocky waters. The season got off to a rough start with two crew members leaving the St. David during a single episode. And that development was followed by some of the all-time worst charter guests of all time, including Jill Zarin of Real Housewives of New York fame. To make matters worse, the crew has also been dealing with tension amongst themselves. This week saw the deckhands fighting about who truly deserved the “lead deckhand” position, while the interior continues to clash with Chief Stew Fraser, who is quickly becoming the villain of this season. Now, another member has exited the show, and fans like myself are not happy.

A series of terrible charters should have bonded the crew, but it has only made things worse. It's not exactly the most ideal time for the St. David to deal with the loss of yet another crew member. So let's break down who departed in this week's installment, which you can stream now with a Peacock subscription. 

Who Was Fired From The Crew And Why?

A new face in the Below Deck franchise, Chef Anthony Iracane instantly won the hearts of fans tuning in. Unfortunately, his charismatic charm wasn’t enough to protect his job when things started going sideways. 

While the chef had a few bumps in the beginning, the taste of his food made up for poor timing. All that changed, however, when Jill Zarin stepped on board, making work for the underpaid crew members harder. Plagued with confusing preferences and not enough guidance from the interior, Anthony made a handful of mistakes that impacted the guests’ experience. Ultimately, he wasn’t able to bounce back and continued to flounder on the latest charter, once again becoming confused with guests’ preference sheets. 

The state of his kitchen while he was cooking also became a moot point for Chief Stew Fraser Olender, who regularly found himself criticizing Chef Anthony instead of helping him out. In the end, it was a series of bad tips that most likely stemmed from poor food service that led Captain Kerry to fire Anthony this week. 

How Fans Are Rallying Behind The Ousted Below Deck Star

This isn’t the first time a chef has been fired on Below Deck, but it is one of the first instances that I can remember myself and so many fans being so utterly upset about it. Did Chef Anthony make mistakes? Absolutely but, unlike the other departments on the super yacht, he’s the only one in charge of the kitchen. Cooking for 10+ people with different preferences, who all want to eat at the same time, and managing to keep the crew fed is a stressful job for one person to handle. 

As X User AnnieDuff pointed out, the cook is also dealing with dyslexia, which made it more difficult for him to understand the preference sheets: 

As mentioned, in addition to the confusing and demanding nature of the charter guests, Chef Anthony also had to deal with being the only one in charge of his department. On top of that, he'd also never worked on a super yacht up to this point.

The larger reason why fans, like myself, are upset about the chef’s firing is because it could have been avoided. While it’s true that only one person is ever responsible for the cooking, in the past, the interior team has come to aid the chef during dinner services. The St. David crew never offered Chef Anthony any assistance and instead stood by and watched him go at it alone. I can’t even begin to count how many times Fraser stood ideally by, judging instead of rolling up his sleeves and helping. It's like X User @esteco2 pointed out: 

Adding insult to injury is the fact that Chef Anthony was one of the nicest crew members on board the yacht. He never had any drama with the others and he mostly kept to himself. All he wanted to do was prove his abilities to himself and his deceased dad. Even after being fired, he returned to the kitchen to clean things up, proving just how amazing he is. Check out what user @NattyNiGhT posted:

With only a handful of episodes left, Chef Anthony should have been able to redeem himself. Thankfully, it seems like he’s not giving up just yet. In his confessional, after the firing, he admitted that this wouldn’t be the last time Below Deck fans see him. I hope he’s right! 

The ship definitely won’t be the same without him, but fans should continue tuning in every Monday at 9 p.m. ET as new episodes continue to air as part of the 2024 TV schedule.

The second part of last week’s tumultuous Below Deck episode featuring RHONY alumni Jill Zarin aired this week, and her actions were somehow even worse despite that she was only being in the first half. She continued to give back-handed compliments, narrated the stressful docking experience the crew was managing, and still spoke over the primary guest. Zarin -- one of the well-salaried Housewives stars -- even went as far as being the first one to hug and thank the crew when the vacation finally ended. All that’s to say that fans weren’t the only ones who breathed a sigh of relief when she finally left — even Captain Kerry celebrated the end of the charter. However, with one "villain" gone, another has emerged from within the St. David crew. 

It’s not uncommon for there to be some crew-on-crew fighting within this franchise, like during the maligned Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8. But the feud between Chief Stew Fraser Olender and Steward Barbie Pascual is a new type of tension for fans of the reality series. For context, the two got off to a rocky start at the beginning of the season, yet, Barbie gradually put in tremendous work to prove herself worthy of a crew position on board the St. David. Unfortunately, Fraser doesn’t seem to agree and has taken a page out of Jill Zarin’s handbook, spending the rest of Episode 10 complaining to everyone about Barbie’s so-called disrespectful and unprofessional behavior.  

However, fans don’t seem to agree and have unofficially dubbed him the new villain of the series. One took to X, sharing the following: 

Here’s the thing, crew members are always going to clash on this show, considering they’re working amid high-stakes and close quarters. However, Fraser’s treatment of Barbie this week is honestly uncalled for. Not only did she take the brunt of Zarin’s criticisms, but she also did most of the work on this charter. Instead of staying behind to help with a complicated lunch service last week, Fraser opted to help set up the beach excursion and then never returned to the yacht. Still down a stew, Barbie was forced to handle all the housekeeping duties by herself and was immediately criticized for not doing enough work. 

It’s no surprise that she was irritated with both Fraser and her other stewardess co-worker. Perhaps, Barbie should have voiced the concerns to Fraser instead of not saying anything. Though, in fairness, he's had a history of dismissing her concerns, so it’s really no surprise she went about things the way she did. As one X user pointed out, if he actually listened to her, maybe she’d feel comfortable talking to him: 

The ironic element here is that Fraser doesn’t even take his own advice. Instead of trying to have a civil conversation with Barbie to hash things out, he corners the new stewardess joining the team and starts bad-mouthing her right away. Thankfully, the new stewardess, Paris Field, wasn’t ready to take his word for it and chose to talk to Barbie herself. She made such a positive impression on fans, that some have already started hoping she’ll somehow become the Chief Stew:

Maybe if Fraser’s only issue was with Barbie, his villain attitude could be overlooked. But the fact of the matter is he also has a problem with Chef Anthony. Despite starting out as friends with him, Fraser has continuously talked behind the chef’s back, calling him unprepared and disorganized. However, he never jumps in to help when he definitely can, as pointed out by social media commenters:

On one hand, the crew is surely relieved that Jill Zarin is no longer aboard. But, on the other hand, fans may now be witnessing an even worse villain -- one who won't be leaving anytime soon. If I'm being honest, it seems unlikely that Fraser is ever going to admit to his mistakes and, baring a coup from the crew members, there's no way Captain Kerry will fire him. Regardless, there's still half a season left, which means anything can happen. 

If you missed the episode or any of the current season of Below Deck (which includes two crew members leaving the ship in the same episode) you can stream it now using a Peacock subscription. And don’t forget to tune in next week for a brand-new episode when it airs on Monday, April 15, at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule.

In the world of Bravo reality shows, crossovers and drama are pretty common. “Bravolebrities” regularly make guest appearances on each other shows or sometimes even find themselves charter guests on board the many yachts featured within the Below Deck franchise. When appearing on the hit sailing series, these reality stars are typically the “primary guest” on board, meaning they are the ones fronting the bill for the luxury vacation. However, that was not the case on the latest Below Deck episode which featured Jill Zarin of Real Housewives of New York stardom. And, in the aftermath of her appearance, fans and series cast members were not pleased. 

For those who aren’t well-versed in their Bravo history, Jill Zarin was one of the original members of the New York-based offshoot of the franchise. She appeared on the first four seasons as a full-time cast member and then left, before returning in a guest role for Seasons 9-12. During her tenure, she went from a fan favorite to arguably one of the most despised cast members. Though it’s been a while since reality TV fans have seen her in fresh content, all it took was a few minutes of screen time on Below Deck for them to remember why she’s no longer their favorite. One took to X and posted the following:

From the minute she stepped onto the St. David yacht, she was vying for the “Primary Guest” role despite not paying for the vacation. Not only that, but one of the first words out of her mouth was a reminder to Captain Kerry and the rest of the crew that she had chartered yachts before. From there, the situation only got worse, as she nitpicked details, including the fact that her bathroom wasn’t stocked with toiletries. Another viewer comment on her critiques:

While the first dinner service went off without a hitch — an impressive feat given the extensive dietary restrictions this group has — lunch was not as successful. Instead of being courteous to the crew that was clearly frazzled but trying their best, Jill Zarin arguably made everything worse. She tried to play it off as her being a concerned and experienced charter guest wanting to take the crew to the next level. However, fans now seem to view her as nothing more than a spoiled woman with a penchant for complaining.  

After the disastrous lunch, Captain Kerry and Chef Anthony Iracane sought out the primary guest to discuss dinner to make sure that the service was better than what they received for lunch. This is a typical conversation that happens on board these yachts, yet things were anything but when the Housewives alum joined the conversation, speaking over the primary guest. Not only did the outspoken socialite take over the entire meeting and change the menu, but she also did it with little regard to the primary guest’s dietary restrictions which caused problems later on. Take a look at the following reaction:

Jill Zarin wasn’t just a nuisance to fans trying to watch the show but also got on the nerves of the professional St. David crew. While it’s not uncommon for the crew members to make comments and vent about the guests, they rarely do it so unanimously. Stewardess Barbie Pascual was featured several times venting about how demanding she was, even calling her out by saying: 

Even senior crew member Chief Steward Graser Olendar, had had enough to the point that he opted to help set up their beach day instead of staying on the boat to deal with her during lunch. Still, even time away couldn’t keep her from getting to him. In a confessional, he said: 

Seeing the way she treated the crew was honestly disappointing for many reasons. However, when one considers the vast pay gap between Housewives alums and BD crew members, it’s even more heinous to see how she treated them. Even former fans of Jill Zarin found themselves unable to excuse her behavior, going as far as unfollowing her on social media, based on a handful of tweets. The worst part of this whole episode is that it’s a two-parter which means the RHONY alum will be making an appearance next week, too. Whether that installment is better received remains to be seen.

If you missed the episode or any of the current season of Below Deck (which includes two crew members leaving the ship in the same episode) you can stream it now using a Peacock subscription. And don’t forget to tune in for the assumed second part of Jill Zarin’s trip when it airs on Monday, April 8, at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule.

Well, it looks like there's a little more wiggle room down in the crew quarters of the St. David. That's because this week's episode of Below Deck (which you can catch up on with a Peacock subscription) saw the shocking early departure of not one but two onboard staffers. However, what's even more surprising is that this isn't the first time that's happened in Bravo's yacht-focused reality franchise. 

After that widely despised eighth season of Below Deck Mediterranean, it looks like the O.G. Below Deck decided to fire up the engines where the drama's concerned for Season 11, with both bosun Jared Woodin and stew Cat Baugh ending their charter seasons earlier. However, only one of those early exits was voluntary. 

Joining a long line of fired Below Deck crew—including Captain Sandy's number one hater Hannah Ferrier, accidental mustard-gas concocter Elizabeth Frankini and the exhaustingly argumentative Lexi Wilson, among many others—Jared Woodin was fired by Captain Kerry Titheradge due to bad behavior in the March 18th episode on the 2024 TV schedule, titled "Cat's Out of the Bag." Jared's dismissal came after he drunkenly barged into a crew cabin and berated deckhand Kyle Stillie for spilling loose tobacco near the boat's hot tub. 

During the episode, Captain Kerry said this about Jared's inappropriate, over-the-top reaction and poor treatment of his crewmate: 

The Aussie captain was sympathetic, however, to the mental struggles Jared was clearly going through, and he told him that remaining on the boat would be "a disservice" to his mental health.

The topic of having a "good headspace" while working onboard also came up for Cat Baugh, whose own unexpected departure came after the stewardess received a distressing call from a friend back home in America. Deciding to put her own mental health first and go be there for her friend, Baugh put in her resignation with chief stew Fraser Olender and Captain Kerry, both of whom were supportive of her decision. Baugh said of her exit:

Losing two crew members in one episode is surprising, sure, but not unprecedented. On Below Deck Down Under, the Aussie spin-off of the reality series, bosun Luke Jones was fired by Captain Jason Chambers for drunken misconduct after trying to get in a stew's bed naked while she was inebriated and unconscious. Shortly after, stew Laura Bileskalne's contract was also terminated for making repeating unwanted advances on a male deckhand. Below Deck veteran Lee Rosbach praised Chambers's "superb" handling of the crew misconduct. 

So, as you can see, while this situation was shocking to many, it's by no means the first time it's happened.

Despite the two exits, there's still plenty more Below Deck to go, so tune in to Season 11 on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo to see if there will be any more crew shake-ups aboard the St. David. 

The last charter of a Below Deck season can always drum up drama for the yacht crew and the demanding guests, but the final cruise of this season's Below Deck Mediterranean took things to a new level, with Bravo fans dubbing season 8 the worst "of any Below Deck franchise." 

The penultimate episode of the season, “Curb Your Stewsiasm”—which aired on Bravo on Monday, January 15 and is available to stream now with a Peacock subscription—kicked off with a stew's worst nightmare: Captain Sandy's announcement that, due to bad weather, the boat would have to stay docked throughout the entire two-day charter, leaving the guests very frustrated and heavy on the complaints. That meant poor Tumi Mhlongo had to scramble to come up with ideas to placate the charter guests, including a tender ride through the port that one vacationer dubs "redneck yachting." Oof. 

One Twitter user said the mere thought of being stuck on a docked yacht with Captain Sandy enough impetus for them to "jump overboard". (Excellent use of a GIF featuring noted Captain Sandy hater Hannah Ferrier, BTW.) 

And then there was some crew shuffling: onboard medical emergencies frequently pop up throughout the show and it looks like lead deckhand Lara Dupreez was so ill, she couldn't continue through the final charter. But where one leaves, another returns: in the very same episode, deck team member Haleigh Gorman made her return to the Motoryacht Mustique following her own recent mystery illness. 

All of these staff change-ups are giving us a serious case of whiplash, but one Below Deck fan tweeted that Haleigh has left such a lack of an impression on them that they "totally forgot about her" until she reboarded the boat. 

And then there's Kyle Viljoen, the latest in a grand tradition of overly dramatic, conflict-attraction Below Deck stews, who is allegedly "triggered" by the mere mention of his former fellow stew and frenemy Natalya Scudder...who may or may not be returning in the finale episode next week for one last hurrah (a.k.a. yet another screaming match). 

All in all, the penultimate episode, like the bulk of this long and meandering season, has been plagued by pointless melodrama, incessant crew feuds and the overall feeling that too much is happening and yet nothing of consequence happened this season. 

As such, Below Deck Med die-hards took to social media to criticize not only this week's episode but season 8 as a whole. One poster dubbed this season of the reality franchise "obnoxious," citing the never-ending beef between Natalya and Kyle, Jess's passiveness and Luka's playboy ways, though they did single out Laura as a bright spot: 

And another, @BravoAndBlaze, didn't hold back, proclaiming that season 8 was the worst season "of #BelowDeckMed or any #BelowDeck franchise," including the much-maligned first season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht. 

One commenter to that post said that it's been "a chore" to watch Below Deck Mediterranean this season, and another said that the crew's annoying antics have forced them to stop watching the season before it's even over. Not the kind of reactions any show's cast or crew wants to hear, I'm sure, so maybe they should stay away from social media until well after the finale comes around. 

Speaking of, there's one more episode left of Below Deck Med, with the finale airing on Monday, January 22, at 9 pm ET on Bravo, but it's unclear where the staffers of Motoryacht Mustique can turn this season around in time or if they'll simply remain stuck at the dock. 

As new episodes of Below Deck prepare to set sail on the 2024 TV schedule in February, multiple former stars have spoken out about the pay discrepancy crew members receive on the show. Speaking about their salaries in comparison to other Bravo shows, it’s clear how frustrated these crew members are about their income, especially considering they star in one of the network's big hit franchises. 

According to Business Insider, stars of Southern Charm reportedly make $25,000 per episode, and those on The Real Housewives make over $1 million per season. Meanwhile, Below Deck’s crew makes what they normally would working on a yacht. That number is about $5,000 to $6,000 per month – multiple sources told the outlet about this, and Ashley Marti, who was a stewardess on Season 3 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, said: 

Rachel Hargrove, who was on Seasons 8, 9 and 10 of Below Deck learned about the pay discrepancy when a Southern Charm cast member told her how much they make. Her reaction was emotional, as she said:

This is not the first time the pay discrepancy between Below Deck and other Bravo shows has come up. In 2022, Eddie Lucas called this issue “frustrating.” Along with this problem, it was reported that those who appear on the show have found it difficult to land typical jobs on yachts after being on the series. 

Another former crew member, Gabriela Barragán, who appeared on Season 3 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, said this situation is maddening. She explained that while on the show, she was encouraged by a producer to drink, even though she has a past with substance abuse, and she said she experienced multiple microaggressions and was asked to leave early. She went on to talk about the income Bravo gets from Below Deck, saying:

As stated, crew members on Below Deck are “paid only the equivalent of their regular yachting salaries by the production companies.” Breaking down the crew’s income further, the report said deckhands as well as second and third stews make roughly $5,000 per month. Meanwhile, the chief stew or chef gets about $6,000. The captains can make more than $16,000. Along with their salaries, the crew typically gets between 15% and 20% cash tips from guests. However, on the Bravo show, the producers will take the tips and wire the money to the crew, the report said for many, this makes that money taxable. 

Reportedly, the cast retainment rate from season to season is also really low, this is because of how hard it is to get a raise or negotiate a salary. 

Along with this pay issue, Below Deck has also faced issues with drunken misconduct and scripted drama accusations. However, in this new report, it was clear that the crew’s salaries being significantly lower than other Bravo stars is a major problem they are facing. 

As this situation develops, we’ll be sure to keep you posted, in the meantime, you can stream Below Deck with a Peacock subscription. 

With hit series like Hulu's The Bear and acclaimed films like The Iron Claw, Jeremy Allen White is one of the best young dramatic actors in the game. However, even though he's used to offering up a more serious fare on screens big and small, when it comes to his own viewing habits, White recently revealed that his "guilty pleasure" is a certain Bravo favorite. 

While appearing in Buzzfeed's "The Puppy Interview" alongside his Iron Claw co-stars Zac Efron and Harris Dickinson as well as a host of adorable, adoptable pups, the trio was asked about their go-to guilty pleasure. Dickinson brought up reality TV (“I do love reality. Reality is interesting,” the British actor said), before White interjected with an enthusiastic: 

Dickinson joined White in praising the binge-ability of the expansive Below Deck franchise ("There's so many seasons of it!"). This explanation makes sense too, because the show chronicles the dramatic lives of the crew members and their demanding clients aboard luxurious superyachts in stunning locales like Thailand, Croatia, French Polynesia and the Caribbean island. 

The Bravo series has numerous spin-offs, including Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Adventure. (You can catch up on all of the above with a Peacock subscription.) So, not only is the flagship series worth a binge, it's also a show that constantly has new episodes. 

Jeremy added of the franchise: 

As for his castmate, Zac Efron—who underwent a major physical transformation to play professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich (who praised the film) in the upcoming A24 movie—quipped that his own guilty pleasure was Jeremy Allen White's show The Bear, which follows an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his family's restaurant. 

Jeremy jokingly wasn't happy with Zac for referring to the critically acclaimed hit drama as a "guilty pleasure:"

Harris joined in on The Bear-related jests:

As fans of The Bear well know, White's character, Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, spends much of his screen time ranting and raving about the setbacks and struggles of working in a restaurant kitchen. 

Throughout the Buzzfeed interview, the Shameless veteran also made several other surprising reveals along with the Below Deck and The Bear comments, including that he and his two Iron Claw co-stars have a "bucket list" goal of wanting to wrestle for real one day in the WWE:

However, White also got real about the tolls that wrestling takes on one's body even as actors fake it as professionals, citing the "bruises and soreness" the trio weathered while filming the biopic:

No wonder he needs a "guilty pleasure" show like Below Deck to turn to after those grueling days in the ring!

You can catch Jeremy Allen White and his co-stars when The Iron Claw hits the 2023 movie schedule on Friday, December 22. And if you, too, want to be like Jeremy and take in a Below Deck binge for yourself, the eighth season of Below Deck Mediterranean is currently airing Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo, and it is available to stream on Peacock. 

The Below Deck franchise has featured plenty of drama since its inception, but the proceedings became particularly controversial when series star Gary King was accused of sexual assault this summer. As a result, his future with the franchise has been up in the air ever since. Now, the first mate has given Bravo fans an update on whether we'll be seeing him back on the small screen anytime soon. King specifically shared the "hope" he has.

One such fan commented, "There's a life after Below Deck for you," on a photo that Gary King recently posted to Instagram. His response was an optimistic one: 

While it's a brief statement, by the sounds of it, Gary King is indeed remaining upbeat about his chances of returning to the show. You can see the actual post he shared to Instagram down below:

Another follower told him to "hang in there" and "get his job back." The South Africa native joined the Below Deck Sailing Yacht's (occasionally tipsy) cast in the show's second season and has served as Captain Glenn Shephard's first mate aboard the Parsifal III yacht in the seasons since. When responding to the aforementioned social media user who told him to stay strong, the star said:

In Gary King's previous Instagram post, which was added to his social media page a day earlier, he can be seen laying in a field of daisies and smiling. Several hashtags accompany the image, including "#iwascancelledbecauseofalie," "#anythingforaplatformT," "#dontbelieveeverythingyousee," and "#ivegotmyheadheldhigh," among others. He captioned the post: 

All in all, it would appear that the reality TV star is looking to block out anything that he perceives as negativity amid the situation. You can check out his post below:

The media personality previously discussed his self-proclaimed "cancellation," which stems from accusations made by a Below Deck production assistant. She alleged that King made unwanted advances towards her during the filming of Sailing Yacht's fourth season. 

Samantha Suarez, who worked in the makeup department for the series, detailed her alleged interactions with Gary King in Rolling Stone. In that piece, she claimed that, after she was asked to check in on an inebriated King in his hotel room in the summer of 2022, he "came up behind her, grabbed her, pressed her against his body, and refused to let go of her." With force, Suarez was able to leave the room, after which she alerted the production team to the situation. The next day, producers reportedly removed King from the hotel where the cast and crew were staying and was instructed to sleep alone on the boat during their days off from filming. 

Along with the accusations against him, Samantha Suarez and other former employees, who asked to remain anonymous, accused Bravo of allegedly helping cover up King’s misconduct. One such employee told the publication:

The network released a statement claiming that investigations into Gary King's alleged behavior were made and "action was taken based on the findings." The entire message read as follows:

Though initially announced as a BravoCon guest in August, Gary King was quietly removed from the festival lineup in the aftermath of the scandal. However, he has maintained his innocence ever since the allegations arose this past summer, commenting to a fan on Instagram: 

His most recent appearances on Sailing Yacht revolved around his rumored romance with chief stew Daisy Kelliher, with whom he was embroiled in a messy love triangle alongside head engineer Colin MacRae. 

As for scandals, the Below Deck franchise has been hit with many of them recently. For example, the Down Under ousted two of its stars following sexual misconduct-related matters. In the first instance, a producer had to intervene when series star Luke Jones attempted to get into co-worker Margot Sisson’s bed naked and without her consent. In the second, Laura Bileskalne was let go for her aggressive and unrequited pursuit of deckhand Adam Kodra. Franchise veteran Captain Lee dubbed their behavior "despicable."

In the case of Gary King, will he be welcomed back aboard the next season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht? There's been official word from Bravo as of this, so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled on the 2024 TV schedule for a premiere date and cast information. In the meantime, you can catch up on previous seasons of BDSY with a Peacock subscription. 

On Below Deck Down Under there was a situation shown on the show that involved two cast members getting fired because of misconduct. While that decision has been applauded, now, it’s being reported that a crew member from Below Deck Sailing Yacht was sexually harassed, and there wasn’t much accountability taken. 

For context, on Below Deck Down Under a producer intervened when Luke Jones attempted to get into Margot Sisson’s bed naked and without her consent. She was drunk and passed out at the time. A producer intervened. This moment was shown on the reality series during an episode on the 2023 TV schedule, and Jones was later fired along with Laura Bileskalne, who was let go for “victim-blaming comments she made to Margot about the incident” and crossing a line by attempting to pursue Adam Kodra according to Rolling Stone. 

The public has applauded the choice to fire the two, and Captin Lee didn’t hold back about the two being let go, saying “their behavior was despicable.”  

Now, Samantha Suarez, who worked in the makeup department of Below Deck since Season 10, has come forward saying that during Season 4 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, which was filming during the summer of 2022, cast member Gary King reportedly tried to “force himself on her.” 

Below Deck Star Gary King Has Been Accused Of Sexual Assault

Along with doing makeup, Samantha Suarez also assisted their talent manager, and her duties included making sure the cast stayed in their hotel rooms and didn’t run into each other because of COVID-19 protocols. She would bring them food and water. Some of the cast, including King, apparently refused to follow these rules, and Suarez had to walk him back to his hotel room one night. He was drunk, and according to her, when they got back to his hotel room he asked her not to leave.

Samantha Suarez then explained that she needed to leave to help other castmates, however, King suggested that she stay and get in bed with him. She explained that she’d return later to give him water and snacks, and when she did he came to the door in his underwear. Suarez said she asked him to take the water, but he kept asking her to stay in his room. Then, as she tried to leave, she said he came up behind her, pressed his body against her, and wouldn’t let go. She said she tried to kick and elbow him. She told the magazine:

After this, Suarez said she immediately told the producers about what happened. They had a meeting, and she said she didn’t feel comfortable around King, didn’t want to work with him, and did not want to be alone or in the same room with him. According to her, she was told Gary King would be fired if anything else happened. The next day, he was moved from the hotel, however, he did not leave the show.

Bravo gave a statement to the magazine about how the situation was handled, noting:

The production company 51 Minds Entertainment also said they provide mandatory harassment and sensitivity training at the start of every season, and that they investigated Suarez's claim about King. Their statement said they "acted accordingly based on the results."

Suarez explained that she wished there was more action taken regarding this situation after she reported to HR that she had felt like she'd experienced "physical assault/sexual harassment." Rolling Stone also spoke to two crew members who worked with the makeup artist, and they alleged that they witnessed King “constantly” making other women uncomfortable on set. One crew member who remained anonymous said there was an instance where they reported a situation where King was inappropriately interacting with women on their walkie-talkie, however, no one acknowledged it. 

Following Suarez reporting this interaction with King, she was not asked to return to Below Deck, while the cast member did. She said she thinks she lost the opportunity to keep working on the show because she reported his misconduct. 

Below Deck has always had controversy surrounding it. One star shared a video of his own arrest a few years ago, and during Season 3 of Sailing Yacht a guest called the cast out during the drama surrounding scripted accusations. The most recent controversy is surrounding Luke Jones, Laura Bileskalne and their misconduct, however, Suarez’s comments allege that this kind of behavior has happened before.

It goes without saying that the Below Deck franchise is certainly not unfamiliar with drama and controversy, but this latest flare-up may be one of the most notable scandals in the TV property’s history. The Down Under spinoff just fired co-stars Luke Jones and Laura Bileskalne during the Monday, August 7 episode due to inappropriate conduct. As you would expect, fans have had a considerable number of thoughts on the situation in the aftermath. They’re not the only ones who’ve been sharing thoughts as some of the series’ veterans have also weighed in. One of the most notable to join the discussion is Captain Lee Rosbach, who didn’t hold back while sharing his thoughts. 

Bravo’s Below Deck Down Under ousted the aforementioned stars after a very serious turn of events. After the crew indulged in alcohol during an off-boat excursion on Monday’s episode, a naked Luke Jones climbed into third stew Margot Sisson’s bed. Sisson had previously made it clear she wanted Jones to stay away from her cabin and was sleeping when Jones entered the room. It was Chief stewardess Aesha Scott who would reveal the matter to Captain Jason Chambers, who ultimately fired Jones. Meanwhile, Laura Bileskalne was let go for rationalizing Jones’ actions and for her own alleged past indiscretions, which came to light amid this latest controversy. 

After the TV airings, Captain Lee spoke with Us Weekly, during which he shared his opinions. He was upset over what transpired and rebuked the actions of the two stars at the center of the matter: 

The 73-year-old sailing expert, who's slammed toxic behavior in the past, didn’t simply deride the terminated cast members, though. He also had plenty of positive thoughts on both Aesha Scott and Jason Chambers. Captain Lee opined that fans were “justified” in their praise for the two stars as well as the show as a whole. In his estimation, they “all stepped up to the plate and did the right thing at the appropriate time.” He was ‘impressed” and even made an admission: 

Additionally, Captain Lee sent words of support to Margot Sisson as well as Adam Kodra, who was allegedly treated inappropriately by Laura Bileskalne. These vivacious sentiments represent why Lee endeared himself to fans for so many years. Believe it or not, he originally wasn’t even meant to be on the show though, lucky for fans, he did end up on the program. He ultimately fought through health issues (and his crew’s shenanigans), before ultimately retiring ahead of the hub show’s eleventh season. And even though he’s no longer part of the show, it’s likely he’ll continue to chime in on matters he deems important. 

Below Deck Down Under airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and episodes can be streamed with a Peacock subscription. 

Also know that anyone who has or knows someone who’s experienced sexual assault by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can visit rainn.org for resources as well.

With its finale on Monday night, Below Deck closed out a tenth season that featured some Captain-swapping throughout, with Cpt. Lee Rosbach making an early (though temporary) exit while dealing with nerve injuries that affected his mobility. His midseason return was marred in part by some feuding with fellow captain Sandy Yawn, and the final ep of the season left some fans and news outlets convinced that he was diving headfirst into retirement mode. But is that actually the case?

The episode "Oh Captain, My Captain" did exude a vibe of finality through several of Captain Lee's scenes, as he talked about hating having to say goodbye to his crew, and how much they all mean to him.  As well, the episode featured a video montage showcasing a slew of the reality star's biggest moments on the show, all while he waxed on wistfully about things, which included the below:

Nothing there confirming he'd be leaving, but also nothing there confirming he'd be back for Season 11. And then there's the fact that on the Monday after the finale aired, Bravo is set to debut a special episode of Watch What Happens Live, with host Andy Cohen welcoming Rosbach to a Below Deck-fueled episode honoring the cable hit's ten-year stretch so far. Titled, "Ce-LEE-brate Good Times," the special does sound like exactly the kind of retrospective that would be crafted to mark a longtime star's exit. To the point where even news outlets started reporting on his retirement, with Us Weekly going so far as to report that Captain Kerry Titheradge would be jumping from Below Deck Adventures to take over for Season 11.

Captain Lee took to Twitter as the episode was ending with a response to a fan asking about him not being around anymore:

He followed up on that message with the one seen below, which coupled his season-ending feelings with the suggestion that indicated fans shouldn't believe everything they see online.

But if that wasn't entirely clear enough, Rosbach followed up on that message by actively questioning some fan tweets asking about his retirement, an indicating certain news stories weren't entirely fact-filled.

Beyond that, Captain Lee also commented on fans posts saying he was too young to retire, and that they were hoping to see him back for Season 11. But again, he wasn't able to actually confirm anything on that front, and didn't appear to actually refute anyone's claims that Captain Kerry handled helming duties for the next batch of eps coming later this year.

Perhaps the most concrete way he approached things was with the following reply to one fan who told him "don't stay away too long."

Several fans on social media voiced the belief that Captain Lee may not be 100% up to speed with what Bravo execs' plans are, or that Bravo purposefully set the finale up to promote such speculation. The cable channel has certainly seen spikes in interest for Vanderpump Rules over Tom Sandoval's cheating scandal, with various Real Housewives exits (such as Lisa Rinna's), feuds and more pumping up interest with each new season that premieres. 

Let's not forget that Captain Lee also missed some time in Season 9 for medical reasons, which could indicate that he deserves to take a lengthier break from manning yachts for his own health. Or not. We'll probably have to wait until Bravo drops a Season 11 teaser to see what's happening with the franchise's mothership. Until then, check out the montage of Rosbach's greatest moments!

Below Deck episodes can be streamed with a Peacock subscription, and there's a lot more coming to the streaming service and beyond for the 2023 premiere schedule.

Below Deck fans voiced their concern for Captain Lee Rosbach after the fan favorite announced in the December 12 episode of the Bravo reality series that he was exiting the season early. During the duration of Season 10, he’d been struggling with nerve issues that were affecting his mobility, and he took to Twitter in the aftermath of the episode to engage with fans and provide an update on his health.

Captain Lee has been at the helm of the yacht since Below Deck premiered in 2013, but he was forced to make what he thought was the best decision for his crew. In the Season 10 episode “The Thunder From Down Under,” he told them that he would be leaving, as his injury had only gotten worse and he couldn’t feel anything on the left side of his body. However, after the episode aired, the captain had good news to report, as he responded to worried fans on Twitter, saying: 

It’s surely a relief for fans to get a positive update following his surprising exit from the season. The captain had said on the episode that he’d expected to make more progress, and he apologized to the crew for letting them down. He said on the episode (per People): 

US Weekly reports that Captain Lee underwent back surgery last month, and it sounds like he’s working hard in the hopes of returning to Below Deck, which since its premiere nine years ago has spawned multiple spinoffs like Down Under. The captain tweeted this promising response to one of his many well-wishers, who asked if he might come back for Season 11 of the Bravo reality show: 

In fact, the seaman made it a point to personally respond to several queries about his health, proving exactly why he’s so popular amongst fans of the show. He even reassured one Twitter user who pointed out that this wasn’t the first time his health had caused him to miss time on Below Deck. Captain Lee Rosbach told the fan: 

Season 9 of the Emmy-nominated reality show was without its famed leader for a series of episodes, as Captain Lee Rosbach exited the series with a non-COVID-related “condition.”

It’s unknown who will take over for Captain Lee for the remainder of Season 10, so viewers will have to tune in next week to see how the fallout continues to affect the crew. Below Deck airs at 8 p.m. ET Mondays on Bravo, and all 10 seasons can be streamed with a Peacock subscription. You can also take a peek at our 2023 TV schedule to see what other series are premiering in the new year. 

If you’ve ever wondered what type of person would run on the field in the middle of a sporting event, knowing they’ll inevitably be tackled by security guards, let me present Kyle Dickard. The twenty-four year old, who has been seen recently on Below Deck Adventure, one of the franchise's many spinoffs, was arrested last week after he hopped a guardrail and charged onto the field during an Inter Miami game at DRV PNK Stadium. The reality star was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting an officer without violence and bribery of a public servant. He was also hit with a $7500 bond. 

Given he’s not exactly Johnny Depp, the arrest likely wouldn’t have attracted a ton of attention outside his immediate social network and maybe his workplace, but the Below Deck star decided to drop a video of what happened on Instagram, and it is absolutely outrageous to the point where it’s starting to get picked up by the media. I wasn’t planning to run, but then I watched it and just had to say something. Check out this madness below…

Before I start in here, I want to be really clear that I don’t condone running on the field during a game. It distracts from the actual reason people are there, and security guards have enough drunk nonsense to deal with among people in the crowd. You don’t need to add to their to-do list by creating an on-the-field situation.

That being said, it would be unfair not to acknowledge Kyle Dickard’s impressive lateral quickness here. The dude looks like a high level running back, side-stepping several tackles. He also seems to know when to turn on the speed, as he’s able to find a second gear once a few security guards are right on his tail. In the end, however, he’s undone by his choice in outfit, as his pants start falling down, which slows his momentum. Such a rookie mistake. If you’re going to run on the field, everyone knows you need a belt.

According to People, the situation got worse for Dickard, who once ate a jellyfish, after he was apprehended. He reportedly tried to pay the police officers $300 to let him go, an offer which was both rejected and led to him also getting slapped with the bribery charge. He also apparently got a security guard in the face, while he was trying to avoid a tackle. It’s unclear if that, or him attempting to run back on the field after his arrest, is what got him hit with the resisting an officer charge.

I have no idea if this is the sort of thing Below Deck cares about. The show strikes me as the type that would appreciate any press, but then again, I can’t imagine any work place would be particularly stoked about any incident that involves a security guard getting hit in the face. 

When it comes to Bravo’s Below Deck franchise, we’re used to seeing the on-camera drama play out between those among the bottom of the food chain. And don’t get me wrong – it certainly gets juicy. One fan-favorite alum even thinks yachties should be getting paid as much as the Real Housewives, if not more, given the “goods” they deliver for the network. But surprisingly, now it looks like there might be some drama among the upper echelons of Bravo leadership, because I think Captain Sandy kinda sorta shaded Captain Glenn (of the Sailing Yacht spinoff) in Season 7 of the Mediterranean spinoff.

In the July 18 episode of Below Deck Med (available to stream early for Peacock Premium subscribers), the first charter of the season was winding down, which meant one of the first big tests for the crew: docking the superyacht. Captain Sandy, who has headlined the reality series for the last five years, admitted that she was “concerned” about maneuvering with the wind, current and tight fit at the marina docks where they needed to lay anchor off the coast of Malta. However, she was seemingly not worried altogether too much because she then pointedly said in a confessional:

Though she didn’t use his name directly, the casual quip appeared to be a dig aimed at relative newbie captain to the franchise, Glenn Shephard. During his second season stint on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, the 61-year-old famously hit the marina while docking not once, but twice. No one was actually hurt. Yet, it was still deemed “the biggest boat crash in Below Deck history” and a major flub. Technically, the snafu wasn’t really his fault, as it turned out that something was amiss with the throttle, but nevertheless, it didn’t stop the online jokes at his expense in the aftermath. One thinks now, it also didn’t stop Captain Sandy for getting in a punchline that basically writes itself.

This is just what it looks like on the face of things, though. In reality, it’s possible that Captain Sandy wasn’t thinking of Captain Glenn in the slightest when she said what she said. After all, in that same episode, she herself had some mechanical trouble with the fenders that made the boat almost capsize. In addition, she’s known to be a rather straight-shooter too in her dealings with crew, so likely, she would want to extend that courtesy to fellow captains. All I’m saying is that it’s interesting timing on her part. That’s all…

The lone female captain of the franchise doesn’t exactly shy away from Below Deck Med drama, either, truth be told. Last season, she came under hefty criticism from the fanbase for her handling of the Lexi Wilson situation onboard. Not to mention, the TV personality continues to feud with her former chief stew Hannah Ferrier, even after firing her in Season 5. Ferrier, who has been making a sort of TV comeback, has even reignited the feud of late, with the suggestion that Captain Sandy only wanted more “screen time” regarding the controversial ouster.

Regardless, Captain Sandy might want to watch her words more carefully in the future because even the lovely and mild-tempered Captain Glenn is known to throw shade at charter guests himself. Stay tuned for what more Season 7 of Below Deck Mediterranean has in store as regular episodes air on Monday nights at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo!

When Captain Sandy fired chief stewardess Hannah Ferrier in Season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean for having “undeclared” drugs onboard the vessel (including Valium and a vape pen), it was just the first shot in a still-ongoing war. They eventually started trading insults back and forth outside of the reality series, and nearly two years after the fact, the feud continues to live on, with more BTS details about Ferrier’s side of what really happened having resurfaced. As a result of the direct back-and-forth bickering, the door was left wide open for some shady thoughts from much-beloved franchise alum Kate Chastain.

Hannah Ferrier Talks Being "Painted As A Drug Addict"

The last insight fans gleaned about the drug debacle was when Hannah Ferrier went on a podcast to explain how she and Captain Sandy never, ever got along while filming together. She claimed the edit just made it appear as though they were friendly in Below Deck Med’s earlier years, but in actuality, Ferrier feels the captain always sought to be the “fan favorite” by supposedly demoralizing her. In an interview with the Shine It Up with Jackie Gillies podcast, the dismissed reality star expanded things a bit further and talked about how her firing in 2020 played into their allegedly complicated power dynamic. She shared:

The host then suggested that Captain Sandy only “wanted her screen time” when she built the drama up after the original firing, and Hannah Ferrier agreed that was the case. She also said a lot more about her former boss, claiming that Captain Sandy had reached out to send a present after Ferrier had announced her pregnancy in June of 2021, which the former star apparently shut down completely.

Below Deck's Kate Chastain Reacts To Hannah Ferrier Insinuations

Out of everything, it was the “screen time” comment that apparently caught the attention of Kate Chastain. Having headlined Below Deck’s flagship show for six seasons, Chastain exited on her own terms in February of 2020, and now works as a party planner in Florida. She also moonlights as a commentator on all things Below Deck when she has the time, and many fans love it when she does. (Even if some just love it to pounce on her.) And she did indeed make time to chime in on Hannah Ferrier's claims, when she quipped in the comments section of a repost of the interview, saying:

If there’s one thing Kate Chastain is known for, it’s her dry sarcasm. She’s leveled it previously at the spicy hookups that she saw happening in Season 2 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht and also at the concept of her returning to “real” yachting. Her latest remark seems to be a dig at Hannah Ferrier for doing exactly what Ferrier accused Captain Sandy of doing: trying to stay relevant. That’s how Bravo fans are interpreting it in the replies, at the very least.

A New Era For Hannah Ferrier And Below Deck Med

Regardless of shady intent or not, this is but another chapter in the seemingly never-ending story of Hannah Ferrier’s firing. However, the 35-year-old has been moving onwards and upwards in other ways, such as her own TV comeback – just not on Below Deck Med. (She has stipulated that there’s only one way she would return to her old reality TV stomping grounds, and that’s if a certain other famous captain would be her boss.) Her new gig is acting as the Julie McCoy-type character on the upcoming dating competition show: The Real Love Boat.

Meanwhile, Captain Sandy has continued to headline Below Deck Mediterranean following the controversial ouster. Season 7 officially premieres soon, and while there’s a ton of new faces (and potential new drama) onboard, the show has lost yet another fan favorite in Malia White for the season. White was in fact the one who reported Ferrier to the captain, thus sparking all the chaos. She maintains that she had to do it, but she still has some regrets about how she handled things.

More than likely, this won’t be the last time we hear about the Hannah Ferrier and Captain Sandy dispute. And hopefully, it’s not the last time Kate Chastain weighs in with her own take about the rest of the franchise’s various alums. Tune into Below Deck Med’s new season when it premieres on Bravo on Monday, July 11, with episodes streaming a week in advance with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Below Deck Down Under, the newest entry to the fan-favorite Bravo franchise, is certainly making a big splash. Set off the coast of Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef, the Peacock streaming series has all the makings of classic Below Deck, including co-worker drama, demanding primary guests and tumultuous boatmances. The season isn’t closed out just yet for viewers but, for the cast, it is. And bosun Jamie Sayed is going ahead with an update about whether or not he and his co-star Magda Ziomek tried for a relationship after her off-screen breakup.

Early on, it looked like things might get spicy (as they tend to become on Below Deck) between the two. Jamie Sayed and Magda Ziomek, in fact, canoodled a bit in the hot tub during the premiere episode. What Sayed didn’t know at the time, but eventually learned not long after, was that Ziomek was in a 5-month-long relationship with a boyfriend back in Poland. A lot has happened on and off camera since then, including the fact that her prior romance fizzled out. Speaking to Distractify, the reality TV newbie shared if their relatively short-lived situationship gained traction with that information coming to light, saying:

Magda Ziomek initially stated on Down Under that her boyfriend back home was her “soulmate” or, at least, “for now” he was. Fans have witnessed the cast member struggle to hold down the relationship all season amidst the constant demands of her work on a super-yacht and being so far away from each other. Ultimately, the third stew reflected to TV Insider:

It isn’t clear if Jamie Sayed is dating someone else currently, someone who is perchance both available and not a co-worker. His relationship status was kept tightly under wraps, but he did affirm once again to the outlet, though, that there was “no pursuit” of Magda Ziomek following her breakup. But interestingly, they still kept in touch after filming Below Deck Down Under. The freshman star clarified their relationship further, adding:

A sister, who you just happened to get very up close and personal with in a hot tub? I don’t know about that, but crazier endgames have indeed happened where boatmances are concerned. Take Below Deck Down Under’s chief stew, Aesha Scott, who famously took up a fling with her former co-star Jack Stirrup on the Mediterranean spinoff, only for it to end in serious betrayal. And need I even mention the Sailing Yacht paternity scandal between Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux in Season 2?

I guess being just friends or sibling-adjacent after a failed romantic overture is better than those chaotic situations, overall. Stay tuned for what transpires in the final episodes of Below Deck Down Under, which streams on Thursdays and is available with a Peacock Premium subscription.

For nearly five seasons of Below Deck, viewers have seen a professional evolution with main castmate Eddie Lucas. He rose from a lowly deckhand, who was caught in some early romantic entanglements, all the way up to a first officer in Season 9. Fan-favorite Captain Lee has, in fact, often reflected on how he considers Lucas to be like a second son at this point. However, the 36-year-old is not returning for another round of boatmances and bad tips, which seems to have inspired him to become open and honest about the pay discrepancy at Bravo between yachties like him and stars from the Real Housewives franchise.

Speaking to the New York Post, the Bravo network alum lamented what he considers to be an unfair arrangement. Technically, Below Deck and its various spinoffs follow real-time yachties, engineers and captains doing their real day-to-day jobs. Of course, there's some of the standard coworker drama that's expected to go down, given that they are also doubling as reality TV stars. According to Eddie Lucas, though, the notorious Real Housewives cast members are basically doing half the amount of work as Below Deck's stars, but are make twice the pay (or more). In his words:

For perspective, someone like Erika Jayne, who has been a main castmate on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for over six years now, reportedly makes upwards of $600,000 in salary for a single season. For what it's worth, she is putting most of her whole life out there for public consumption, even while facing an ongoing legal battle on multiple fronts. In contrast, Below Deck stars film for far shorter durations during the weeks-long charter season, and aren't necessarily required to open up about their personal lives back home beyond what they choose to share on the boats.

Yet still, as Eddie Lucas pointed out, Bravo's reality TV yachties are also juggling an intensely confined and stressful work schedule. The setup has paid off for Bravo for the most part, with Below Deck even surpassing the Real Housewives of Atlanta (the most popular in its franchise) in ratings for the first time in 2020, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Allegedly, though, they receive only a small fee for their appearances, which is speculated to be only a few thousand dollars per episode (on top of their regular salaries and tips from charter guests). Lucas seemed to be hinting to the outlet that the status quo needs some changing in that regard, especially in regards to growing housing costs and other side effects of inflation.

For totally different reasons, Eddie Lucas called out Bravo producers in particular last season. A controversy was brewing both on and off Below Deck due to a castmate’s use of a racial slur, and Lucas blamed production for trying to shut down conversations surrounding it. It isn't confirmed if that's the reason why he was not asked to appear in the upcoming season, but it may be plausible enough a theory, based on his version of events:

Officially, Bravo hasn't greenlit Season 10 of Below Deck. Clearly, though, Eddie Lucas is still privy to behind-the-scenes knowledge. But what he isn't privy to, in his view, is one of those fat Real Housewives paychecks…

By now, Erica Rose and the company she keeps for vacation are somewhat notorious on Below Deck: Sailing Yacht. They’ve returned for back-to-back seasons, and their behavior is not particularly popular amongst the cast. Actually, as Season 3 gets off to a tipsy start, Rose’s husband was perceived by fans as embellishing his outbursts in recent episodes for ratings. But apparently, the drama goes even deeper than that for Daisy Kelliher. The chief stew has lately dropped an F-bomb while getting very real about post-season feuding with the infamous primary guests.

Daisy Kelliher Reveals Real Reason Behind Below Deck: Sailing Yacht Guest Problems

Speaking on her Pita Party podcast with co-host/former co-star Alli Dore, Daisy Kelliher immediately kicked things off with the backstory behind the beef. The Bravo alum took it all the way back to the conclusion of Season 2's run and the controversial social media messages she reportedly came across from Rose’s mom, Cindi, (who was shown making big demands last year). Pulling up the supposed receipts of the messages, Kelliher claimed Cindi called Captain Glenn a rude “bachelor who likes to be alone” who was instigating “fake” drama alongside Kelliher. Additionally, she claimed Kelliher was “immature” and “two-faced” for complaining about guests and had never actually done any work on the boat. Kelliher was fuming about the ordeal and said:

The Below Deck: Sailing Yacht cast mate reiterated that it was those comments, not their original behavior, that sparked the discontent. She continued that their previous remarks actually made her cry, adding that the guests were “awful, awful people.” Daisy Kelliher went as far as to say they were in fact “batshit crazy.”

Below Deck: Sailing Yacht Star Addresses Issue With Erica Rose

Apparently, Daisy Kelliher likewise heard that main primary Erica Rose, a Bachelor Nation alum and practicing lawyer, criticized her character following Season 2. Amid the currently airing third season, the primary took to calling out Kelliher and the rest of the cast for merely being reality TV stars putting on a show, which she confirmed her family had just been helping them do for ratings. The chief stew reflected on her own perception of Rose during the podcast – and it didn’t sound pretty. She stated:

Yikes, talk about bad blood. Sailing Yacht knows a thing or two about that, but it usually pertains to shady social media posts about ex boatmances or baby paternity scandals rather than actual guests in the long term.

Unhappy primaries aside, there’s still a lot more to go in Below Deck: Sailing Yacht’s third season, including complicated romantic entanglements (with one situation involving Daisy Kelliher and Gary King). Viewers can catch new episodes on Mondays on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST or check out the expanding franchise (which is moving down under) with a Peacock subscription. Looking to her own future, though, Kelliher seemingly has an ultimatum and another F-bomb when it comes to Erica Rose et al: “If Bravo decides to bring them on again, I will be walking so fucking far off that ship. No. No.”

On the latest episode of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht, the Season 3 crew catered to a familiar face from last year: Erica Rose. But instead of bring a bunch of girlfriends (who were being snarky toward one another), she was joined by her family this time. Fans have since accused her husband Charles Sanders – who made a fuss about the quality of the food on the charter – of embellishing drama for the cameras. As a result, Rose is on the defense and calling out the cast concerning what is and isn’t scripted.

Along with being a Below Deck guest alum, Erica Rose also just happens to be a Bachelor Nation alum. She appeared in Prince Lorenzo Borghese’s Bachelor season and on subsequent seasons of the Bachelor Pad spinoff. So, in essence, she knows the behind the scenes specifics and isn’t against pointing out the bigger picture to Bravo audiences, saying to Reality Blurb:

Yet, despite her background, the notorious primary continued that she doesn’t like TV spectators “being entertained” at their expense. She especially wants Below Deck: Sailing Yacht’s fanbase to “not take it so seriously.” She also hastened to note that she herself was never disrespectful or unkind to the crew.

Her husband is a horse of a different color, though. He would supposedly reveal on his private Instagram, per the outlet, that his behavior was in fact scripted (just as fans suspected) at the behest of producers. Erica Rose reiterated, too, that her spouse truly believed he was there to help put on the show, adding that it was Sailing Yacht’s “highest rated episode.” (That doesn’t seem quite the case when comparing the March 7 episode to, say, the best of Season 2, per Showbuzz Daily’s figures.) Additionally, Rose said:

This wouldn’t be the first time Bravo producers have been accused of influencing the drama, especially within the Below Deck franchise. Not only did Mediterranean spinoff star Lexi Wilson criticize the network, but Season 9 of the flagship show was rocked by scandal pertaining to the producers’ handling of a racial slur use. And, to Rose’s initial point in calling out the Sailing Yacht cast, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent did get very candid about how Bravo castmates are incentivized to maintain drama.

Such is the nature of reality TV, as Erica Rose herself said. To be fair, though, she did voluntarily choose to return to Below Deck: Sailing Yacht for a second go-around… To see the remainder of their trip play out, and possibly another scripted hot tub romance or two, tune into Bravo on Monday at 9 p.m. EST!

Below Deck: Sailing Yacht is back with even more drama – even if we’re still technically reeling from Dani Soares' explosive revelations from last year's reunion. The new cast of deckhands and stewardesses got particularly tipsy-smitsy to kickstart Season 3. So much so that Tom Pearson had a bit of an upset (both figuratively and literally) in the bathroom he shares with Captain Glenn Shepherd. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, one of his co-stars has recently shared just how much of a “lightweight” the Bravo newbie actually is. All in good fun, though!

Like the rest of the crew, Gabriela Barragan was a first-hand witness to Tom Pearson’s drunken walk of shame. He got some ribbing at the time and is getting some more now. The second stewardess revealed to Showbiz Cheat Sheet that a similar incident happened with her castmate months later, making her think that Pearson really can’t hold his alcohol after all. She said,

However, the Below Deck: Sailing Yacht freshman still has some sympathy for her frequently White Boy Wasted co-star. In defense of that crew night out at the start of Season 3, she believes Tom Pearson just had a “bit of nerves” from hanging out with new co-workers. Totally understandable.

But she added that when one is sharing a cabin with the captain of the yacht, it’s best to “pump the brakes.” Yet, the Bravo star admitted to making a “sassy” remark about Tom Pearson at the time, saying something along the lines that he was a “big boy” and no one made him drink so much. This evidently didn’t please Captain Glenn all too much, who Gabriela Barragan said gave them all a stern talking-to about looking out for each other. She recalled:

It would seem from the latest episode, though, that even if Tom Pearson is a lightweight in the alcohol department, he’s at least a middle-weight champion so far in stirring up drama. The 24-year-old apparently took issue with his co-star, Ashley Marti, catching feelings for Gary King instead of him. (As if King’s supposed romantic entanglements weren’t already complicated enough.) Hopefully, Pearson proceeds with caution on that front. As we learned from last season, Below Deck hookups can result in scandal and babies needing paternity tests.

But if the bar is set at vomiting in front of their boss on Night 1, then it’s probably all going downhill from here. Check out new episodes of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht when they premiere on Mondays on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST, as well as the franchise’s new spinoff (and hot new captain) coming to Peacock in mid-March! It's one of many new shows headed your way in 2022.

It started out innocently enough, just two co-stars hooking up during filming for the second season of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht. Per usual, really. But then, one of those two, Dani Soares, ended up pregnant not long after, and the other, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux, denied that he was the father. In fact, at the bombshell Bravo reunion, Soares spoke out about her former fling wanting nothing to do with the baby without a paternity test. Jean-Luc finally confirmed his paternity of the child just a few weeks ago, and their previous castmates are dropping some honest thoughts on the entire scandalous ordeal.

When (mostly) everything came out at the reunion, the cast rallied behind Dani Soares and admonished Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux for his hesitancy. And, now that the former Below Deck: Sailing Yacht deckhand has gone public with his fatherhood, Gary King and Daisy Kelliher are getting more candid about the situation. Speaking about Jean-Luc’s confirmation post on Instagram, where he also lamented the perception of him, Kelliher said to E! News:

Dani Soares gave birth to their daughter, Lilly, back in May. She has been vocal about her struggles as a single mom and, more recently, catching COVID-19 alongside Lilly. Daisy Kelliher explained to E! that she can’t judge Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux “too much” for what’s transpired, given how “young” he is. But she says the 26-year-old will “learn the hard way,” presumably about life.

Gary King, on the other hand, had much harsher words for his former colleague and his paternity revelation. The Sailing Yacht alum frankly stated that him just coming clean about the scandal wasn’t enough to move the dial for his new family. He shared:

The reality star continued that he’ll never forgive Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux for running “away from the truth.” Simply put, Gary King said he was just “brought up differently” than his former co-star.

Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux did not return to the show for another round of drama, but Daisy Kelliher and Gary King both are. Surprisingly, the trailer for Season 3 showed the two actually engaging in a bit of romance, despite King’s notoriously messy hookups last year. And to think we thought the series couldn’t possibly continue its streak of outrageous occurrences. Fans can tune into the new season of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht when it premieres on Bravo on February 21 at 8 p.m. EST!

The Below Deck franchise is already a pretty stacked one. Beyond the flagship show, which just concluded its controversial ninth season, there’s also the frequently tense Mediterranean spinoff, as well as Below Deck: Sailing Yacht, which is promising some more jaw-dropping hookups in the upcoming third season. But there can always be room for more, right? Right. The Bravo series' universe is expanding once again – “Down Under,” to be more specific — and there are both a hot new captain and and a familiar face to round things out onboard.

Instead of the Caribbean or Croatia, the franchise is heading south to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in the new addition to the pantheon. And much like what the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip did with its drama, Below Deck: Down Under is breaking rank with its status as a Peacock streaming original instead of being a Bravo series proper. The trailer for its freshman season is out now, and I’m seriously liking what I’m seeing. Check it out below:

All my eyes and ears are checking out the new captain of Below Deck: Down Under. His name is Jason Chambers, he’s Australian (duh, probably), and he’s certified, put-a-stamp-on-it “hot.” I mean, according to his subordinates in the trailer, of course. This marks the first time that the franchise will be moving in a significantly younger direction when it comes to the male captains.

The trailer for Below Deck: Down Under shows both the crew and guests alike lusting after Mr. Outback Jack himself. But in all seriousness, it will be interesting to see how the new captain compares to his forbearers. He apparently won’t be afraid to fire someone with the quickness, like the notorious Captain Lee. However, he seems a bit more impulsive than all of the other franchise’s captains put together, including Lee, Sandy Yawn, Glenn Shepherd and the recently deceased Mark Howard.

One thing we’ll be able to count on in the new show, though, is fan-favorite Aesha Scott returning to headline the cast with her signature bawdy humor. On Below Deck: Mediterranean, her iconic romance with co-star Jack Stirrup was one for the record books. (It was a genuine shame to learn how he had cheated on her not long after.) On Below Deck: Down Under, she’s been promoted to the new chief stewardess in charge, but evidently, drama still follows her right down to Australia, as the trailer shows her in tears, saying she felt like an “asshole.”

There’s more franchise mainstays promised in Below Deck: Down Under, to include angry chefs, physical altercations, fires and boat collisions. It would seem, too, that the notorious hot tub gets some action again from the cast (and yes, the naughty kind). But I know this should be a good season simply by the hot new captain giving the very serious “shark-feeding time” warning to the crew…

The new series will premiere its first three episodes on Peacock on Thursday, March 17, and every Thursday thereafter. So, Bravo fans might need to consider getting that Peacock subscription as a result (once again).

As viewers are well aware, the sophomore season of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht was probably the most shockingly raunchy and dramatic of the entire franchise. And that’s saying a lot. Fan-favorite alum Kate Chastain famously compared all the on-board hookups amongst the crew at the time to romantic “square dancing” and “Dosey Doeing.” Season 3 is on the horizon and, with wild rumors circulating of a Gary King romance, Daisy Kelliher is preemptively setting the record straight.

It's no hyperbole to say jaws were collectively on the floor when the Season 3 trailer dropped of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht, showing co-stars Gary King and Daisy Kelliher in a major hot tub make-out session. I mean, Kelliher is supposed besties with her former castmate, Allie Dore, who was done romantically dirty by King in Season 2. Speculation ramped up more after King and Kelliher were seen, via social media posts, hanging out even without Bravo cameras around. However, the chief stewardess told Us Weekly that the rumors are essentially ridiculous:

The Sailing Yacht Season 3 trailer shows more than what has been interpreted as a major betrayal by Daisy Kelliher’s smooch with Gary King. Once again, King seems to be repeating history by hooking up with multiple co-stars in a single season. Instead of Sydney Zaruba and Allie Dore last year, it’s Kelliher and newcomer Ashley Marti this year. Kelliher would emphasize to the outlet, though, that it won’t go much further with her and King, saying:

“Stupid” and “complicated” would only begin to encapsulate pursuing a Gary King romance. Technically, Allie Dore has since moved on from the Below Deck bosun with a new man and a new baby to boot. But Dore, Daisy Kelliher and Dani Soares would solidify their friendship so much after Season 2 that they eventually started up their own podcast together, called Pita Party. Perhaps the dating rumors are why the podcast hasn’t had a new episode since December…?

Along with learning about Allie Dore and Gary King’s falling-out at the Below Deck: Sailing Yacht Season 2 reunion, audiences also learned the bombshell status of another boatmance: Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux. Soares claimed that Cerza-Lanaux wanted nothing to do with her soon-to-be born baby girl believed to be his, but he alleged that he just wanted a paternity test done. His paternity of the baby has since been confirmed.

If the telenovela-esque shenanigans of Season 2 weren’t enough indication, then this early conjecture involving Daisy Kelliher and Gary King ahead of Season 3 should confirm that we’re in for another bumpy (and messy) ride. Below Deck: Sailing Yacht premieres on February 21 on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST! And hit up CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule to keep track of the other shows headed your way this year.

The drama in Below Deck’s ninth season took a serious turn after Heather Chase said the N-word to her castmate Rayna Lindsey. Initially, the chief stewardess seemed to shrug off Lindsey explaining to her why it was inappropriate on the show, but she would later apologize both on and off camera. However, Lindsey has continuously vocalized her dismay with how the situation was handled by leadership and is now even calling for the series to be cancelled.

Rayna Lindsey had in fact promised to do a tell-all interview before Bravo released the Below Deck reunion special on February 7. She said at the time that she wanted to "warn other minorities to not come on the show." The tell-all never came to fruition, but she would ultimately reveal how she truly felt on her Instagram Stories. Namely, Lindsey accused the show of encouraging racism. She wrote (via Monsters & Critics):

At the previously aired reunion special – which was missing one part of Rayna Lindsey’s infamous three-way boatmance – the cast discussed the racial slur for the latter half of an hour. Lindsey and Heather Chase seemed to have come to a genuine resolution about the actual incident. The majority of Lindsey’s ire was directed at first officer Eddie Lucas, who she claimed tried to “ruin” her by implying in the season that she had said homophobic slurs, which therefore somehow made Chase’s slur moot. The freshman star vehemently denied the accusations at the reunion and again in her calls to cancel Below Deck, saying,

Eddie Lucas denied Rayna Lindsey’s side of the story concerning him at the Below Deck reunion, although he himself blasted producers amidst the show airing for their efforts to shut down the controversy entirely while filming. Lindsey added in her Stories that Lucas was “going to hell” for his part and also condemned the 51 Minds production company behind the show for making her “look crazy all season.” She continued, “Imagine being me having to deal with this but it being hidden all season.”

Rayna Lindsey would go on to thank Andy Cohen for discussing the issue at the reunion, saying that she appreciated it. Nevertheless, she’s not the only Below Deck cast mate upset about what was actually said there – because her usually bashful co-star Wes O’Dell shared that he hasn’t received an apology at all from Lindsey for questioning his Blackness in the final episode.

As of yet, neither Bravo nor the team behind Below Deck have responded to Rayna Lindsey’s complaints. We’ll keep you updated if the situation escalates further.

This time, the major controversy to come out of Below Deck’s ninth season wasn’t raunchy, weird relationships. It was a chief stewardess, in Heather Chase, saying the N-word. Her co-star, Rayna Lindsey, would later explain to her why it wasn't appropriate, but she was met with some pushback in the situation, leading to several arguments in the finale. The reunion is expected to delve deeper into the matter when it airs this Monday. However, Lindsey has since slammed the show’s producers online and threatened to hold a tell-all interview ahead of the much-anticipated gathering.

Despite Heather Chase’s later apologies on and off-screen for using the racial slur, Rayna Lindsey was clear that she wasn't content with what went down, especially with the then-present leadership. So much so that on her Instagram stories more recently (via Express), the Below Deck star claimed that she would be holding an interview on Sunday, of her own accord. Apparently, “nothing” happens at the Bravo reunion that was filmed on January 16 because the powers-that-be didn't want anything to be “exposed,” which supposedly includes intentions for first officer Eddie Lucas to one day “take over” for the formidable and frequent Captain Lee.

The star promised that her early tell-all will encompass “everything they don't want us to talk about.” She also added that there would be more than just one Black person's opinion when it happens. In the interim, though she decided to call out one producer by name, saying:

A few weeks ago, Eddie Lucas himself blamed Bravo’s producers for trying to shut down conversations about the racial slur. He claimed to have even advocated for Heather Chase’s firing – but it wasn't shown in Season 9 of Below Deck. According to Rayna Lindsey, per her stories, the show (and the production company backing it) was only looking to solely benefit from drama related to her:

51 Minds Entertainment did indeed produce the spinoff Flavor of Love and continues to do so with Below Deck. In the wake of the Season 9 finale, Captain Lee would only cryptically allude to the racial controversy on Twitter, saying he would “respect” people’s opinions, even if he didn't “agree with it.” Conversely, deckhand Wes O’Dell lamented the on-screen fight between him and Rayna Lindsey – and shared that Lindsey hasn’t apologized at or since the reunion for questioning his Blackness.

It isn't clear as of yet where Rayna Lindsey intends to host her Sunday tell-all, but it seems most likely it will be on her Instagram live. If so, she would beat the Bravo network to the punch, with the Below Deck Season 9 reunion slated for Monday at 9 p.m. EST. Should it happen, one would think that Lindsey won't be asked back for another season on the show – and she doesn't seem to care all too much about that. She wrote, “I need to help and warn other minorities to not come on the show. I’d be dead-ass wrong if I didn’t.”

The finale for Below Deck's Season 9 shenanigans came with a ton of drama. It was the last crew night off. Rayna Lindsey had been quietly stewing over her co-star Heather Chase’s use of a racial slur for some time but couldn't hold it in any longer. The two got into huge argument, resulting in Chase getting down on her knees for forgiveness, which eventually turned into a fight between Lindsey and Wes O’Dell when he tried to diffuse the situation. Now O’Dell (who was, for the most part, content on the sidelines this season) is sharing more insight about what went down.

For context, Rayna Lindsey and Wes O’Dell were the only Black main castmates in this season. Yet Lindsey angrily accused O’Dell during the finale of not being Black and not understanding her ire toward Heather Chase in the moment. (O’Dell's father is technically white and his mother is Black, making him biracial, but he identifies with being Black.) While on the Gangplank Report podcast, the Below Deck deckhand stated that Lindsey's remarks were “hurtful.” Not because they questioned his Blackness, but for how quickly she turned on him. He said,

Despite Rayna Lindsey’s claims to the contrary, Wes O’Dell was firm to the podcast that he knows first-hand why the racial slur is inappropriate. He said he witnessed a lot amidst splitting his time between St. Thomas and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and other parts of the South while growing up. About the finale fight, the Below Deck newcomer shared that he was still grappling with learning the context of Heather Chase’s use of the N-word, which was drunkenly singing a song lyric. O'Dell continued,

O’Dell explained further that that he doesn't accept nor agree with hateful speech or actions. But the Bravo star claimed that he would have approached it differently than Rayna Lindsey, who he says has never apologized about the comments made specifically toward him.

Following the controversial slur airing on the show, Heather Chase released an apology on social media for what she said, with Rayna Lindsey adding on her accounts how difficult the season was for her. Likewise, first officer Eddie Lucas later admitted that he tried to have Chase fired from the yacht (although it was never shown on-screen).

This makes for the second, back-to-back season of the franchise to deal with issues beyond the normal hookup drama. Fans will get to hear the final say on the matter when the Below Deck reunion premieres on February 7 on Bravo in the 2022 TV schedule.

There was a lot of confusion after Below Deck: Sailing Yacht’s Season 2 reunion concerning the baby that castmate Dani Soares was soon going to give birth to. Well, Soares wasn't confused – she knew her co-star Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux was the father, but she stated he wanted nothing to do with the child. Conversely, he claimed that he just wanted a paternity test to make sure. Cerza-Lanaux's paternity of baby girl Lilly was finally confirmed just recently but, not long after, Soares seemingly shaded him on social media.

After the bombshell reunion in June, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux went silent on his own social media accounts. But he broke the hiatus on Instagram to reveal that an “international DNA test” was completed and that he was “happy and proud” to say that the baby was indeed his. The Below Deck: Sailing Yacht deckhand also would indicate that co-parenting efforts were still in-progress because of how they both work in different countries, with Cerza-Lanaux at sea for “extended periods of time.”

Dani Soares made no public statement about the positive paternity test. However, in an Instagram post just a few days after the father of her child, the former second stew celebrated raising her daughter over the past eight months as a single mom – with name drops of who was there to support her along the way. And Jean-Luc didn't make the cut. The Below Deck star shared a smiling pic of her baby and wrote:

The Bravo alum added in the post that “Life is better with friends.” It's reading like a snub, given that Jean-Luc's name is left out of her co-star support system list, which includes nearly the entire Season 2 cast as it stands. Still, if that's the case and she was shading her ex-hookup, it's not entirely surprising. After they left things on such a sour note at the reunion, the star has been documenting her solo struggles as a first-time mom online, including her difficult breastfeeding journey and later catching COVID-19 alongside her daughter. (Jean-Luc’s name wasn't in those posts, either.)

At least the official paternity is out there in the open – for those who didn't do the math of the Sailing Yacht season. Since giving birth, though, Dani Soares has retired from the high seas and drama and is currently going to school to become a nurse whilst working full time in Australia.

Not so surprisingly, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux is also not returning to the franchise for another stint. Instead, Season 3 of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht will see only alums Daisy, Colin, Gary and Captain Glenn, with a bunch of newcomers. Someone might want to warn the green crew to avoid entanglements on board – as we know, it can sometimes get a little confusing. Check out the new season when it premieres on Bravo on February 21 at 9 p.m. EST!

Below Deck: Mediterranean was a beautifully dramatic successor to the already popular flagship show when it premiered in 2016. It even found the mirror image to Kate Chastain's infamous persona with chief stew Hannah Ferrier. In the subsequent second season, Captain Sandy Yawn joined the crew (after the late Captain Mark Howard decided to bow out). Ferrier and Yawn would go on to share many seasons together on Bravo – that is until the former fired Ferrier in 2020 for having undeclared drugs aboard the yacht. Apparently, the franchise alum is now claiming that she and the captain “weren't friendly at all” whilst working on the show.

As far as fans saw, the two co-stars would sometimes butt heads, but they also seemed to have a general respect for the other’s position. Hannah Ferrier’s eventual firing obviously ended their rapport. Yet whilst on the Kyle & Jackie O Show podcast, Ferrier indicated that the Bravo editors left out the fact that she struggled with Captain Sandy from Day 1 on Below Deck: Mediterranean. She said:

The former series star makes it sound like she and Captain Sandy were bitter enemies on the reality series. Which is surprising, because it truly didn't come across that way on the show, and Bravo isn't one to leave out major drama from viewers. The Mediterranean alum went on to say that the captain was evidently on her case due to preconceived notions from Season 1, saying:

Following her dramatic exit from the fifth season of Below Deck: Mediterranean, Hannah Ferrier would later announce that she was quitting yachting for good. But her early retirement didn't end the apparent feud with Captain Sandy, which clearly lives on. The two have gone back-and-forth about the other in the press and online, culminating, with Ferrier accusing her old boss at one point of being a hypocrite toward women. Captain Sandy maintains that she was in the right with her decision to fire the notorious chief stew, although bosun Malia White has some slight regrets for her part in the drama.

The show goes on, though. Captain Sandy is expected to return in her capacity as leader in Mediterranean’s future seventh season. Meanwhile, her former co-star has since gotten engaged and had her first child with her fiancé. The Bravo vet also has a pretty successful podcast show now, where she talks with reality stars, including some of her fellow franchise alums.

Hannah Ferrier has said in the past that she would only consider returning to the show if Captain Lee requested her. The slightly shady remark suggests that the old riff between the two castmates likely won’t see improvement anytime soon – especially if it was indeed years in the making.

Captain Sandy Yawn is, without a doubt, a pillar of the Bravo network’s Below Deck franchise. Her upbeat, team-oriented approach to managing the stews and deckhands aboard the show’s super-yachts has singlehandedly helped them through many issues. But the captain – who has earned the respect of fans as well for being a badass leader in a traditionally male-dominated profession – is hurting at the moment. Her brother unfortunately just passed away at age 55, and she paid tribute and wished a mournful “Godspeed” to him in her statement on the matter.

The Below Deck: Mediterranean alum shared the news of the passing on her Instagram. Her brother, who is unnamed in the Instagram post, is survived by his wife and children. Captain Sandy didn't provide any further details about his death but did reflect on their childhood together. The 56-year-old said that as “youngsters,” they would often play and run around like explorers from a Mark Twain novel. The captain continued,

A few of Below Deck’s notorious guests and castmates over the years responded in the comments of Captain Sandy’s post. Roy Orbison, Jr. and Michelle Damon offered their condolences. Also Malia White, her frequent protege on Below Deck: Mediterranean, wrote “Sorry to hear this Cap" and "Thinking of you & your family.” Likewise, Captain Lee Rosbach, who lost his son to drug addiction amidst his own tenure on the flagship show, had some kind remarks, saying,

The Below Deck: Mediterranean captain doesn't typically share much about her personal affairs on the reality series. It is mostly her perspective and guidance toward her subordinates. So, it is notable that Captain Sandy opened up in the middle of such tragic circumstances. Fans can see her full post here:

Captain Sandy took over as the headliner of Below Deck: Mediterranean in 2017 after Captain Mark Howard stepped down as the franchise’s foil to the notorious Captain Lee. (Captain Mark tragically passed away last year himself, and many Bravo alums likewise paid tribute to him on social media.) For the six seasons since, Captain Sandy has continued to maintain her role on the series (despite receiving criticism for how she handles the drama every now and again).

Her words on her brother's death are a potent reminder for us all to cherish our loved ones while we can. We here at CinemaBlend offer condolences at what must truly be a very difficult time for Captain Sandy and the rest of her family.

Dani Soares has certainly been on a rollercoaster journey since her turn as the second stew on Season 2 of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht. A hot-n-heavy boatmance simmered between her and fellow castmate Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux on the show that was followed shortly by a shocking pregnancy announcement. It was later revealed during the reunion show that despite Soares’ insistence that the baby was Cerza-Lanaux’s, he still wanted a paternity test. The challenges apparently have continued for Soares and her now-7-month-old daughter, both of whom unfortunately caught COVID-19 at the same time.

The reality star is based in Australia, a country which was under strict COVID-19 lockdown protocols in 2021. Their "no travelers allowed in or out" rule was supposedly what made a paternity test unfeasible for Dani Soares’ baby. Their borders were eventually opened back up in mid-December, but things quickly took a turn for the worse during Soares’ first Christmas with her daughter Lilly. The Below Deck castmate shared to the Daily Mail Australia,

The list of celebrities catching COVID appears to be ever-growing now that the Omicron variant is spreading. But for Dani Soares, testing positive with her kiddo came on top of having a lot of struggles as a single mom in another country. She shared that Lilly had trouble breastfeeding and then later resisted taking a bottle, forcing Soares to juggle work with continual tripes to the childcare area so she could breastfeed still.

Things are looking up, though. The 33-year-old Below Deck: Sailing Yacht alum revealed to the outlet that the two of them are “almost 100 percent” after their bouts of COVID, with Lilly only coughing “a little bit” still. Her baby daughter is also now finally taking from a bottle and eating some solid foods. Currently, Soares is working part-time as a beauty therapist whilst going to nursing school full-time. She stated:

It is still unknown if Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux finally got that paternity test and if he is indeed the father of Dani Soares’ baby. After saying his own piece about the situation back in June, Cerza-Lanaux’s social media accounts have been left completely defunct. Meanwhile, there have been no pictures or indications of reconciliation between the two on Soares’ own accounts. But she did, in fact, leave the door open for him to be a part of the baby's life in the future.

With 2021 now officially in the past, hopefully Dani Soares and her child will see a more peaceful year ahead. The same can’t exactly be expected for her Below Deck franchise co-stars and their ever-present drama…

Amid the boatmances and typical NSFW drama within Below Deck's current season, a serious situation has been brewing over the use of a racial slur. Chief stewardess Heather Chase was, at one point, heard saying the N-word in front of co-star Rayna Lindsey, who is the only Black female castmate on the show this year. Lindsey vocalized to both Chase and other co-workers, including Eddie Lucas, why it was not appropriate language. Amidst the drama airing, Chase has since issued a public apology, but Lindsey slammed everyone involved for not doing more while filming. The sentiment has also been echoed by Lucas, who in fact blames Bravo producers for their “poorly handled” reaction in the moment.

Eddie Lucas caught a lot of flak so far for seeming to brush aside Rayna Lindsey's complaint about the racial slur on the show. He was particularly criticized for saying to Lindsey that she shouldn't take it “personally.” However, the longtime Below Deck alum told Showbiz Cheatsheet that the production team actually stopped him from doing more. He said:

Concerning the initial conversation with his co-star about the racial slur, Eddie Lucas revealed that it was edited down significantly. He claims he talked to his deckhand for at least a half-hour hour and that Rachel Lindsey indicated that she “wasn't comfortable going to the captain right away.” As Lucas tells it, she was “very, very nonchalant about it,” prompting him to then make the comments that she shouldn't let it “affect” her or take it “personally.” If she had been more forthright about how much it bothered her, he said “much stronger actions” would have been taken. He added:

The star also hinted that, in upcoming episodes of Below Deck, the problem worsens. Apparently, he calls for a meeting between the co-stars involved to resolve the complaint, but Rayna Lindsey wanted no part in it. The franchise veteran said he then took it to Captain Lee and even recommended that chief stewardess Heather Chase be fired. However, the bosun/first officer indicated that he doesn't know if that “makes it on the show.”

Bravo's seaworthy franchise has faced much criticism over the years that their shows lack diversity. But ever since the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and our collective reckoning with racial injustice last summer, subsequent seasons have featured more and more Black castmate. And conversations on the matter even took center stage during one of the show's reunions. However, it would appear Eddie Lucas is suggesting that the network needs more improvement in how they deal with sensitive issues such as these going forward in the future.

Below Deck airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. And if you're curious about the shows that will be returning in the coming year, check out our 2022 winter and spring TV schedule.

Season 9 of Below Deck has been, for the most part, typical Bravo fare. Captain Lee is grumpy, some of the crew are relatively “green” to yachting, and there's been a number of interesting boatmances. (Spoiler alert, one boatmance in particular doesn't have much of a future.) But the tone of the show got considerably more serious recently after an on-screen dispute took place between Heather Chase and Rayna Lindsey over the use of a racial slur. Now the two co-stars are speaking out publicly in the wake of the controversy.

The dispute in question occurred during the December 11 episode of Below Deck. While out for dinner on a crew night off, chief stewardess Heather Chase was caught on her mic mimicking Rayna Lindsey by saying, “That n---.” Later, on the boat, Lindsey explained to Chase that she shouldn't use that language, especially on national television. Chase denied that she used the slur at the time and lamented to her roommate that Lindsey made her “feel bad.”

Rayna Lindsey, one of the franchise’s relatively few Black castmates, voiced her dismay about the situation to co-star Fraser Olender in the episode, who in turn suggested that she go to her boss, Eddie Lucas. However, Lucas advised that she shouldn't take it “personally." Some Bravo fans echoed Lindsey’s disappointment online about the lack of attention given to what happened. In response to the controversy, Heather Chase issued a formal apology on her Instagram and explained how she “fell short.” See below:

Following Heather Chase’s statement, Rayna Lindsey shared on her own Instagram stories that the whole situation “really sucks” and that it hurt her feelings to not be validated in the moment. She blasted not only some of her coworkers for not speaking up in her defense but for Captain Lee also “never” sticking up for her. In fact, in response to a fan talking about the franchise-favorite captain, the deckhand teased to “wait till the end…sad.”

The Below Deck star continued that she is still on good terms with a few castmates (Jake Foulger, Fraser Olender, Jessica Albert and Rachel Hargrove included). But she explained that she spoke out about Heather Chase’s use of the N-word because she doesn't “take racism lightly.” Rayna Lindsey also stated,

In the previous week’s episode, Rayna Lindsey had a heart-to-heart with co-star Wes O’Dell about her experience as a Black woman in America. She even reports she was once beaten up and maced by cops, as well as says she was attacked by three white men in an elevator at one point. Those revelations inevitably made the recent slur situation also stand out. 

Judging from what Rayna Lindsey is saying, though, it would seem that Heather Chase’s use of a slur may get addressed further in Season 9. To see how the situation unfolds, tune into Bravo on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST.

Spoilers for Below Deck Season 9 lie ahead!

When it comes to Below Deck’s ninth season, things haven’t gotten as intense as the recent season of the Mediterranean spinoff. Pieces of the boat are unintentionally getting swept away, chef Rachel Hargrove is still at it with her NSFW commentary, and there have been some problems with the interior department. But the most juicy bits have been the various boatmances at play: Jake Foulger and Rayna Lindsey, Foulger and Fraser Olender, a little 3-way between Jake/Rayna/Fraser, with teasers also indicating something sizzles between deckhand Wes O’Dell and stewardess Jessica Albert. But O’Dell is now coming clean with what really happens between him and Albert this season.

The two have definitely been nurturing a sweet little flirtation in recent episodes. Wes O’Dell even hinted in a crew game of truth-or-dare that he wouldn’t mind kissing Jessica Albert out of everyone. The Season 9 trailer, in fact, teases that a smooch does happen between them. In an interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, though, the “green” deckhand spoiled that their relationship as it stands is in the “just friends” category. O’Dell partly blames the crew for conspiring to get their sparks flying, saying:

RIP, then, Wes and Jess. However, if they’re just friends, what about that kiss fans will soon see on Below Deck? The deckhand confirmed to the outlet that he and Jessica Albert indeed did share something. But it’s apparently short-lived and after a ton more pressure from their fellow castmates. He said:

Wes O’Dell also kinda sort of attributes the show itself for why things apparently didn’t go further with his potential love interest. He said filming Below Deck was “a high-stress environment,” and they were “cautious” on how much of themselves they would “put out there.” The Bravo star joked that his mom actually watches the show, so he wasn’t about to “get butt naked” on national television. (Cough, cough, Jake Foulger.)

Evidently, too, the newcomer and the rest of the crew still had to contend with Covid-19 protocols. They weren’t allowed to interact with anyone outside of guests and production. As a result, he said it was difficult to “escape” their colleagues and “do something genuine.”

At least Wes O’Dell is upfront about the realities of reality television. But though there's now one defunct boatmance, there will surely be other's down the road. Find out who else may or may not link up Below Deck airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

Below Deck's ninth season is underway, with Captain Lee finally at the helm. And his ragtag crew are up to some hilariously naked and drunk shenanigans. But beyond the usual drama, fans have been distracted by something a little more glaring: Fraser Olender’s makeup during the show's confessionals. The second stew is now explaining why it looks “so bad” as to be noticeable by viewers.

The confessional interviews are typically reserved for castmates to make shady comments about what's going on at that moment in his season. Yet I can't seem to ever hear what Fraser Olender is saying in his own for the show – his orangey makeup is just so loud. It's some cross between an Oompa Loompa and a castmate on the Jersey Shore. And Olender not only agrees but is “furious.” He explained to Hannah Ferrier on her Dear Reality, You’re Effed! podcast:

Series alum Hannah Ferrier knows a thing or two about feeling some kind of way after unfortunate circumstances transpire on the show. Hers just happen to be the getting fired by Captain Sandy kind, whereas her colleague only looks like a senior citizen after decades in the sun. However, the star doesn't think he'll get over the put up job anytime soon, saying:

If it's any consolation to fans, Fraser Olender said he doesn't do fake tans “at all.” The continuously discussed confessionals are just the result of “terrible makeup,” and he in fact recommended that Bravo find new makeup artists for future pickups. Luckily for the Below Deck star, though, he got one thing good from his time on the show: a good friendship with co-star Jake Foulger, who he had an interesting three-way kiss with in the hot tub this past season.

Not a bad trade. Still, going forward, he said he's “never ever” having anyone but himself do his makeup again. And we can't say we blame him… For more Below Deck, tune into Bravo on Monday nights at 9 p.m. EST!

Lately, the Below Deck franchise has taken to bringing in a lot of new blood in its respective casts. (And as a result, it's getting raunchier by the day on the flagship show’s latest season.) The longtime alums who frequently doubled as fan-favorites have either dipped or been kicked out in recent years, the latter of which was the case for chief stewardess Hannah Ferrier. Evidently, though, Ferrier would consider making a return in the future – but only on one condition.

She made a name for herself on Below Deck: Mediterranean as the sassy interior leader who ruled her department with an iron fist. But following five seasons, she was fired by Captain Sandy for having undeclared drugs aboard the Wellington yacht. Hannah Ferrier then officially “retired” as a yachty and not long after, had her first child with now-fiancé Josh Roberts. So she's kind of moved on from the vagabond lifestyle of a typical yacht crew… However, the former Bravo star told Showbiz Cheatsheet that she might pull out the old 5-star dinner service again. The caveat being that it would have to be for for Captain Lee only. She said:

Captain Lee has been known to command loyalty and respect, especially of his former chief stew Kate Chastain – on the franchise. But apparently that extends to the entire franchise and Hannah Ferrier, who never officially worked under Lee on Mediterranean. She shared that while filming the show, she would be able to call him and get friendly advice about what to do – and awww. Still, it unfortunately sounds like fans will only ever see Ferrier on the show again in an emergency and even then, only briefly. The chief stew added:

As it stands, Captain Sandy still headlines Below Deck: Mediterranean – which explains why the former series star isn't willing to return in a full capacity again. The two had a huge falling-out over the drug scandal in the show’s fifth season. And it continues to this day, with both sticking to their guns that they were right in the situation. (Although, bosun Malia White has some slight regrets for her part in reporting Ferrier for the drugs.)

Despite how much fans love Hannah Ferrier’s biting retorts and penchant for drama, the franchise is in no short supply of it since her exit. Arguments and throuples continue to plague even the current Below Deck season, and the new chief stew is struggling with her team just a bit… So maybe we might see Ferrier at some point after all? To find out what happens in Season 9, tune into Bravo on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST.

Earlier this summer, Malia White was riding a Vespa on the streets of Mallorca, Spain when she took a gnarly tumble. Her pictures from the hospital after the accident show just how bad it really was for the Below Deck: Mediterranean star, given she was wrapped up like a mummy from head to toe. In fact, she said at the time that she'd suffered a fractured elbow and broken toes, while growing a new appreciation for helmet protection. Months later, the notorious Bravo bosun relfected on the accident and shared exactly how brutal the hospital stay itself was for someone accustomed to the U.S. medical system.

While on the Hollywood Raw podcast, the Below Deck: Mediterranean alum stated that she and a fellow crewmate were going 70 mph on their Vespa scooters when the colleague accidently clipped Malia White's front tire. She was then sent flying, though had a quick enough adrenaline-driven reaction to jump away from oncoming traffic. While you'd think the waiting room would be the worst, things got truly rough once she was being looked at by hospital staff. She told the podcast hosts:

Ouch! Talk about painting a visceral picture. (Though I guess that wasn't a paintbrush being used.) Malia White continued, saying she came out of the experience with a concussion and severe road rash, along with her other extensive injuries. Scarily, she claimed her head's collision with the asphalt cracked her scooter helmet right down the middle, which helps explain the concussion, and why she'd previously said it could’ve been a much worse incident. 

The Below Deck Med star’s entire ghastly experience of getting her wounds cleaned was also suffered without anything to numb the pain. White stated,

The accident occurred coincidently on the premiere night of Below Deck: Mediterranean’s sixth season. And to be honest, one might think the season was almost just as painful for the cast as Malia White’s hospital stay was for her. There were several controversial blowups from stewardess Lexi Wilson, which led to emotional reactions from both crew and Bravo fans alike. But while we won’t likely see Wilson on the show ever again, White revealed that she wasn’t giving up her scooter days just yet. (Maybe that concussion needs to be checked out again…)

Seriously, things are getting downright steamy on Below Deck’s ninth season. Wes O’Dell and Jessica Albert have a casual flirtation, although it hasn't yet come to its full fruition. Jake Foulger made out with fellow deckhand Rayna Lindsey – before he was named the official bosun by Captain Lee and Eddie Lucas. And in the latest episode, Foulger, Lindsey and Fraser Olender lean all the way into a 3-way makeout session in the hot tub, which is technically a better scenario than what happened in the franchise’s last hot tub. Now, Olender has shared a status update concerning his relationship (fling? friendship?) with Foulger.

Per usual, there was a lot of alcohol involved in the 3-way kiss in question. But the Season 9 trailer suggests that it might not just be a flirty one-off. On that front, Fraser Olender recently filled in Showbiz Cheatsheet that he has still kept in contact with the bosun since the season wrapped filming. The Bravo star teased some kind of future, whatever the case may be, saying:

If we’re reading between the lines, it sounds as though their connection went beyond just a drunken hookup between co-workers on their night off. Or, to say it another way, it didn’t become completely ruined, which is actually saying a lot for Below Deck.

The freshman franchise star continued that Jake Foulger, actually “couldn't be further” from his “type.” But at the same time, he thinks Foulger has a “wonderful personality” and is “funny” and “witty” and “kind.” Apparently, they became so close on the show because of their shared “British banter.” It has been suggested in teasers, too, that their aforementioned 3-way kiss eventually turns into a 1-on-1 thing between them. On what's to come, Olender only stated:

Tricky romantic entanglements are the bread and butter of this franchise. And as any fan or castmate can tell you, boatmances typically don't end well. Just ask Sailing Yacht’s Dani Soares, who has been raising her newborn daughter on her own after the relationship with co-star/father of her child, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux, went south.

There's still a lot of this season left to be had on Below Deck. Chef Rachel Hargrove has been steadily delivering her classic NSFW one-liners (that apparently have paid her rent in full in the past). And Jake Foulger ended the last episode by dropping a pretty big bomb, something about being engaged at the time of filming… To find out what happens, tune into Bravo on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST!

On the Below Deck franchise, it's all about how high tensions manage to somehow rise even higher on super yachts. The crew is in tight, confined spaces, juggling the personalities of their co-workers and the lofty demands of the clientele. But it's the captains on board (and their varied approaches to leadership) that inevitably ground the shows with some semblance of order during all the chaos. So it's been tremendously sad to learn that Below Deck: Mediterranean’s OG Captain, Mark Howard, died earlier this week. In the wake of his death, former castmates like Hannah Ferrier and Bobby Giancola are paying tribute.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ, Captain Mark Howard, from the original 2016 season of the show, was found dead this past week by his wife Susan. He was 65 years old at the time of his passing. Evidently, his wife was out of town for a dog show for a few days and returned to their Florida home, finding him in a state that might suggest boxes had fallen on top of him. There was allegedly blood on the floor and on Howard's face but, at the time of this writing, details have yet to be released concerning his cause of death.

It’s a tragic situation, and he will be indelibly missed by Bravo fans. Though the captain didn't return for another season of Mediterranean after his first run, he left a distinct mark as the most cool, calm, and collected leader to ever deal with the franchise’s castmates in that seminal season. His chief stewardess from that time, fan favorite Hannah Ferrier, remembered him fondly as well in her tribute on Instagram, saying:

Likewise, Captain Mark Howard’s death impacted his Season 1 deckhand, Bobby Giancola. He reflected on the sudden death to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, stating, “I feel so bad. He was a good man.” Their fellow co-star/third stewardess, Tiffany Jones (formerly Copeland), also had some kind words and some throwback photos of the captain:

As a fan, I can still remember when Captain Mark Howard remarked at one point in a confessional, completely deadpan, that dealing with the Below Deck drama was more like babysitting. For the most part, though, he was a resoundingly fair and patient leader, especially in the case of Danny ­Zureikat. The lackadaisical deckhand, despite being given multiple warnings about needling his coworkers and canoodling with guests on board, was ultimately fired by Howard, who was in turn still courteous with him right up until the end. And Zureikat returned the favor in his own tribute to Howard’s death, which was posted to Twitter:

During his brief stint on the Bravo reality series, the captain came across as a foil character to the flagship show’s notorious Captain Lee. Where Lee was sarcastic and formidable on Below Deck, Howard was relatively mellow and quiet on Mediterranean. As a result, the crew dynamic was left mostly to play out naturally, which is what helped make the spinoff such a success. On Instagram, executive producer Nadine Rajabi reflected on Howard's pioneering presence in the first season. See below:

Even though Captain Mark Howard is gone now, it's clear he will be eternally remembered in the hearts and minds of those who personally knew him and all those who faithfully watched him on TV. We here at CinemaBlend offer our condolences to his wife, kids and loved ones during this difficult time.

In the Below Deck franchise, as is the case with most reality TV shows, there are a myriad of ways for its stars to make names for themselves. You can be a drunk troublemaker on crew nights off. You can go the “boatmance” route, which almost always doesn't end well. Or, if you're like chef Rachel Hargrove from the last season of the flagship series, you just say wildly sexual one-liners. Not so surprisingly, Hargrove made her notorious NSFW comebacks work in her favor and, quite literally, pay her rent.

Let’s rewind a bit first, though. In Season 8, the chef decided to quit the boat (that she she later returned to) after hearing a charter guest’s outrageous demands – but not before uttering her most infamous line: “Eat my cooter.” It was shocking for fans and even for her co-workers to hear something so raunchy -- and in front of the formidable Captain Lee, no less. So, along with being the first female chef in Below Deck’s history, she proved she really didn’t give a damn what others thought of her.

Rachel Hargrove then parlayed that notoriety into cold, hard cash after the season finished airing. The chef told Us Weekly recently that by saying her “Eat my cooter” line and others to willing customers on Cameo, a video messaging platform between celebs and fans, she was evidently able to cover her rent in full. But now I’m wondering exactly how many times one has to say cooter to get one’s bills paid. (In this article alone, I’ve had to say it three times myself…)

Regardless, it would seem Cameo is the place to go for controversial franchise alums. While the chef was busy collecting rent by saying cooter (that's four now), Below Deck: Mediterranean’s Season 6 villain (Lexi Wilson) was reportedly spilling details about her drama-filled TV stint on the platform. Prior to that, Wilson was blasting Bravo producers and even some of her co-stars for evidently being the real reason behind her firing and edit on the show.

Lexi Wilson technically didn't show up for the Mediterranean reunion special, which would seemingly indicate that she isn't coming back for another full season, either. Conversely, despite Rachel Hargrove’s own tough time on the reality TV series (wherein she was basically accused of being an alcoholic), she is back for the new season of the flagship show, along with former co-stars Captain Lee and bosun Eddie Lucas. Hargrove’s NSFW comebacks will be making a comeback as well. She said to Us Weekly:

The October 25 season opener of Below Deck didn’t fail to deliver even more drama. Now, we just wait for things to apparently get more raunchy. New episodes premiere on Bravo on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST.

All the fights and drama within Bravo's Below Deck franchise is part and parcel why fans love it so much. But it's not exactly fun for the crew, who are being filmed 24/7 as they live in cramped quarters and deal with various personalities – both upstairs and downstairs. On Below Deck Mediterranean’s sixth season, which is currently airing, the main issue has been Lexi Wilson's feuds with the crew, which ultimately led to her firing by Captain Sandy. But the captain is getting frank these days about Wilson and the rest of the crew’s actions, and her thoughts are a little surprising.

Captain Sandy Yawn faced a lot of criticism from fans after the debut of the episode that showed her firing stewardess Lexi Wilson. Partly, the decision was believed to be too little, too late, as there were only two charters left in the season. But additionally, it seemed as though the captain didn't really want to fire Wilson in that moment, despite all the hurt and issues she caused. But on that account, Yawn is settling the score. She said to Us Weekly,

Now obviously, Captain Sandy can't be blamed entirely for the way she came across while firing Lexi Wilson, if she didn't have the full context. And true to what she says, “bad” doesn't fully encompass what transpired between Wilson and the crew in Season 6 of Below Deck Mediterranean. During the now infamous hot tub blow-up, Wilson got physical with Lloyd Spencer and Mzi Dempers and yelled obscenities at everyone else, to include crew members who technically outranked her on the boat. The second confrontation saw Wilson use derogatory language and even insinuate that chef Mathew Shea should've been aborted by his parents. 

Many of Lexi Wilson's co-stars at the time, and even since then, have sympathized with her position. There was a lot of alcohol involved during the crew nights off, Wilson’s father had passed away months prior, and Mathew Shea did in fact like to push her buttons. But some of the behavior was, in truth, inexcusable and Captain Sandy expressed that it's on the crew for not communicating that to her sooner. She said:

The implication here is that Captain Sandy thinks the crew should have said more than what they did. Which is interesting, because bosun Malia White and chief stew Katie Flood did go to the captain after it initially happened. Flood was visibly very uncomfortable with the situation, yet Captain Sandy told her that she needed to “invest” in Wilson. It seems odd that the captain – who is notorious for firing Hannah Ferrier with the quickness last year and yelling at Malia White this season for simply not telling her about David Pascoe's bruise – didn't ask more questions about Wilson immediately after she was told, if that was indeed the case.

At this point, it is still unclear if Lexi Wilson will join the crew at the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 6 reunion. Judging by her recent comments, though, she seems to have a lot to say. 

Catch the final episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean's sixth season on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

The drama of Below Deck: Mediterranean’s sixth season has been mostly at the hands of one second stewardess, Lexi Wilson, and her many blowups on crew nights off. Ultimately, Captain Sandy had to pull the plug on Wilson’s season and fire her when an argument with chef Mathew Shea went too far. Ever since, Wilson has been blasting Bravo producers on social media for the edit she's been receiving on the show. And now, she allegedly wants to sell Season 6 details that were left out.

In the past few weeks, Lexi Wilson has called out Bravo and its producers several times to her 12,000-plus followers on her private Instagram account. Per Screen Rant, she flat out named the Below Deck: Mediterranean and Bravo Instagram accounts for supposedly enabling “death threats” against her and “psycho lunatics to feel empowered.” More recently, after the episode of her firing was aired, Wilson complained about her edit and even called out an executive producer by name, saying (via Decider):

The posts have reportedly been deleted, but Lexi Wilson is believed to be not done quite yet with confronting her storyline on Season 6. The Below Deck: Mediterranean star apparently wants to sell behind-the-scenes details about already released episodes on the Cameo platform, where celebs can charge fans for personalized videos. She wrote on her Instagram stories (via TV Show Ace):

There are a few public videos of Lexi Wilson on her Cameo account already but nothing concerning Below Deck: Mediterranean as of yet. She's currently charging $35 for personal videos and $140 for business videos.

Lexi Wilson’s Below Deck: Mediterranean co-stars have also been sharing their own side of events from the season, without a Cameo price tag. Bosun Malia White, who Wilson feuded with in the now-infamous hot tub blow-up, shared how she empathized with the former stew’s circumstances but that none of the crew have still received a proper apology for what transpired. Likewise, Captain Sandy wrote on Twitter that she “wasn't told the whole story about the hot tub night” and that things “would have been different” if she had been told.

Only a few episodes of Below Deck: Mediterranean’s sixth season are left. But now the bigger question is, will Lexi Wilson rejoin the cast for the reunion special and share her perspective there? We'll just have to wait and see.

There was a lot of baby drama in the last season of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht. At the reunion, Alli Dore announced she was pregnant (and her ex-throuple partner Gary King was most assuredly not the father). The drama apparently can't stop, won't stop, either, because recently some fans made some insensitive comments about Dore’s baby ending up in the NICU, and she's not having it.

Below Deck: Sailing Yacht’s Alli Dore gave birth to her son, River George, with her partner Benny Thompson on August 26. He was born a few weeks earlier than his due date and had to spend some time in the NICU as a result. But apparently, certain fans are making comments about his life-supporting tubes during his hospital stay, which can be seen in Dore’s Instagram pic below:

In general, most of Alli Dore’s fans, as well as her Below Deck: Sailing Yacht co-stars like Dani Soares, Daisy Kelliher, and Captain Glenn, have been congratulating her on the birth of her baby. Many have also been sharing their own struggles of their children being in the NICU. However, outside the love and support, Dore has been faced with commentators actually poking fun at her son's premature status and the necessity of his tubes in the NICU. But the new mom is hitting back at the insinuations being made. She wrote in a post on her Instagram stories:

It is a sad state of affairs when even a helpless baby in the NICU isn't immune from Internet trolls. Nevertheless, Below Deck: Sailing Yacht’s Alli Dore and her baby are physically safe and healthy, with Dore reporting in her Instagram stories on September 15 that they were heading home for the first time together as a family.

River George is in fact on the growing list of Below Deck babies born over the past year. Ousted Below Deck stewardess Hannah Ferrier gave birth to her daughter Ava in October of 2020. Ferrier actually commented on Alli Dore’s announcement of her son’s birth, saying,

Also, Alli Dore’s Below Deck: Sailing Yacht co-star Dani Soares gave birth to her own daughter Lilly in May. Soares has been frank that it's been a tough journey for her, too, as a single mom in a country under a COVID-19 lockdown. There's been no word yet as to whether Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux has managed to get a paternity test done since the birth. (His social media has been defunct since his last post caught him some backlash.) But Soares and Dore at least have each other. Dore even stated at one point that Soares could cross a few Australian provinces and live with her if necessary.

The Below Deck baby boom brings some much needed love and innocence back into the world. Hopefully, what the Internet trolls will learn from this is you don't mess with a mama bear where her cubs are concerned.

On the last season of Below Deck: Mediterranean, the drama hit a fever pitch. Bosun Malia White reported fan-favorite stewardess Hannah Ferrier to Captain Sandy for supposedly having drugs in her cabin. The decision ultimately led to Captain Sandy firing Ferrier due to maritime law stipulating that any drugs onboard need to be declared. White, who is on the sixth season of the show now airing on Bravo, admits that in hindsight she might have some regrets concerning the Ferrier drug situation.

At the time, Below Deck: Mediterranean’s Hannah Ferrier was discovered allegedly having Valium and weed onboard (though she later claimed it was a legal CBD vape pen and prescribed Valium). But it was Malia White's decision to turn her into Captain Sandy that got the most backlash. Many fans perceived White as falsely pretending to care for Ferrier (who was suffering from anxiety attacks) in a vulnerable moment, just to run to the captain with something that could have been handled more discreetly. White recently told Us Weekly that she does regret how some of it played out. She said:

Prior to her firing over the drug situation, Hannah Ferrier had headlined Below Deck: Mediterranean for five seasons. Similar to Kate Chastain on the flagship show Below Deck, fans appreciated her sharp chief stewardess attitude and willingness to go toe-to-toe with anyone’s B.S. She may be off Bravo’s lineup nowadays, but Ferrier still has a bone or two to pick with Captain Sandy over the manner of her exit. Captain Sandy, in turn, has dismissed Ferrier's criticisms of her leadership on the show.

Captain Sandy certainly doesn't regret what happened last season on Below Deck: Mediterranean. But as for Malia White, she would have done some things differently concerning her involvement in Hannah Ferrier’s drug debacle. She said:

Though she can't change her past with Hannah Ferrier, Malia White seems to have somewhat changed her tactics in Season 6 of Below Deck: Mediterranean. White’s co-star, Lexi Wilson, had a huge drunken blowup a few weeks back with nearly all her crewmates, including White herself. White was slightly criticized for perhaps egging Wilson on in the moment, but at least she didn't run immediately to the captain with reports of Wilson's physical and verbal altercations with others. (Even if fans seemingly wanted her to at the time.)

It seems Below Deck: Mediterranean castmates can never completely escape having regrets on the show but, for some like Malia White, they can come back to redeem themselves. But those like Hannah Ferrier will likely never get the chance.

Amidst the drama of Below Deck: Mediterranean currently playing out on the air, its flagship show Below Deck dropped its highly anticipated Season 9 trailer last week. Bravo audiences were shocked to discover that the one and only (and grouchy) Captain Lee Rosbach was replaced for very mysterious reasons. Now the fan-favorite captain is explaining further how his absence threw a monkey wrench into Season 9.

Last season robbed fans of sufficient Below Deck drama, as well as Captain Lee's gruff no-nonsense leadership, with the rising threat of of COVID-19 at the time of filming causing charter guests to back out, thus causing production to subsequently wrap all too soon. Season 9 apparently then immediately started off on the wrong foot with Captain Lee making a very early departure due to an illness of some kind. Captain Lee shared to E! Online exactly how his absence affected the show, saying,

As heard in the trailer, Captain Lee attributed his early exit from Below Deck's ninth season to a “condition.” But what condition that is, Captain Lee isn't willing to say just yet. He only conveyed that it wasn't COVID-19-related and that he is now “much better.” For anyone stricken by worries, Captain Lee does, in fact, return later on in the season.

In the telling of his origin story, Captain Lee was famously never supposed to be part of Below Deck in the first place. After nine years at the helm of the Bravo franchise, though, he's practically a reality TV institution nowadays. The show has become wildly popular in that time, too, and even earned its first two Emmy nominations this year, a major feat for the Bravo show. As for what’s in store for Season 9 viewers, Captain Lee teased that it was “totally unique” and he “really enjoyed it.”

Judging by the trailer, though, Captain Lee’s strange absence seems to be the most unique element in this season of Below Deck. Familiar faces return to wreak havoc in the drama department, including bosun-turned-First Mate Eddie Lucas and chef Rachel Hargrove. There are a lot of new recruits as well who seemingly keep up all of the standard Below Deck promises: power struggles, injuries, boatmances, etc. Nevertheless, Lucas recently told Vanity Fair that the dynamic between him and Captain Lee supposedly changes in Season 9. He said,

It doesn't normally bode well for most yachties to question Captain Lee on anything. But Eddie Lucas has managed to get in the captain's good graces after four seasons of partnership on Below Deck, culminating in his three stripes promotion last year. Still, I’d wager that Lucas doesn't really challenge Captain Lee as much as he’s hinting at, especially after the captain’s unknown absence from the boat. (Alum Kate Chastain, who retired from yachting in 2020, learned that trick to Captain Lee’s rapport early on in Below Deck.)

With Captain Lee missing for a chunk of time on Season 9 of Below Deck, let's hope that things don't devolve into total chaos onboard. …Or do we? The show premieres on Oct. 25 on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST. Be sure to check out all the other 2021 Fall TV shows hitting the schedule soon!