Below Deck is Bravo’s most grueling workplace reality series. The servers and bartenders of Vanderpump Rules and Southern Hospitality might understand some of the stewards’ pain, and the glamorous cast of Million Dollar Listing would understand the strains of dealing with high-end picky clientele. But no other Bravo-lebrities are also stuck on a boat with their often challenging co-stars after working with them at close-quarters for long shifts each day.
With such challenging and strenuous working conditions, and with the glamorous super-yachting lifestyle to tempt them to misbehavior, there are pretty frequent turnarounds throughout the Below Deck franchise. Whether it comes from bad behavior, personal drama, or sheer exhaustion, these abrupt departures, often mid-season, contribute to the drama on each series, as the remaining crew need to scramble to fill-in sudden gaps, and the captains have to quickly find qualified replacements. With all the natural turnaround that comes with the strenuous positions on board, the frequent cast shake-ups can alter the course of more than just one charter trip, even shifting the mood for an entire season. Here are the 10 worst cast shake-ups in the Below Deck franchise history, ranked.
10
When Captain Glenn Shepard Fired Deckhand Emma Crouch
‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’ – Season 5
In Season 5 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Captain Glenn Shepard was faced with the tough decision of firing deckhand Emma Crouch from her position on the Parsifal III. It became clear that first mate Gary King wasn’t happy with Crouch’s performance when he complained to the Captain about what he saw as her lack of initiative. Shepard gave Crouch a tough but fair assessment of her performance, which came as a shock to the tearful deckhand.
As Shepard attempted to reassure her that she could pick up more skills as she continued her career, Crouch interrupted to say, respectfully, that she no longer wished to continue the conversation as she perceived the Captain had “obviously made [his] mind up.” After taking a few moments to collect herself, she returned to finish the conversation before heading to her bunk and filling in her bunkmate Daisy Kelliher. The rest of the crew appeared shocked at the news, and fellow deckhand Keith Allen expressed mixed emotions between the shock of hearing the news and the guilt that he had not been able to say goodbye.
- Release Date
-
February 3, 2020
- Cast
-
Glenn Shephard
, Colin Macrae
, Gary King
, Daisy Kelliher - Seasons
-
5
- Franchise(s)
-
Below Deck
- Showrunner
-
Mark Cronin
, Doug Henning
, Rebecca Taylor Henning
9
When Captain Kerry Titheradge Fired Chef Anthony Iracane
‘Below Deck’ – Season 11
Now this one stung. French chef Anthony Iracane brought a signature charm to the galley, and unlike so many chefs featured on the franchise, Iracane’s ego didn’t get in the way of his relationships with the other crew. Instead, the chef’s warm nature and dedication to his craft endeared him to everyone on board. But, unfortunately, organization and time management could get the better of Iracane, occasionally leading to irritated charter guests, an irate captain, and occasionally a smaller tip pool shared among the crew.
Captain Kerry Titheradge was already under pressure this season, having stepped forward to fill in as the beloved longstanding series’ Captain Lee Rosbach was not asked to return after he departed mid-season 10 to take care of his health. Titheradge was forced to face the consequences of having a bosun who wasn’t ready for his responsibilities, with a crew working one deckhand short for several of their charters, while having a steward who quit abruptly from stress, and then, ultimately, a chef who had timing issues in the kitchen that tested the captain’s patience on one too many charters. Titheradge was a no-nonsense Captain, and felt forced to dismiss chef Iracane. Unfortunately, Chef Nick Tatlock, who replaced Iracane onboard the St. David, for the rest of the season, had a much less endearing personality and his food seemed to underwhelm the charter guests as well, even though it made it to the table mostly on time.
8
When Chief Steward Francesca Rubi Fired Elizabeth Frankini
‘Below Deck’ – Season 8
Below Deck Season 8 featured what is quite possibly the most dramatic firing in Below Deck history when chief steward Francesca Rubi finally had enough with her insubordinate steward Elizabeth Frankini aboard the My Seanna. After a season of conflict between the chief stew and her underling, the last straw for Rubi was Frankini’s choice to sleep with a co-worker in a guest cabin on a night off without permission. Once Rubi learned Frankini and deckhand James Hough had spent the night together in the guest cabin, Rubi went to Captain Rosbach to request permission to fire the steward.
Despite butting heads with her boss all season, and breaking the rules by sleeping in the guest cabin with a co-worker, Frankini was surprised to be dismissed. On the Below Deck After Show, Rubi made clear she wasn’t ready to go down without a fight, saying “I was like, all right, now I got to full charge, fight for my position, because that’s how strongly I felt I deserved to be there.” Rubi being fired was surprising, coming as it did at the end of the season, and also considering the fact that Hough, who slept in the same guest cabin as Rubi, was not terminated for his role in the debacle. Many viewers agreed with chef Rachel Hargrove, who thought that Rubi being let go from the series was a petty personal vendetta on Frankini’s part.
7
When the Entire Crew Was New, Except for Aesha Scott
‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ – Season 9
Season 9 of Below Deck Mediterranean had one of the biggest cast shake-ups ever, with an entirely new crew coming together on the motor yacht Mustique, under the watchful eye of the only returning Below Deck crew member, other than Captain Sandy Yawn, chief steward Aesha Scott. Scott had her hands full as well, as the stewards on her charter seemed more interested in love triangles than charter guest experience. Deckhands Nathan Gallagher and Gael Cameron kicked off a flirtatious boatmance, although Cameron was technically still involved in a long-distance relationship when she met her handsome new co-worker. And two stewards chased after the same deckhand, Joe Bradley, whose wandering eye was the main storyline of the season.
On the more mature side of the romance scale, Captain Yawn had her own proposal in mind. After spending years with her longtime partner, Leah Shaffer, Captain Yawn pulled out all the stops in her romantic proposal featured this season. After a successful, if relatively uneventful, charter season, viewers were treated with a glimpse of Captain Yawn’s wedding, where she and Shaffer celebrated with several familiar faces from the Below Deck universe.
- Release Date
-
May 3, 2016
- Cast
-
Sandy Yawn
, Hannah Ferrier
, Malia White
, Mzi Dempers
, João Franco
, Colin Macy-O’Toole
, Kyle Viljoen
, Christine Drake - Seasons
-
9
- Creator(s)
-
Mark Cronin
, Doug Henning
, Rebecca Taylor Henning - Franchise(s)
-
Below Deck
- TMDB User Rating
-
7
.7 - Showrunner
-
Mark Cronin
, Courtland Cox
, Nadine Rajabi
6
When Captain Yawn Fired Diva Camille Lamb
‘Below Deck’ – Season 10
So, this diva totally deserved it, but we still haven’t recovered from the loss of Camille Lamb in Season 10 of Below Deck. Lamb wasn’t on board long before she kicked off a boatmance with deckhand Ben Willoughby (who is a walking billboard for the reasons boatmances should be banned). Although romance with co-workers is not forbidden, it is certainly frowned upon, a gray area that helps create heaps of drama throughout the franchise.
Aside from her questionable romantic choices, Lamb also butted heads with staple figures on the St. David, chief steward Fraser Olender and chef Hargrove. When Camille was caught drinking champagne while still on shift, it was the last straw for her with Olender. The chief steward went to Captain Yawn, who was temporarily filling in for Captain Rosbach this season while he took care of his health, who agreed it was time to terminate Lamb’s time on the St. David. Captain Yawn firing one of his crew members without coordinating with him in his absence rubbed Captain Rosbach the wrong way, but more on that drama later!
5
When Captain Jason Chambers Took a Stand
‘Below Deck Down Under’ – Season 2
Captain Jason Chambers had his hands full in Season 2 of Below Deck Down Under, but when the time came to ensure the safety and well-being of his crew, the handsome captain made just the right call. After a raucous night out, intoxicated deckhand Luke Jones decided to climb into bed with co-worker Margot Sisson, who had indicated earlier in the evening that she did not want to spend time with Jones that evening. Sisson was also intoxicated, and nearly unconscious in her bed, when Jones attempted to climb into her bed before production intervened. Captain Chambers stepped in to remove Jones from the yacht for the evening, before letting him go the next morning to ensure the safety of his crew.
Following the incident, cast mate Laura Bileskaln went to Sisson to express that she felt Jones didn’t deserve to be let go, and indicated she would have welcomed him into her bunk. When Captain Chambers learned of Bileskain’s comments, and that she had made consecutive unwanted advances in pursuit of co-star Adam Kodra, he showed no hesitation to fire her as well. Captain Chambers confirmed that Season 3 has already been filmed, so eager fans won’t have long to wait to see what changes have been made since a shocking Season 2.
- Release Date
-
March 17, 2022
- Cast
-
Jason Chambers
, Aesha Scott
, Culver Bradbury
, Tzarina Mace-Ralph - Main Genre
-
Reality
- Seasons
-
2
4
When Steward Caroline Bedol Dramatically Quit
‘Below Deck’ – Season 6
Steward Caroline Bedol brought an energetic vibe to her role in Below Deck Season 6, but when it came to her departure from the series there were many question marks. Working with Below Deck darling Kate Chastain and second steward Josiah Carter, Bedol struggled to keep her work up to their standards. After suffering several setbacks, including arguing with her superiors, injuries, and arguments, Bedol lost her energetic spunk and suddenly quit mid-season amid speculation she felt she had been bullied by her co-stars.
And Bedol’s co-workers weren’t exactly sad to see her depart the My Seanna. Chastain and Carter pumped the volume on the music to celebrate, making clear they thought their work lives would be easier with her no longer slowing them down. But Bedol didn’t exactly leave quietly, later spilling behind-the-scenes secrets about the series, like they had a secret fourth steward that took care of a large portion of the daily work. Ultimately, Bedol was replaced by Laura Betancourt as third steward in Season 6, who would have her own personality clash with Chastain, which may explain both her and Bedol landing on the list of worst stewards in the series’ history.
3
When Captain Rosbach Left and Captain Yawn Stepped In
‘Below Deck’ – Season 10
Season 10 of Below Deck had the unusual distinction of having lost its Captain mid-season due to a health emergency. Captain Rosbach was abruptly required to depart the St. David due to his health concerns, and asked franchise friend Captain Yawn to step in for him at the helm. In his absence, Captain Yawn signed-off on firing one of the stewards Captain Lee had hired, who didn’t seem to sit right with the salty side-lined sailor. Captain Rosbach returned in time to finish off the season, and at the time everything still seemed amicable between him and Yawn.
Captain Rosbach would later openly criticize Yawn’s leadership choices in his absence, especially noting that he felt she should have consulted with him before firing his steward. And his irritation has only grown over time, it seems, as he recently named Captain Yawn as his least favorite star from the Below Deck franchise. For her part, Yawn has said the feud is one-sided, claiming she is still unsure what she had done to make Lee have such an issue with her. Although Captain Yawn handled the situation with grace, Captain Rosbach didn’t make the invite list to her wedding, so maybe the feud is a little more two-sided than she lets on.
2
When Chief Steward Chastain Left After a Scary Van Ride
‘Below Deck’ – Season 7
Kate Chastain is a shining example of how a great chief steward keeps the franchise afloat. Chastain has her own legacy on Below Deck, and is an inspiration to many of the individuals who land on the list of best stewards in the franchise’s history. But even the most professional stewards get their limits tested, which is exactly what happened with Chastain in Below Deck Season 7.
Although Chastain had a history of butting heads with crew that weren’t upholding standards on board, in Season 7 she was stretched to her limit with misbehavior. She and chef Kevin Dobson constantly butted heads, criticizing each other throughout the season. On a night out, the tension escalated to the point that Dobson kicked sand in Chastain’s face. Chastain also had to put up with her co-worker, bosun Ashton Pienaar, drunkenly flirting with her on nights off. Pienaar even kissed Chastain without her consent, and later angrily punched a van window while they were having a disagreement.
In a heated moment, Chastain had enough of the toxic masculinity run amok and quit her position mid-season. Although she returned the next day and finished off the season, Chastain later announced she would not be returning to Below Deck again. Although she has kept her promise about not returning to the franchise, Chastain has continued her reality TV career with appearances on series like The Traitors and Watch What Happens Live.
1
When Captain Yawn Made a Questionable Call
‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ – Season 5
When Captain Yawn fired beloved chief steward Hannah Ferrier, it was one of the wildest moments in the franchise’s history. The two worked together over the course of three seasons on Below Deck Mediterranean, and had many instances where they did not see eye to eye. Because of her reputation for working hard, Ferrier has developed a loyal fan base in her time on the series. When she appeared on the Kyle & Jackie O Show podcast in January 2022, Ferrier expressed how she and Captain Yawn “weren’t friendly at all,” and claimed that production would have meetings about how they could get the two cast members to coexist together in a work environment.
In Season 5, bosun Malia White discovered that Ferrier had Valium and a CBD vape pen in her room and reported this to Captain Yawn. The chief steward was immediately terminated for not having disclosed having the medication on board, despite the fact that Ferrier claimed she had a prescription for the antianxiety medication. It struck viewers as excessive to dismiss Ferrier for what seemed to be necessary medication, but Captain Yawn has since defended her decision to fire Ferrier, citing Maritime Law and the need for trust between her and her crew members. The feud between these two Bravo-lebrities lasted for years, but Captain Yawn recently shared an update that the pair had managed to communicate with one another and reach a place of understanding, even spending time together with Ferrier’s family. Ferrier’s departure was sudden and dramatic, but her presence in the Below Deck universe has created a lasting legacy that continues to follow Captain Yawn.
