Summary
There are someBelow Deckpersonalities producers likely brought onto the show to create drama. The yachting series has introduced an array of reality stars to the Bravo audience.Below Deckstaples like Kate Chastain and Hannah Ferrier played a large role in the show’s popularity while creating controversial moments. TheunhingedBelow Deckcrew memberskeep the show afloat, offering drama and someone for the fans to root against. Throughout the show’s tenure, the franchise hasexpanded with five spin-offs featuring too many crew members to count.
TheBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9 castis full of fresh faces. Captain Sandy Yawn and Aesha Scott returned as captain and Chief Stew, respectively, but newbies like Bri Muller and Joe Bradley revitalized the show. TheBelow Deckfranchise needs to avoid repetition and continue adding new yachtiesto the zeitgeist. As plenty more personalities join the show and its spin-offs, it’s obvious some people joinBelow Deckseeking clout. On the contrary, there have been a few crew members who were undoubtedly planted on their seasons by producers.
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8Dane Jackson
Below Deck Season 3
Dane Jackson appeared in the third season of mainstayBelow Deck. He worked as a deckhand alongside Bosun Eddie Lucas. Like many crew members fromBelow Deck’spast, Dane was fired for his erratic behavior that flared when drinking alcohol. After each charter, the crews enjoy a night out together. Unfortunately for Dane, he couldn’t handle his alcohol one night and ended up being escorted away from the cast by Eddie. Captain Lee Rosbach subsequently fired him for his aggressiveness, which was fully justified. His firing was rather quick,hinting it may have been planned from the start.
7Ruan Irving
Below Deck Med Season 8
Ruan Irving isone of the quickest-fired crew members inBelow Deckhistory. He joinedBelow Deck Medseason 8 as Captain Sandy’s Bosun but didn’t make it to the first charter. After his arrival, the captain noticed mistakes in his paperwork. Ruan provided only photocopies of his original paperwork, and an officer said his medical license was “not certified.” After Captain Sandy scanned his yachtmasters, the information for a different person came up. When Ruan was questioned about this, he said, “A guy came on the boat, and he issued us our tickets.” This, combined with the lack of physical paperwork, raised red flags.
Captain Sandy was surprised by his lack of preparation but was fired after being given the chance to sort out the issue. It seemed likeRuan’s documents were forged, though he denies any wrongdoing. His paperwork situation is a hectic story that some don’t believe. TheBelow Deckhiring team likely wouldn’t have allowed a crew member on the show without the proper qualifications, which makes Ruan’s case a sticky situation.
6Lara Flumiani
Below Deck Med Season 5
Lara Flumiani may have been cast inBelow Deck Medseason 5 to pester her Chief Stew. Most of her screen time during the season was dominated by arguments with Hannah. She suddenly and dramatically exited the series during the midway point ofBelow Deck Medseason 5, though she’s still a forgettableBelow Deckcrew member. Most ofLara’s narrative on the show was centered around creating problems for Hannah.The former fan-favorite Chief Stew was infamously fired duringBelow Deck Medseason 5, and Lara may have been included in the cast to drive her to leave.
5Shane Coopersmith
Below Deck Season 8
Shane Coopersmith was an admirable member of the deck crew inBelow Deckseason 8. He sought to learn from his time working with Bosun Eddie. However,Shane loved his sleep and took a lot of naps, which Eddie took note of. His constant need for rest impeded the deck crew after he slept through an alarm one day. Captain Lee Rosbach decided to fire him for his unreliable sleeping patterns, which seems like a silly reason to leave the superyacht but a valid one nonetheless. Producers could have brought Shane ontoBelow Deckto cause conflict with his crew, and it looks like it worked.
4Lexi Wilson
Below Deck Med Season 6
Lexi Wilson is a controversialBelow Deckpersonality. She worked underneath Katie Flood duringBelow Deck Medseason 6 as a stew. While she hadn’t appeared in the franchise beforeBelow Deck Med, she surely made her mark on the show. She’s best known for her horrible treatment of the rest of the crew, including Katie and Malia White, the crew’s Bosun. While she was filming the show, Lexi was grieving her father’s death. Unfortunately, when Lexi drank alcohol, she became combative and evenphysically fought Deckhand Mzi Dempers one time.
Herbehavior poses the question of whether producers casted her for drama. Lexi has been reprimanded for how she acted while onBelow Deck Med. Her personal tragedy doesn’t justify her antagonism on the show. It’s uncertain if she was hired by producers to instigate drama, but if she was, she took things too far inBelow Deck Medseason 6.
3Chef Johnathan Shillingford
Below Deck Med Season 9
Chef Johnathan “Jono” Shillingford wasn’t shy of conflict during his stint onBelow Deck Medseason 9. He joined the season as a first-time cast member, eager to prove himself to Captain Sandy and Aesha, whom he immediately hit it off with.Chef Jono brought energy and delicious meals during the first charterof the season with limited provisions. However, as the season went on, his performance diminished at times. Chef Jono was critiqued for preparing chicken and chocolate sponge cakes for the guests, who did not approve of his cooking.
He continued to improve as the season went on but made more mistakes with each charter.Chef Jono had an infectious energy that charmed Aeshaand the rest of theBelow Deck Medseason 9 cast. Everyone around him loved him, which made it hard for them to see him struggle at times. Chef Jono may be a producer plant merely for his entertainment value as a chef. It’s unclear if he’ll return to the franchise in the future, butBelow Deckshould ask him back if they need an entertaining chef who’s willing to improve his skill set.
2Kyle Dickard
Below Deck Adventure Season 1
Kyle Dickard was an anomaly inBelow Deck Adventureseason 1. He was the first crew member fired from the adventurous spin-off series for good reasons. From the jump, Kyle disrespected his fellow deckhand, Nathan Morley. Any time Nathan asked him to do something, Kyle got defensive and refused to listen. He took things a step further whenhe kissed stew Kasie Faddah in front of a group of charter guests.Finally, he was given the option to resign when Nathan asked him to flush the toilet, and Kyle threatened him with physical violence.
It was odd thatCaptain Kerry Titheradge allowed Kyle to resign so his behavior onBelow Deck Adventurewouldn’t be on his permanent records. After watching him leadBelow Deckseason 11, it doesn’t seem like he’d led behavior like Kyle’s slide so easily. If he was brought onto the show by producers, this would explain why he was allowed to “resign” without any consequences.Kyle might not have been firedbecause he was a fake crew member onBelow Deck Adventure, but that doesn’t excuse his misconduct toward Nathan and Kasie.
1Chef Mila Kolomeitseva
Below Deck Med Season 4
Chef Mila Kolomeitseva should have been a producer plant if she wasn’t. She made history duringBelow Deck Medseason 4 as the franchise’s first female chef. Her casting was an important step for the show that led to the inclusion of beloved chefs such as Rachel Hargrove and Ileisha Dell. However, Chef Mila is known as one of the worst chefs inBelow Deckhistory. She infamouslyattempted to serve the guests pancakes made from boxed batter. When Hannah questioned her decisions, she acted like Hannah was crazy. Chef Mila made even more questionable decisions duringBelow Deck Medseason 4.She was caught licking steaksby the cameras in the galley. Chief Stew Hannah did not approve of her dishes and didn’t feel right serving them to the guests.
Chef Mila was fired quickly after episode 5 when a guest called her meals “icky.” It’s baffling to thinkBelow Deckproducers would hire an unqualified crew member in one of the most important roles in the crew. However, they also likely knew she’d cause quite a controversy with the crew and fans alike. TheBelow Deckproducers have most likely cast certain individuals for specific purposes on their shows. Plenty of yachties from the show’s history have stood out for good and bad reasons. Chef Mila is one of the worst chefs in the franchise, which leads people to believe she was planted in her season by the production team. However, crew members like Shane fromBelow Deckseason 8 were skeptical of casting decisions and were fired for work-related reasons.
Below Deck
Cast
Below Deck is a Reality television series and franchise that has seen many spinoffs since its creation in 2013. The original series follows the lives of a crew that lives on a Superyacht called Honor and chronicles their experiences during “charter season.”
