Below Deckis known for making or breaking yachting careers, and these eight cast members crashed and burned on their respective seasons of the hit Bravo show. Cast members like Kate Chastain, Chef Ben Robinson, and Captain Lee Rosbach all rose to fame due to their appearance in theBelow Deckfranchise, but other cast members made the biggest mistakes of their lives, effectively ruining their prospects in the industry.
AsBelow Deck Down Underseason 3unfolds, it’s clear some cast members are more suited to the franchise than others. Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph, Captain Jason Chambers, and Harry Van Vilet returned to their positions onboard, clearly cut out for the varied and high-stress lifestyle.Chief Stew Lara Rigby is much differentthan Aesha Scott, but she’s still a consummate professional. Which cast members crashed and burned?
8Hindrigo “Kiki” Lorran
Below Deck Mediterranean
Chef Hindrigo “Kiko” Lorran was well-liked by the crew, especially Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier, who supported him throughout his time on the yacht. Before appearing on the show, he had experience cooking a variety of cuisines and was a passionate and fun guy. Unfortunately, his biggest downfall came when he prepared a disastrous multi-course, Vegas-themed dinner that included fried food like nachos and chicken wings. Captain Sandy Yawn was unimpressed, which marked the beginning of the end for him.
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Chef Kiko wanted to evoke Vegas themes, but thenachos especially looked more like bar food than a luxury meal. Captain Sandy ultimately let Kiko go, and he sadly left the yacht in tears. His departure was one of the most heartbreaking inBelow Deck Mediterraneanhistory, as it was clear how much he cared about his job.
Conrad Empson was the Bosun onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 3, and while he started as a promising leader, his season ultimately turned into a disaster due to his relationship with Hannah and his struggles with Captain Sandy’s leadership style. His romance with Hannah went off the rails. Conrad and Hannah developed a flirtation that turned into a full-blown boatmance.
Conrad quickly disappeared from the Below Deck franchise after his disastrous and unprofessional season with Captain Sandy.
However, their relationship soon became toxic, with constant arguments and misunderstandings. One of the biggest fights stemmed fromConrad asking Hannah to pay him back for a pack of cigarettes, which she found petty. Their relationship distracted him from his job, and their public arguments made things awkward for the rest of the crew. Captain Sandy found him increasingly unprofessional, such as when Conrad took Hannah for an unauthorized ride on the tender. Sandy exploded on him, accusing him of not taking the job seriously. He was not invited back.
6Hannah Ferrier
Hannah was one of the most well-known and beloved Chief Stews inBelow Deckhistory, butBelow Deck Medseason 5 was a complete disaster that ended with her getting fired in one of the franchise’s most dramatic moments. She had always been known for her clashes with authority, particularly with Captain Sandy. Their relationship had been rocky for years, withCaptain Sandy frequently questioning Hannah’s leadership and work ethic.
Their friction came to a head when Bosun Malia White, with whom Captain Sandy had a great rapport, reported Hannah for having undeclared Valium and a CBD vape pen on board, which violated maritime law. Malia took a photo of Hannah’s medication and vape pen and sent it to Captain Sandy, which ignited a massive controversy. Hannah argued that the Valium was prescribed for her anxiety, but because she hadn’t declared it to the boat, Captain Sandy had grounds to fire her.
Hannah’s firing was one of the most controversial inBelow Deckhistory.
Hannah tried to defend herself, claiming she wasn’t using the medication irresponsibly, but Captain Sandy wasn’t having it. Their final confrontation was tense. Hannah, clearly emotional, left the boat in a huff.Captain Sandy and Hannah have since made amends, but she crashed and burned in her exit.
5Lexi Wilson
Lexi Wilson, a former beauty pageant contestant from the Bahamas, joined theBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 6 crew, where she quickly crashed and burned. Initially, she bonded with fellow stew Courtney Veale over personal challenges, including the recent loss of her father. However, as the season progressed, Lexi’s relationships grew strained due to her personality and lack of professionalism.
During a drunken crew night out,Lexi got in a fight with multiple crew members. The situation escalated, getting into a physical altercation with Mzi “Zee” Dempers and directing crazy remarks at Chef Mathew Shea, including suggesting he should’ve been aborted. Despite these incidents, Captain Sandy didn’t immediately dismiss her. Finally, after a particularly volatile argument with Chef Mathew, Captain Sandy fired Lexi. She had finally gone too far and wasn’t worth having aboard.
4Bri Muller
From the start ofBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9, Bri Muller found herself at odds with fellowStew Elena “Ellie” Dubaich. The tension between them escalated due to differing work styles and personal disagreements. Ellie was also overly concerned with ranking above Bri as Second Stew.Ellie accused Bri of disrespecting the established hierarchy, leading to confrontations like the “burn book,” which hurt their working relationship. These disputes did not go unnoticed by Captain Sandy, who considered firing both of them.
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Complicating matters further, Bri became entangled in a love triangle involving Lead Deckhand Joe Bradley and Ellie. While Bri and Joe were into each other, Ellie’s interest in Joe added fuel to the existing animosity between them. It’s unclear whether Bri will be invited back forBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 10, but her inability to effectively do the laundry was pretty embarrassing.
3Ben Willoughby
Below Deck
Ben Willoughby joined theBelow Deckseason 10 crew, bringing with him several years of yachting experience. However, he has endured a rocky road over two seasons and has had plenty of issues with Captain Kerry Titheradge, especially in season 11.Ben also had a controversial boatmance with Marie “Sunny” Marquis, though they’re still together today.
Ben’s challenges with leadership and personal issues escalated in season 11, particularly in his interactions with authority. After being promoted to Bosun following the firing of Jared Woodin, Ben’s leadership approach was under scrutiny. Captain Kerry, observing Ben’s performance, found him insubordinate. Meanwhile, Ben felt Captain Kerry was trying to micromanage his every move. Post-filming, Ben took to social media to complain, suggesting that Captain Kerry’s criticisms stemmed from insecurity about filling in for Captain Lee.
2Gary King
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Gary King needs to go after years of misconduct onBelow Deck Sailing Yacht, and his career will probably crash and burn once he leaves since no one in their right mind would want to work with him. In July 2022, during the filming of season 4,serious allegations emerged against Gary. Samantha Suarez, a makeup artist on the show, accused him of attempted sexual assault, claiming he forcefully restrained her in his hotel room while he was drunk. Bravo barely apologized for the altercation, and Gary was rehired.
Gary has been a problem in the Below Deck franchise for years, but he continues to get rehired.
Despite the gravity of these allegations, Gary returned for season 5, as the season had been filmed before public knowledge of the incident. Production edited down Gary’s role inBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5 and made him look like a more favorable figure. He also tried to quit drinking but was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, Captain Glenn Shephard still seems to support Gary, but he shouldn’t expect preferential treatment outside theBelow Deckfranchise.
1Anthony Bird
Below Deck Down Under
Anthony Bird is the latestBelow Deckcast member whose career crashed and burned on the show. The Sous Chef, a 27-year-old British yachtie, joined the crew with five years of yachting experience, aiming to elevate the onboard dining experience alongside Head Chef Tzarina. However, their collaboration quickly soured due to differing work styles and communication issues. He never really gave her a chance.
From the onset,Anthony exhibited a lack of respect for Chef Tzarina’s authority, often undermining her decisions and expressing dissatisfaction with his assigned tasks. Despite efforts by Captain Jason to mediate and foster teamwork, Anthony’s behavior remained contentious. Finally, Anthony, without prior notice, secured another job and planned to leave mid-charter, leaving the crew in a precarious position. Captain Jason chose to fire him on the spot rather than allow him to stay on board for two more weeks onBelow Deck Down Under.
Below Deck Down Underseason 3 airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
