Being a stew on a superyacht is not for the faint of heart. Some stews just can’t handle the pressure. This list celebrates some of the biggest nightmares on Below Deck on the interior team. Whether it's because they were not able to do their job or because they just caused immense chaos below deck, these stews are remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Below Deck is the hit Bravo juggernaut that follows the lives of yachties living and working on some of the world's most luxurious superyachts. Showcasing the drama, hookups, and pressure of setting sail on the beautiful seas around the globe, Below Deck has proudly launched four spin-off series. Like any good reality show, disaster casting is sometimes just so juicy you can't look away.
10 Sierra Storm
'Below Deck', Season 4
Sierra Storm truly meant while during her time on the fourth season of Below Deck. The problem for her was her fellow crew just didn't like her. Perhaps unfairly so. Additionally, Sierra engages in a romantic entanglement with deckhand Kyle Dixon, which caused tension on board. When it came to the job at hand, Sierra couldn't handle the demands of the charter guests.
Sierra gets a bad rap as well as she was compared to the much superior work prowess of 2nd Stew, Emily Warburton-Adams. Maybe if Sierra was brought in with a different dynamic, her time on Below Deck would have resulted in a net positive.
Below Deck
TV-14
Reality-TV
- Release Date
- July 1, 2013
- Creator
- Mark Cronin
- Cast
- Lee Rosbach , Kate Chastain , Eddie Lucas , Ben Robinson , Ashton Pienaar
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 11
9 Jennifer Howell
'Below Deck', Season 5
She was just a mother who wanted to provide for her child. Jennifer Howell was a single mom who worked two jobs: stew and reality star. The latter she was much more proficient at. A good working interior team truly relies on the dynamics of the individuals that make up the team. Jennifer Howell, unfortunately, had a personality clash with Chief Stew Kate Chastain. They just did not see eye-to-eye, and it showed.
Jennifer had quite the polarizing presence during her time on Season 5. With the pool tainted against her, many other crew members were at odds with her. Sadly, Jennifer's work was not up to par, and Chastain would make comments at her expense. Howell had an engaging story to tell as a mother longing to provide a better life for her daughter, but being aboard megayacht Valor was a bit of a struggle.
8 Laura Betancourt
'Below Deck', Season 6
Laura Betancourt came into the season to save the day following Caroline Bedol's quitting. Unfortunately for Betancourt, she came in hot, thinking she was better than her 3rd Stew position. She constantly undermined the rest of her team, trying to prove that she should be the one in charge.
By questioning Chief Stew Kate Chastain's authority, she was already at odds. But she didn't improve her placement on the crew when she engaged in a boatmance with deckhand Ashton Pienaar. Laura was good at her job, she just didn't always have the best attitude. Sadly, that's the reputation she left with.
7 Magda Ziomek
'Below Deck Down Under', Season 1
Long-distance relationships are hard. Especially when you're virtually cut off from the world. Below Deck Down Under third stew Magda Ziomek missed her boyfriend so much that she got fired for it. Magda spent the season arguing on the phone with her boyfriend, to the point where she overused the data on the boat.
After Chief Stew Aesha Scott found Magda napping, it was finally time to cut the chord and fire Magda.
With a distraction preventing her from excelling at her job, even Captain Jason Chambers was infuriated by her work ethic. She also got friendly with enemy number one, Chef Ryan McKeown. After Chief Stew Aesha Scott found Magda napping, it was finally time to cut the chord and fire Magda. She showed potential, but without her willingness to do the job she was hired for at the best of her abilities, she had to go.
6 Laura Bileskaline
'Below Deck Down Under', Season 2
Sexual assault and sexual harassment are not OK in any workplace, even if hookups are commonplace onboard. Laura Bileskaline was all play and little work. She wanted to spend her time on motoryacht Northern Sun with the boys. As an employee during Season 2 of Below Deck Down Under, Laura was just selfish. She was constantly at odds, testing Chief Stew Aesha Scott.
When the charter guests left and the yachties went to play, Laura decided it was time to hookup with her crush, Boson Luke Jones, who was crushing on 3rd stew Margot Sisson. Due to a very unfortunate event, Luke was fired for sexually harassing Margot. And yet, Laura took his side, feigning any sympathy for her coworker's experience. It was also revealed that she was allegedly inappropriate with deckhand Adam Kodra when Luke denied her advances. It was a messy situation for everyone involved, but Captain Jason Chambershandled the situation exceptionally well.
5 Caroline Bedol
'Below Deck', Season 6
The yachting industry is not for the faint of heart. Caroline Bedol learned that the hard way. Throughout her time on Below Deck, she found herself having setback after setback. Caroline was another one who had a personality clash with Chief Stew Kate Chastain. When Caroline had some work-related injuries, she gained no sympathy from Kate, causing them to continue to be at odds.
Caroline simply couldn't handle the pressure and gave her two-day notice to Captain Lee Rosbach. But two days of the alleged torment onboard was just too much. So she cut it short. Caroline dramatically quit. She gave her notice and then just decided it was time to bounce. On her way out, she was famously taunted by Chief Stew Kate Chastain and 2nd Stew Josiah Carter, who celebrated by turning up the music to full blast under her door.
4 Natalya Scudder
'Below Deck Mediterranean', Seasons 7 and 8
Before we begin, Natalya Scudder should be praised as an exceptional stew who was brilliant at her job. Perhaps a little too brilliant. The biggest drawback for Natalya was her facade. She was not as sweet and innocent as everyone thought she was. She was a master manipulator and was eager to tear anyone down in order to get ahead. During her first season, Natalya was part of the dream team with Chief Stew Tasha Webb and co-second stew Kyle Viljeon. But as the charter season went on, Natalya's closeness with both her coworkers would be something that would linger on when she stepped in to save the day at the start of Season 8.
Due to some quarantining issues that left Chief Stew Tumi Mhlongo and her bestie Kyle Viljeon out of the first charter, Captain Sandy Yawn tapped Natalya to be the temporary Chief Stew. The power certainly went to her head and when she was dropped down to 3rd Stew when the team officially assembled, she undermined Tumi's direction while creating a massive rivalry with Kyle. The brutal shift in personal and work dynamics caused the lowkey villain to resign.
Below Deck Mediterranean
TV-14
Reality-TV
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- May 3, 2016
- Cast
- Sandy Yawn , Hannah Ferrier , Malia White , Mzi Dempers , João Franco , Colin Macy-O'Toole , Kyle Viljoen , Christine Drake
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Seasons
- 7
- Creator(s)
- Mark Cronin , Doug Henning , Rebecca Taylor Henning
- Network
- Bravo
3 Camille Lamb
'Below Deck', Season 10
Sometimes, having a resume that exclaims you are well versed in various positions on a yacht, you might be brought on to be the versatile hire. Camille Lamb was hired as a deck/stew, a position that Below Deck usually doesn't show. Camille wanted to be out in the sun and work with the exterior team, but she was needed much more in the interior. And she showed just how annoyed she was having to work with fellow stew Alissa Humber.
Since Alissa had stronger bonds with Chief Stew Fraser Olender and Chef Rachel Hargrove, she often found no one taking her side. So she complained. Who did she complain to? Her new boatmance, Ben Willoughby. Between her combative attitude and drinking on the job, Fraser had enough. In the end, Camille was fired, but she was still a major presence during the season. She kept in close contact with Ben throughout the season and made a surprise return when she learned that her rival, Alissa, was fired later that season.
2 Lexi Wilson
'Below Deck Mediterranean', Season 6
Below Deck is a show that blends reality with reality television. Some yachties are there to do their job and know they just so happen to have cameras following their every move. Others, well, they are just ripe for television. Such was the case for Below Deck Mediterranean's Lexi Wilson. When Lexi first arrived during Season 6, she shared her personal story with viewers and her new coworker Courtney Veale.
As Courtney was dealing with her father having Alzheimer's, Lexi revealed she had lost her father three months prior to joining the crew of Lady Michelle. Lexi was a very opinionated person, and after a crew night out, a dark side of Lexi was revealed. She became quite mouthy with Chief Stew Katie Flood and Boson Malia White. She then got into a physical altercation with deckhand Mzi Dempers. After getting in a huge fight with Chef Matthew Shea, she was finally dismissed from her position. The crew was thrilled to see her go as Lexi solidified herself as a villain in the world of Below Deck.
1 Rocky Dakota
'Below Deck', Season 3
Raquel "Rocky" Dakota is a legend in the history of Below Deck. As one of the most colorful characters the show has ever known, there has never been anyone like Rocky. While it seems like a trend if you work under Chief Stew Kate Chastain, her interior team always has a punching bag. That person was Rocky. But some fans would claim that Rocky did that to herself. To start the season off, she created a very close bond with the super sweet deckhand Emile Kotze. He fell for her but she friendzoned him.
That didn't sit well with many of her coworkers, especially when she was engaged in a secret boatmance with Boson Eddie Lucas, who had a girlfriend back home. On top of all that, Rocky had a close bond with the controversial Chef Leon Walker. When he was fired, she lashed out at Kate for his dismissal, and she even tried to get herself fired by jumping off the boat and venturing to another yacht nearby. Already being down some crewmembers, they had to keep her around. Rocky had a big personality. Many onboard found it off-putting. Rocky made for excellent television, but perhaps not the best coworker. And if she ever serves you oysters, just ask if there's any grenadine on top.
KEEP READING: An Update on Season 3 of 'Below Deck Down Under'
