Stirring the plot! The Below Deck franchise has had its fair share of drama over the years — and Below Deck Down Under is no different.
The spinoff show, which premiered on Peacock in March 2022, left a memorable impression on viewers when it came to feuds, firings and chaos. During the first season, fans and cast alike found it difficult to defend chef Ryan McKeown as he failed in the workplace and ended up at odds with his coworkers.
Before the show aired, Aesha Scott hinted that her professional relationship with Ryan quickly took a turn. “If arrogant was, like, personified, it would be Ryan. He’s a very arrogant man,” the New Zealand native exclusively shared with Us Weekly in March 2022, referring to Ryan as “difficult” to get along with. “I think that that’s something that everyone — not just as a chef — it’s kind of difficult to be around anyone that’s arrogant.”
According to the Below Deck Mediterranean alum, it was easy for her to not get too affected by Ryan. “For me, I’ve been doing yachting for a long time and every chef is a difficult toddler. I don’t know why that’s just how they are,” she continued. “So, he was no different. I kind of expect it from every chef I work with.”
Captain Jason Chambers also weighed in on the complicated relationship between Ryan and the crew.
“I like everyone. We all had a great time. [Ryan’s] food was great and you saw in the first episode that the guests responded to his food,” the Australia native detailed to Us, adding that Ryan would “stir up drama” the most. “Every crew battles fatigue and working environments change and attitudes change. And then when the attitude changes, as I said, they lose focus.”
Jason noted that he had no problem letting someone go if they weren’t doing a good job, saying, “In the yachting industry, there’s gonna be ups and downs. We’re trying to achieve the high standard in hospitality and these guests are paying money and we need to constantly not lose that focus,” he added. “If people can’t see that, or they have an attitude against that, as a captain, I have to make changes.”
At the time, Jason offered a glimpse at how he preferred to discipline his team as their boss.
“[If someone gets] hindered by someone else’s issues then I let the crew sort that out themselves. Then they start to learn themselves that we’re gonna stick together,” he explained. “Let’s just not go there. Let’s just not do it. Let’s enjoy our working environment and be respectful to each other and enjoy and have fun.”
Scroll down for more of Below Deck Down Under‘s most shocking moments:
Stirring the plot! The Below Deck franchise has had its fair share of drama over the years — and Below Deck Down Under is no different.
The spinoff show, which premiered on Peacock in March 2022, left a memorable impression on viewers when it came to feuds, firings and chaos. During the first season, fans and cast alike found it difficult to defend chef Ryan McKeown as he failed in the workplace and ended up at odds with his coworkers.
Before the show aired, Aesha Scott hinted that her professional relationship with Ryan quickly took a turn. “If arrogant was, like, personified, it would be Ryan. He’s a very arrogant man,” the New Zealand native exclusively shared with Us Weekly in March 2022, referring to Ryan as “difficult” to get along with. “I think that that’s something that everyone — not just as a chef — it’s kind of difficult to be around anyone that’s arrogant.”
According to the Below Deck Mediterranean alum, it was easy for her to not get too affected by Ryan. “For me, I’ve been doing yachting for a long time and every chef is a difficult toddler. I don’t know why that’s just how they are,” she continued. “So, he was no different. I kind of expect it from every chef I work with.”
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Captain Jason Chambers also weighed in on the complicated relationship between Ryan and the crew.
“I like everyone. We all had a great time. [Ryan’s] food was great and you saw in the first episode that the guests responded to his food,” the Australia native detailed to Us, adding that Ryan would “stir up drama” the most. “Every crew battles fatigue and working environments change and attitudes change. And then when the attitude changes, as I said, they lose focus.”
Jason noted that he had no problem letting someone go if they weren’t doing a good job, saying, “In the yachting industry, there’s gonna be ups and downs. We’re trying to achieve the high standard in hospitality and these guests are paying money and we need to constantly not lose that focus,” he added. “If people can’t see that, or they have an attitude against that, as a captain, I have to make changes.”
At the time, Jason offered a glimpse at how he preferred to discipline his team as their boss.
“[If someone gets] hindered by someone else’s issues then I let the crew sort that out themselves. Then they start to learn themselves that we’re gonna stick together,” he explained. “Let’s just not go there. Let’s just not do it. Let’s enjoy our working environment and be respectful to each other and enjoy and have fun.”
Scroll down for more of Below Deck Down Under‘s most shocking moments:
Credit: Peacock
Ryan’s Memorable Exit
After having ups and downs with Aesha and Jason, Ryan was ultimately fired from M/Y Thalassa in a June 2022 episode. The chef made a dramatic exit from the boat after he flashed his butt at his former boss and the camera.
The Philadelphia native has continued to defend his behavior, writing via Instagram two months later, “Not everyone gets the same version of me. One person might tell you I’m an amazingly, beautiful soul. The other might say I’m a cold-hearted asshole — believe them both. I act accordingly.”
Credit: NBC (2)
Jamie’s Ups and Downs With Ben
During their time on board, Jamie Sayed and Ben Crawley struggled to work together on the exterior team. With Jason’s support, Ben was able to work the entire season — but his professional relationship with his bosun never improved.
“It was actually really intense. A lot of the time I was having to watch my back,” the deckhand told Daily Mail Australia in June 2022 about his time on the yacht. “It culminates with the fishing and the chain locker. That was so dangerous. I don’t give a f—k what anybody says, that’s not safe.”
Jamie, for his part, argued that he never received any respect from his team member. “Benny, he is a good guy. And he means well. And he’s great to have drinks with, and have fun with and all that sort of stuff. And a laugh,” he explained to the Daily Dish in May 2022. “Benny as a deckhand, he had been away from yachts for quite some time. He had gone through some trauma with his parents [who passed away six months apart prior to the charter season]. He just came on to have fun. He didn’t come on to — or maybe he forgot that there was a lot of work to be done.”
Credit: NBC (2)
Jason’s Power Struggle With Jamie
In season 1 of Below Deck Down Under, Jamie said he didn’t feel like he had the captain’s support when it came to leading the deck team.
“At the start of any job, you’ve got to learn who the captain is and how they work and vice versa. It took some time because we are all just thrown on to a boat together and had to scramble to make it work,” the former police officer shared with Decider in May 2022, adding that there was “a bit of tension” between him and Jason. “Once he’s comfortable with his bosun, which is pretty early on, he should just let the bosun take over and trust their judgment.”
The Australia native, however, stood by his management style while filming the Peacock series.
