‘Below Deck’: Andy Cohen Hints that Season 8 Will Have a Reunion
Bravo’s Andy Cohen hinted that Below Deck Season 8 could receive a well-deserved reunion when he called for questions on Facebook.
“Calling all Below Deck fans! If there were a reunion, what would you want to ask Captain Lee, Eddie, Francesca, Rachel, Elizabeth, Ashling, Izzy, James, Rob and Shane? Post your Qs for them NOW!” he posted on Jan. 20.
Fans filled the post with questions ranging from how chef Rachel Hargrove felt about drunkenly taking the stage to Francesca Rubi and Elizabeth Frankini’s contentious relationship. Below Deck reunions usually have mixed reviews. Fans attacked Cohen for his handling of the bru crew from Below Deck Season 7. Plus viewers arrived at the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5 reunion completely exhausted.
Andy Cohen has admitted to not being as dialed in with ‘Below Deck’
Despite Below Deck being the highest-rated series on the network, Cohen is not a producer on the franchise. He took some serious heat for how he handled the Below Deck Season 7 reunion and admitted he’s more of a “hired hand” when it comes to moderating Below Deck reunions.
“I am more of a hired hand as the host of the Below Deck reunion,” he shared on his Sirius XM radio show. “I don’t have anything to do with Below Deck. I’m not a producer.” Fans slammed Cohen for not being as hard on Ashton Pienaar as he was on LeeAnne Locken for her behavior during The Real Housewives of Dallas reunion.
Cohen insisted most of the Below Deck Season 7 cast were problematic. “Everyone kind of behaved like a**holes at one point or another,” he said. And the point of the reunion is for both sides to say what they have to say.”
“So I just want to say do I think the guys behaved horribly?” he asked. “Yes, of course. You can’t kiss someone who doesn’t want to be kissed. Or talk about slapping someone with your d**k. And people are really upset specifically with Ashton [Pienaar].”
Maybe Andy Cohen can really find out if Shane Coopersmith ‘regrets it’
Cohen included deckhand Shane Coopersmith on his reunion list even though Coopersmith was fired. Having Coopersmith back in the hot seat may give Cohen a chance to really hold the deckhand accountable. Coopersmith played the Clubhouse game “Do You Regret It” when he appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. He dodged answering the questions, which left Cohen feeling more than frustrated.
Cohen wanted to know if Coopersmith regretted napping on the job and Coopersmith waffled around the question. Cohen tried to move on, but Coopersmith said he did but he didn’t regret it … he even tried to control the game by telling Cohen, “Next question!”
The next day, Cohen took to his Instagram story to express his frustration. Last night was … frustrating!” he wrote over the videos. Cohen added, “I can’t” with the moment on his Instagram story. Maybe if Coopersmith attends the reunion he can reveal if he regrets dodging Cohen’s questions.
