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Captain Lee Rosbach from Below Deck agrees that the franchise has struggled to replace outgoing chief stews Kate Chastain and Hannah Ferrier from Below Deck Mediterranean.

Francesa Rubi initially replaced Chastain on Below Deck, followed by Heather Chase. Fraser Olender has now taken on the chief stew role on Below Deck Season 10. But also on Below Deck Med, Katie Flood originally replaced Ferrier. Below Deck Med fans embraced Flood but she was replaced by Natasha Webb, who made it clear she won’t return.

Why is the franchise having such a hard time replacing the chief stew? Rosbach said that once you have a good hire, you don’t let them go.

‘Below Deck’ simply can’t replace Kate and Hannah, Captain Lee says

Rosbach said it is not easy to find that magic combination of finding someone who is good at their job and Below Deck. “It’s hard to find a Hannah,” Rosbach said on Hannah Ferrier’s Dear Reality, You’re Effed podcast. “And it’s hard to find a Kate. The two of you were extremely unique. One in the Med, one in the Caribbean, and other places. Since Kate left and since you left, they’ve obviously tried to find people to fill your slot.”

Captain Lee Rosbach and Kate Chastain from 'Below Deck' sit next to each other on 'WWHL'
Captain Lee Rosbach, Kate Chastain | Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank

“They found what most captains already know,” he said. “When you have a great chief stew f***ing hang on to them. Period. You just do. You do what it takes. Because trying to replace them. Trying to find somebody that can do what they do is really, really tough. And I think that’s some of the growing pains that we’re going through at this point in time. Because we’ve seen season after season and we’ve always got a new one. And they don’t measure up.”

Captain Lee wants Hannah and Kate to return as ‘Below Deck’ guests

Rosbach would love to have Chastain back on the show – but instead as a charter guest. “I would rather have her come back as a guest,” he said. Ferrier agreed that she too would prefer to return as a guest. Rosbach had an idea about how that should play out on Below Deck.

“I think it would be great for you and her to do a guest appearance together,” he suggested. Ferrier laughed adding, that she and Chastain would be “very good at drinking the rosé.”

“Drinking the rosé and with your quick wit and razor-sharp tongue, there would be no lack of critique of the crew that you were dealing with, which I welcome. Because who better to ask?” he said.

Kate Chastain would love to return to ‘Below Deck’ as a charter guest

Chastain told Showbiz Cheat Sheet she’d love to return to the show as a guest. “I think it would be great,” she said in a 2021 interview. “Believe it or not I think it would be fantastic if I was a charter guest.” 

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“You know, I just feel like because I worked in the service industry for so long, I am the most polite, good tipper when I go out,” she added. “Now, if this service is horrible, I feel bad for who I’m dining with because then as they walk away, I’m like ‘This is not up to par. I cannot believe they did this.’ But when they come back I’m so nice, right? But, I mean, yes I still know what it feels like.”

Chastain joked that returning as a guest could be a little tough in one respect. “My friends would be like, ‘They’re cutting corners, they’re cheating. They should have done this.’ But no, honestly, it’s like muscle memory,” she said. “Whenever I get on a boat, I mean, I’m in Fort Lauderdale, there’s boats everywhere. It doesn’t matter how big or small the boat is. It’s like muscle memory. I start just like, ‘OK, let’s make some cocktails! Who wants a Bacardi? You want a Bacardi! And the stews are like, ‘Ma’am, we can do it for you.’”

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