‘Below Deck Med’ Cast: Mzi Dempers Shares Season 7 Was ‘Chaos’ and ‘Spicier’ [Exclusive]
Returning Below Deck Mediterranean deckhand Mzi “Zee” Dempers, revealed that last season was just a warmup for what viewers are about to see. He said the Below Deck Med cast seriously brought it – and them some – for season 7.
“This season, it’s a lot spicier than last season,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “A lot spicier. If it weren’t for Lexi (Wilson) last season, there wouldn’t have been as much drama.” Indeed. Below Deck Med Season 6 was pretty much Kumbaya. Most of the drama stemmed from Lexi Wilson’s attack on nearly every crew member. Plus, chef Mathew Shea quit – but returned. Otherwise, viewers saw a bonded crew who are still friends to this day.
The ‘Below Deck Med’ cast this year is a lot more volatile
Dempers’ teased that the season 7 Below Deck Med cast won’t be taking a similar path. “This season we have a lot of different personalities and it’s more dramatic,” Dempers said. Thinking back to the first charter he laughed, “Chaos.”
The different personalities may cause drama, but Dempers said the signature Below Deck humor is still there. “Lots of funny, funny moments,” he recalled. “A huge amount of funny moments. And still really good people at the end of the day. But just different personalities.” He also laughed about questions about a boatmance this season. Last season, the Below Deck Med cast stayed mainly in the friendzone despite a few kisses Dempers shared with Courtney Veale.
This season, chief stew Natasha “Tasha” Webb and chef David White are hooking up, but try to keep their boatmance a secret. Dempers wouldn’t dish on their boatmance but added, “This is a situation where people will just have to see.”
Mzi says working for a new bosun posed unique challenges
Dempers, along with the rest of the former Below Deck Med cast on deck had nothing but glowing praise for bosun Malia White from last season. Shifting to a new head of department was admittedly a challenge for Dempers.
Bosun Raygan Tyler, who became the second female bosun in the franchise, seemingly struggles to find her footing. “I think for the beginning of whatever it is that we’re going through with Raygan, it’s just adjusting to not necessarily that high intensity in terms of having that hands-on, I’m going to do [all these tasks],” Dempers teased. “I think Raygan was still trying to find her feet in terms of how she wanted to be.”
The trailer showed Captain Sandy Yawn reminding Tyler to manage her crew and that she didn’t want to do it. Yawn also hits a cement dolphin. And Tyler was calling distances when Yawn hit the dolphin, which caused visible damage to the superyacht.
Who is on the ‘Below Deck Med’ cast this year?
Returning alongside Dempers is Yawn at the helm. The interior team is completely new and has a male stew, Kyle Viljoen. Viljoen is seen at odds with third stew Natalya Scudder as tensions rise in the interior. White and Webb’s romance doesn’t seem to interfere with their jobs … or does it?
On deck, Jason Gaskell is on the verge of quitting at some point. Plus, Dempers brought old friend Storm Smith to the Below Deck Med cast.
“We used to be water polo competitors,” Dempers recalled. He laughed, “And Storm always looked like he was 40 years older than I did. He was hairy like Chewbacca. Very Chewbacca-like. And, yes, we always question Storm’s age. I remember because we were on different teams. Like, ‘Is that guy actually legal?’ ‘Is he supposed to be playing against us? And not someone’s dad?’ That kind of vibe.”
Adding, “And I mean, working with him, obviously, you get that sense of comfort and that sense of home as soon as you see somebody that you know.”
Below Deck Med Season 7 premieres Monday, July 11 at 8/7c on Bravo. Peacock will offer early access to Season 7 with new episodes dropping one-week early beginning Monday, July 4.
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