‘Below Deck Med’: June Foster Reveals What Viewers Didn’t See When She Was on the Show

Although she was on the show only briefly, third stew June Foster from Below Deck Mediterranean made a huge impression on viewers.

The published author and traveler nimbly stepped into the third stew role when Captain Sandy Yawn promoted third stew Anastasia Surmava to chef. Foster came aboard Sirocco only hours before the next charter and stumbled through her job since she was basically thrown into it.

She was often called out for not responding to her radio, which eventually became a Below Deck Med meme, rap and possibly a world tour. “June, June, Hannah” is now firmly rooted in Below Deck fandom. But while she had a hard time finding her groove, she finally got up to speed on the yacht … only to be let go in the end.

Controversy surrounds Foster’s termination

When Surmava began to struggle hard in the kitchen she finally threw in the spatula. She told Yawn she was having a hard time making it work as the chef after a few guests said her food wasn’t five-star. At that point, Yawn had to decide to either let Surmava or Foster go.

Yawn tried to gently let Foster know she was going to have to terminate her position, but Foster was upset and angry. Fans too were upset and angry including former Below Deck third stew Caroline Bedol.

Later Yawn clarified why she let Foster go instead of Surmava. “The part about the radio, it bothered me, obviously to the point where she was gonna feel the wrath of me because my pet peeve is communication. We cannot function if we don’t communicate. And if the chief stew has to go find the third stew, that’s a problem,” Yawn told Bravo’s The Daily Dish. She added that Foster was always kind and a pleasure to have on her crew, but Yawn could tell Foster preferred being on deck instead of the interior.

Foster says she’s received a lot of negativity

In a swansong Instagram post, Foster cleared up rumors about her work ethic. “Unfortunately, the journey took a bit of a twist, so I thought it would be a good time to take this moment and realign to the real reality as my good name, reputation and work ethic have been brutally dragged through the social media mud with (too many to count) truly hateful comments,” she wrote.

She shared what fans didn’t see about her at work. “What you didn’t see on camera was my strong work ethic, excellence in service, good relationships with the crew and my professional relationships with the guests,” she wrote. “You didn’t see – it simply wasn’t shown. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the production team & Bravo team. Excellent storytellers and some of the most hardworking, professional and genuinely sweet people I’ve ever met.”

She’s also been body shammed too

In addition to getting hate about her work ethic, she was body shammed. Fans wondered if she was pregnant when she dodged questions about her boyfriend but was sick.

“Just to clear up a few rumors, I wasn’t pregnant, I simply gained weight through home cook meals and possibly stress eating after I returned home and it was difficult to take off,” she wrote. “Thank you all for the body shaming 😬. I don’t do drugs – I am a strong advocate against illicit drugs. Did I have some ditsy moments? Indisputably yes.”

Foster leaves Sirocco with confidence. “But confident the team would vouch these were indeed the exceptions, and not the rule,” she wrote. “I’d like to thank Bravo for this amazing opportunity, Captain Sandy who I have great respect & admiration for 💕 and much love & happiness to the rest of the crew. I’d also like to thank all of my family & friends (both old & new), many of whom I am so happy to have met because of the show) who have supported me – without you I think most of the vile comments would have certainly crushed me for some time.”