‘Below Deck Med’: Malia White Says She Was Worried About a Few Crew Dynamics
Bosun Malia White from Below Deck Mediterranean was concerned about the dynamic between chief stew Hannah Ferrier and Christine “Bugsy” Drake. She was also unsure about how she’d interact with deckhand Robert Westergaard since he was so quiet at first.
Drake, who appeared alongside White and Ferrier on season 2, was called to replace outgoing second stew Lara Flumiani. Although Drake and White forged a strong friendship, Drake and Ferrier had a falling out before the season ended. Drake was also a chief stew on another boat, which caused friction with Ferrier in the past too.
“I was definitely nervous about it because it’s no secret that Bugs is a chief stew,” White shared on the Radio Check with Colin Macy O’Toole podcast. “So for her to come back and step into a second stew position, on any boat that’s kind of a tough thing to be working underneath the chief stew when you’ve been one yourself.”
Why did Bugsy Drake return?
White thinks Drake returned to offer her help. “I think Captain Sandy needed someone like Bugs and I think Bugs understood that,” White explained. “She knew what she was coming back for. They just needed help.”
“And that’s actually a common thing in yachting too,” she continued. “You’ll go out and do a charter season, you’ll dive into things and it might not be the position you want or normally have but you’ll mock out the charter season as whatever just to get the team by.”
Drake isn’t the only crew member White keeps in touch with from her season. “Oh yeah, Wes [Walton] and I still talk, Max [Hagley], Bobby [Giancola], Bugsy, Captain Sandy obviously,” she says. “I hear from Lauren [Cohen] now and again but that’s about it.”
The ‘green’ deckhands had a great attitude
While she didn’t discuss deckhand Pete Hunziker, who was fired by Bravo for a racist meme and is seen being disrespectful to White, she did offer her thoughts on Westergaard and deckhand Alex Radcliffe. She says both deckhands came to the job without a lot of experience, but had great attitudes and she enjoyed working with both of them.
“Rob at first I couldn’t figure out, I was little worried about him at first,” she admits. “But he actually ended up being such a stand-up guy. He was constantly asking if I’m OK and he was so respectful and supportive. He’s amazing.”
“Alex is a comedian,” she laughs. “And Alex and I clicked right away. He’s just like having a brother on deck. They’re both pretty green but I can overlook greenness because to me personality is far more important. I can teach you things but I can’t teach you to, you know, not be a douchebag.”
