Hannah Ferrier From ‘Below Deck Med’ on ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Cheating Scandal – ‘You Can’t Really Trust Your Friend Group’

Former Below Deck Mediterranean chief stew Hannah Ferrier says that while there is plenty of drama on Below Deck, the Vanderpump Rules cheating scandal brings reality TV to an entirely different level.

Ferrier, who experienced her own drama during her final season of Below Deck Med said filming a reality show focused on the workplace stings far less than a show that follows personal relationships.

News recently broke that Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules cheated on long-term girlfriend Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss, who was in their friend group.

In fact, when James Kennedy proposed to Leviss a few years ago, Sandoval helped to bankroll the expensive proposal. Leviss and Kennedy broke up during last year’s Vanderpump Rules reunion and her storyline this season was that she hoped to hook up with newly divorced Tom Schwartz.

Thanks to the cheating scandal, filming was extended for Vanderpump Rules Season 10 to capture the latest development.

Why was filming a show like ‘Below Deck’ easier than ‘Vanderpump Rules’?

Several reports indicated that Sandoval and Leviss had an affair that lasted for several months. So despite dealing with her own drama on Below Deck Med, Ferrier was thankful she didn’t film a show with her friend group or her spouse.

“I kind of like the fact that Below Deck was very much work-focused,” she said on her Dear Reality, You’re Effed podcast. “And I think I’ve got like maybe three friends that I took out of the five seasons I did. Because I’m like, I don’t need to be friends with you guys. Like, we work together. I don’t have to answer your f***ing phone calls. I have my real life. And that was like work. But it’s interesting because it’s like that kind of lifestyle on that show. And when you’ve been shooting it for like 10 years, it must be so ingrained in your life. That you save stuff for camera.”

Hannah said it’s hard to trust your friend group on a show like ‘Vanderpump Rules’

Leviss seemed to be Madix’s friend on the show. Which is what made the deception even worse. “That you can’t really trust your friend group because they’re still creating storylines and things like that because you’re actually shooting a show about your real life and your personal life,” she continued.

Guest Ronnie Karam from the Watch What Crappens podcast agreed. “I see what you’re saying. As far as everybody being friends, I think it is harder because there’s no break in between your personal life and your work life. You stayed on your show, but other people kept cycling through,” he observed of Ferrier.

The ‘Vanderpump Rules’ cheating scandal shocked Hannah and Ronnie

Earlier in the podcast, Karam and Ferrier expressed some disbelief at the news that Madix and Sandoval were over. “I found it sort of hard to believe because I’ve been out with Tom a few times and I’ve seen how he reacts to women coming up,” Ferrier recalled. “And I thought they were the very strong, kind of the golden couple of Vanderpump Rules.”

Karam, who knows the couple and hosted Madix recently at the Golden Crappies, said Madix and Sandoval always seemed solid. “They had this thing like you do your thing, I do my thing. They don’t seem super codependent. They’re out together a lot but they’re out separately all the time. I don’t think that translates into open, obviously not.”