This ‘Below Deck’ Charter Guest Spills About Whether the Show Is Real or Fake
Below Deck Mediterranean viewers have recently accused Bravo and cast members of planting a fake chef this season to create drama. Chef Mila Kolomeitseva hasn’t exactly been hitting it out of the park and, in fact, she’s been continuously striking out.
Despite the cast and production crew’s insistence that she isn’t a plant, fans don’t seem to buy it. But what about if a charter guest offers an opinion about whether the show is real or fake?
Second-time charter guest Linda P. Jones vacationed aboard the My Seanna last year with Captain Lee Rosbach and crew. She generously wrote a blog about her experience and even touched on the notion of if the show is scripted. She also addressed what producers tell charter guests when they appear on the show.
Some scenes are cut or edited
Since it is impossible to pack every moment into a one-hour episode, the show (of course) is edited. This was apparently clear during last season after third stew Caroline Bedol alleged chief stew Kate Chastain and second stew Josiah Carter verbally harassed her. Some footage was shown but the most damaging was cut. One piece of the cut footage aired during the reunion but only after Bedol begged producers to show what happened.
But for Jones, she was disappointed production didn’t show the true wit and humor from Rosbach. Jones wrote about the funny stories Rosbach shared, plus the considerable time he spent entertaining the guests.
“When we all went into dinner, he [Rosbach] joined us, and again we enjoyed listening to his stories and having a fun conversation,” Jones wrote. “I don’t know why Below Deck didn’t use any of that conversation. They barely had us saying anything, so I’m not sure why they choose certain moments over another. There were some funny things that happened that didn’t make it onto Below Deck.”
Did they hear the ‘check yourself’ conversation?
Jones and crew were aboard the yacht during the infamous “check yourself” explosion coming from third stew Laura Betancourt to Chastain. Jones says she didn’t hear any of the smackdown, but a friend did.
“I personally did not hear any of the staff arguing, but one of my friends did hear an argument going on below deck,” she penned. “So she did pick up that people were yelling and screaming and having an argument.”
She adds that service was amazing and Chastain and Carter were excellent at their jobs. “We didn’t have any service problems, except one night we wanted to shower before dinner and we didn’t have any bath towels in our room,” Jones recalled. “When we told Kate, I think she spoke to Laura about it, but it wasn’t mentioned on the show.”
How realistic is Below Deck?
Jones insists the show is completely authentic. “The show is 100 percent real,” she asserts. “The producers of the show basically said, we want to create an amazing trip for you. Just have a good time. Don’t worry about the camera, don’t think about it. Just enjoy yourself.”
But adds, “We didn’t see any of what you saw on the television show. Other than my friend hearing some of the fighting, we didn’t see them act in a bad way. We certainly didn’t see anyone have an obvious crush on anyone else [or inappropriate behavior].”
Jones adds that her friends only witnessed professionalism. “I was shocked when I saw the show and what they chose to show and leave out. It is what it is. I’m just happy that we had a fabulous trip and had the opportunity.”
