Sometimes firing a crew member doesn’t have to be messy, which is what Captain Kerry Titheradge demonstrated when he dismissed deckhand Kyle Dickard on Below Deck Adventure.
Stew Oriana Schneps reflected on how Dickard was let go from the boat after a few offenses and awkward moments with the crew. Titheradge was firm, but fair with Dickard, giving him a chance to resign, instead of firing him after he admitted to his reported actions.
Those actions included blindsiding stew Kasie Faddah with a kiss. Then Dickard told bunkmate Nathan Morley that he would hit his “pretty face” when Morley asked him to flush the toilet after he used it. Morley went directly to Titheradge who dealt with the situation immediately.
Kyle Dickard’s firing on ‘Below Deck Adventure’ was not typical
Schneps, who has been a chief stew in the past, said she’s witnessed a slew of crew firings. But said how Titheradge handled Dickard’s dismissal was an example of absolute professionalism.
“Being chief stew, I’m generally in a lot of meetings where you let people go, right?” she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “I see a lot of different captains approach that differently. And I definitely take kind of tidbits of like that information from them.”
She’s witnessed other captains who took more of an aggressive approach. And noted, “I probably shouldn’t follow that route, and so on and so forth,” she said. “And I absolutely loved the way that (Titheradge) did that.”
Captain Kerry made a tough situation easier, Oriana recalls
“I thought that he was able to be firm with Kyle but without really making things awkward if they see each other again,” she said. “I know sometimes when it’s so abrasive and gets so heated, emotions kind of take precedence and it doesn’t create a positive outcome for anybody. So he really kept it calm and collected and really just made it about like the action that kind of got him that in that situation.”
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Titheradge didn’t hesitate to call Dickard to the bridge. Morley only asked Titheradge if he could change bunks. But Titheradge said he draws the line at any threats of violence against another crew member.
But rather than fire Dickard, Titheradge gave Dickard a chance to come clean about what he said to Morley. When Dickard didn’t lie and recounted the same conversation Morley relayed, Titheradge gave Dickard the chance to resign, so he could move onto another vessel without having his record reflect that he was fired.
What was it like to work for Captain Kerry on ‘Below Deck Adventure’?
Schneps said working for Titheradge was a positive experience. “Kerry’s incredible,” she said. “You know, I see him pretty often here in Florida, too. We stay in contact, and he’s an incredible captain and a really strong leader. Really fair.”
“And that’s something that I really like about Kerry, we do have a friendship,” she continued. “But at the same time, it’s a very clear, like, OK, now this is the professional line that if you need to get told off because you’ve done something wrong or you need negative feedback, constructive feedback, whatever it may be, he’s able to deliver that information. He delivers it in a patient and in such a genuine manner. I really respect his leadership style.”
Below Deck Adventure is on Tuesday at 9 pm ET on Bravo.
