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After two new chief stews on Below Deck, former Below Deck Mediterranean chief stew Hannah Ferrier believes the series finally found the right person to fill Kate Chastain’s shoes in Fraser Olender.
In an interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Ferrier observed how the franchise has struggled to replace her and Chastain on the show. But she now thinks Below Deck‘s search is over now that Olender is running the interior.
Hannah thinks Fraser is the new ‘Below Deck’ chief stew star
“I was chatting with (Captain) Lee (Rosbach) last week and we were kind of talking about what’s been happening with Below Deck normal and Below Deck Med since Kate and I left, because obviously, they’ve changed the chief stew each time,” Ferrier told Olender on her Dear Reality, You’re Effed podcast.
“So I was watching the last episode with my husband last night and I went ‘Babe, I think this is it. I think they found a chief steward that is going to do season after season,’” she added.
Olender was flattered hearing this from Ferrier. “Do you know how much that means to me? Like to hear from you. To have watched you for many years and to hear about that makes me feel amazing,” he replied.
What makes Fraser a good ‘Below Deck’ chief stew?
Ferrier explained what Below Deck needs in a chief stew. “Well, I think there’s a lot of things that you need to kind of do that role on Below Deck,” she said. “You need to have like the experience and be able to do the chief stewardess or chief steward side. But you also need to have like the charisma and some personality because it is a TV show at the end of the day. It’s a TV show about a job, but you don’t want to watch somebody boring doing it, you know? So you’ve definitely got that pizazz .”
Olender added that the crew are just people doing their job, which is being picked up and recognized by Bravo, which “is amazing,” he said. “And I always say I just do my job and then the world gets to enjoy watching it. And is that not the most amazing sort of position to be in?”
Olender started his Below Deck career on season 9 when he was cast as the second stew and the second male stew on the show. He quickly rose in the ranks, becoming a chief stew on another boat, and returned in the role on Below Deck Season 10.
‘Below Deck Med’ still hasn’t found the right person, Hannah thinks
Ferrier told Showbiz Cheat Sheet the chief stew role needed a mix of someone who was good at their job, but also good for TV.
“It’s really hard because obviously, they’ve changed the chief stew every season since I left,” Ferrier said. “And I feel like it’s such an important role on Below Deck to fill. Because you want somebody who is good at their job, but then at the end of the day, we kind of go like, ‘Oh it’s yachting.’ It’s still a reality show. So you want someone who’s funny, who’s quick. Who is not afraid to take people on. Not afraid to school their stews.”
She did not think Below Deck Med has found that combination just yet. Since Ferrier left, the series has also gone through two new chief stews. “I’m hoping they find one of those soon,” she said. “Because the one that’s on there now doesn’t seem like … Like she could be very good at her job, but doesn’t sound like interesting television.”
