Summary
- Natasha Webb's performance as chief stew in Below Deck Med season 7 was affected by her secret romance, leading to a decline in her leadership and management skills.
- Francesca Rubi's difficulty in dealing with stewardess Elizabeth Frankini and her negative management style made her an ineffective chief stew in Below Deck season 8.
- Bugsy Drake proved to be a strong chief stew in Below Deck Mediterranean season 5, excelling in attention to detail and guest satisfaction, but needing to improve her authority and communication with the crew.
In 2013, Bravo released Below Deck, a reality show focusing on the lives of those working on mega yachts, which include many amazing chief stewards. Everyone from the captain to the chief stewards was shown, along with the highs and lows that accompany the work. One of the highest roles on the vessel is chief stew. Chief stews are in charge of a team of people for the ship's interior. Everything from cleaning, laundry, drink orders, food delivery, and beyond falls under their job description.
Since Below Deck's start, multiple spinoffs were added to the franchise (Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Down Under, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, and Below Deck Adventure). Each show has the same premise and job titles. However, each person hired as the chief stew of that particular season differs from the next.
10 Natasha Webb
Below Deck Med Season 7
Natasha Webb made a splash during Below Deck Med season 7 as the chief stew. Not only did she look identical to her second stew, Natalya Scudder, but she was also in a secret relationship with one of Below Deck's more popular chefs, David (Dave) White. Natasha started the series strong with a dedication to the guests and creating a great team environment with her stews, but as soon as Dave told people about their secret romance, things changed.
Natasha ended things with Dave and got back together with her ex-boyfriend via text. However, reuniting with her ex only started more drama, and Natasha’s head was elsewhere. Her team didn’t get along, she stopped communicating as the lead, and she was horrible with ordering provisions. Because of these reasons, Natasha was not the best chief stew.
9 Adrienne Gang
Below Deck Season 1
Adrienne served as the first franchise chief stew in Below Deck season 1. Like others, she was no-nonsense and severe, but unlike others, she didn't take the time to become friendly with the team. Regarding decorating and making the guests' time onboard memorable and unique, Adrienne stayed within the bounds of the budget.
Even though Below Deck had some of the worst guests, Adrienne kept her tactics the same. Adrienne chose not to return as a chief stew in season 2 but briefly appeared as a guest. She joined the ship Ohana with friends and now saw how her former staff worked without her. Eddie saw her on the beach in one scene and swam back to the vessel to hide from her.
8 Francesca Rubi
Below Deck Season 8
Francesca Rubi's ongoing conflict with stewardess Elizabeth Frankini never improved, which made her difficult to like as chief stew. As the ship's leader, Francesca should have taught Elizabeth what she expected instead of yelling at her constantly. To make matters worse, Francesca wasn't the uplifting leader the interior needed. She often talked behind the crew's backs and was required to improve managing a group of people. Because of her lazy management style, she was not the best chief stew in the franchise.
7 Heather Chase
Below Deck Season 9
Heather Chase started Below Deck season 9 off strong. She was easily comparable to fellow chief stew Kate Chastain because of her brutal personality, unsurprising given the two are friends. Unfortunately, her character took a dark turn as the season progressed. An insensitive moment between her and deckhand Rayna Lindsay changed her reputation. Although she was dedicated to giving the guests a five-star experience, her insensitivity to Rayna was unsettling and plagued her character for the season.
6 Bugsy Drake
Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5
Christine "Bugsy" Drake was initially introduced as a second stew in Below Deck Med season 2. Hannah Ferrier was her chief stew, but the roles changed in season 5. Bugsy was attentive to the smallest details with guests. In season 5, Hannah was fired as a chief stew, and Bugsy was promoted to fill her position. Bugsy could have panicked and ruined the next charter by being disorganized, but she surprisingly stole the show. She was fair and organized and made the guests a priority. Her one downfall was needing to be more authoritative and open with the crew.
5 Hannah Ferrier
Below Deck Med Seasons 1-5
Hannah was the first chief stew introduced on Below Deck Med. While she wasn't always the most positive or personable, Hannah was great at her job and knew exactly what needed to be done in every situation. There wasn't one request from the guests that Hannah couldn't handle. However, like many chief stews, Hannah had her flaws. She had a few boatmances that blew up in flames and caused her anxiety, and she also bumped heads with Captain Sandy Yawn. Hannah was also inconsistent with communicating with the other stews. Despite her shortcomings, Hannah was dedicated to her job.
4 Aesha Scott
Below Deck Down Under Seasons 1 and 2
Aesha Scott used to be on Below Deck Med as a stew but showed she had what it took as the team lead. The personable and likable Aesha took on the role of chief stew in Below Deck Down Under season 1. Aesha communicated with the captain and put her differences aside with Chef Ryan McKeown. She did what was best for meal services, and more importantly, she prioritized the guests while encouraging her team. Aesha was clearly the ideal chief stew as she returned for Below Deck Down Under season 2 in the same role.
3 Kate Chastain
Below Deck (Seasons 1-6)
Kate Chastain was one of the longest-running chief stews in the series. Her witty comebacks and dry sense of humor made Kate beloved, but was she the best chief stew? Kate maintained professionalism around the guests and knew how to handle unruly situations. Instead of accepting subpar work from her stews, she helped them improve. She was a true manager. When Kate left the show, she went on to be a part of three other shows: Galley Talk, Bravo's Chat Room, and The Traitors season 1. She recently had a baby, and Ben Robinson is not the father.
2 Daisy Kelliher
Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Season 2-4)
Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 2 welcomed Daisy Kelliher as a chief stew. Daisy had a challenging job, especially with all the boatmances happening during the season. She stayed out of the relationship drama and focused on work. It's because she didn't get involved with the petty drama that made her such an excellent chief stew. She has since returned for two more seasons but was involved in some drama. During Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4, Daisy was involved in a love triangle with Gary King and Colin MacRae.
1 Katie Flood
Below Deck Med Season 6
Katie Flood had her first season on Below Deck Med season 6 and proved she was one of the best chief stews. She had a ton of experience, worked on multiple vessels, and managed various stews. With Hannah leaving in season 5, there were questions about who would run the interior in season 6, but Katie was a pleasant surprise.
She was honest and open with the captain and her stews and also had a great relationship with the chef and those on deck. Katie's only flaw was when she questioned her own decisions, but she was a great manager when she followed her gut. As entertaining and loved as Hannah and Kate were, Katie had an outstanding balance of working hard and being personable with those she works. Because of this, Katie should return to Below Deck Med.
Below Deck returns on February 5, 2024, on Bravo.
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Below Deck
- Created by:
- Mark Cronin, Rebecca Taylor Henning, Doug Henning
- First TV Show:
- Below Deck
- Cast:
- Kate Chastain, Gary King, Mads Herrera, Daisy Kelliher, Colin Macrae, Aesha Scott, Lexi Wilson, Glenn Shephard, Jason Chambers, Marcos Spaziani, Sandy Yawn
- TV Show(s):
- Below Deck, Below Deck Adventure, Below Deck Down Under, Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht
