Rachel Hargrove is not the most beloved character in the series Below Deck. The Bravo series is about the crew of a megayacht chartered by rich guests. While Lee Rosbach has served as captain on all eight seasons of the show, the yacht and crew change every season. The crew is not hired by the charter company, but assembled by the show’s producers, guaranteeing drama by selecting only those with big personalities and strong opinions.
Rachel was in the show’s eighth season and caused her share of controversy. The foul-mouthed chef was known for her heavy drinking and abruptly quit the job (and the show) after reading a client’s list of demands for the crew. But she wasn’t the only one who had problems. Chief stew Francesca Rubi argued with crew member Elizabeth Frankini, even demoting her at one point.
Rachel shared her thoughts on the feud in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. From Rachel’s point of view, Elizabeth may not have been doing her job very well, but Francesca’s “derogatory” remarks didn’t help the situation. Rachel felt she needed to defend Elizabeth, saying, “For me, supporting another crew member who feels like they are being bullied and attacked? I’m going to stand by them.”
Rachel also said there is more to the story that didn’t make it onto viewers’ TVs. While the filming of season 8 was cut short due to COVID, cameras are built into the yacht, capturing every moment that the crew is on board. This amounts to a lot of footage, even with a shortened filming schedule, and fans simply don’t get to see the whole situation. While she didn’t specify what viewers were missing, she reminded them that more happened than would fit into the series.
Crew member Izzy Wouters had her own theory about the reason for the feud. Elizabeth was in a not-so-secret relationship with fellow crew member James Hough. Izzy, along with some fans of the show, suspect that Francesca may have been jealous of the relationship. With the show producers picking a crew of only young, attractive singles, it’s safe to assume they were hoping for some relationship drama for their reality show.
Whatever really happened between Francesca and Elizabeth, the drama is what viewers are tuning in for. Below Deck is attracting viewers and make fans, earning higher ratings than Real Housewives. Unfortunately, season nine will have to wait to begin filming until COVID restrictions are lifted.
Source: Entertainment Tonight