Katie Flood from the upcoming season from Below Deck Mediterranean is opening up about replacing Hannah Ferrier as the new chief stew. After Hannah was fired last season for having unregistered Valium onboard, the Bravo series is bringing on a new face a the head of the interior department. Katie will be joined by six other fresh new faces, including returning cast members Captain Sandy and bosun Malia White.
Viewers of the Bravo series will get to officially meet Katie and the new crew on June 28, when season six is scheduled to premiere. Katie will be the only chief stew to ever appear on Below Deck Med after Hannah since the very first season. Hannah was the only original cast member of the series before the brand new season, with Captain Sandy now being the longest-running cast member. With a practically whole new crew, season six is ought to be an interesting one.
In an exclusive interview with E! News, the new chief stew opened up about her new position and addressed taking over for Hannah. "Being a chief stew, OK, we all know the job," she began, adding, "But every one of us has [sic] a different way of doing it or bring different strengths to the table. So, I just think it will be refreshing for the viewers, maybe." Katie acknowledged that viewers might be upset Hannah is no longer a part of the show, however, it seems everything worked out for the best since Hannah became a mother shortly after she stepped off The Wellington yacht. Hannah gave birth to her daughter, Ava Grace, in November 2020, following the season five reunion.
While viewers are disappointed they will not see Hannah as their chief stew anymore, nonetheless, they are excited to get to know Katie and see how she takes on the role. She revealed the opportunity kind of "fell into her lap," adding, "all signs pointed towards me doing this. So, I just went with my gut, and here we are." Even though Katie was grateful for the opportunity, she did have some over-emotional moments during her time on the show. Katie said regarding the drama this season, "I am a human. I do have emotions. Things do affect me." She continued, "You know, there's so much pressure in this role, and then it's like, you add the lack of sleep, the demanding guests, the drinking, like, all this stuff. It sort of boils up, and that's when you have these emotional moments."
With the new season of Below Deck Med starting in less than a week, viewers are excited to see how Katie will measure up in the chief stew role compared to Hannah. While it may be a bit of an adjustment, Katie seems to be a refreshing new addition, judging by the recent teasers. Maybe Katie is exactly who Captain Sandy needs as her chief stew.
Sources: E! News