TheBelow Deckfranchise has seen many villains over the years, but some of them are so cartoonish it’s easy to believe they could be producer plants.Below Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5is well underway, but there have already been accusations ofChief Stew Daisy Kelliher as a producer plant, which seems outlandish at first. However, the last season ofBelow Deck Mediterraneanwas allegedly rife with producer plants such as Stew Bri Muller and Chef Johnathan Shillingford. None of the characters above are villains, however.
Part of the appeal ofBelow Deckis the colorful array of characters forced to work together for an entire charter season in close quarters. This dynamic is sure to stir the pot and produce drama, but some characters seem more contrived than others. Here are potential producer plants made to be villains from the start.
10Elena Dubaich
Below Deck Mediterranean
Elena “Ellie” Dubaich was ridiculous enough to be considered a producer plant onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9. Chef Johnathan andBri Muller were accused of being producer plants, but Ellie brought the villain energy to the season. Ellie and Bri feuded for the entire season over Deckhand Joe Bradley, who didn’t seem to be all that interested in either of them romantically. This feud spilled over into their professional relationship.
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However, the more compelling argument for Ellie being a producer plant stems from her shocking feud with Chief Stew Aesha Scott. Aesha is a fan favorite in theBelow Deckfranchise, andEllie got too big for her britches when she tried to undermine Aesha’s role as Chief Stew, questioning her use of Stew Carrie O’Neill on the show. Her cartoonish villainy provided a compelling storyline for Aesha, solidifying her role as the hero onBelow Deck Mediterranean.
9Lexi Wilson
AnotherBelow Deckcast member who might fit the mold of a producer plant villain is Lexi Wilson fromBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 6. Her disruptive behavior and frequent clashes with the crew, especially Chief Stew Katie Flood and Chef Mathew Shea, made her an infamous figure in theBelow Deckfranchise. Lexi was so disruptive, and she definitely could have been a producer plant, made to create overly dramatic situations for entertainment.
Lexi’s storyline seemed almost too dramatic to be organic, with explosive arguments and over-the-top actions like creating a burn list of her enemies and refusing to participate in team activities. After a crew night out, Lexi called Chef Mathew shady and questioned Deckhand Lloyd Spencer in a way that was unnecessarily cruel. The situation escalated when Lexi physically pushed Chef Mathew, which led to Chef Mathew calling for her removal from the crew.
8Camille Lamb
Below Deck
Camille Lamb’s firing created speculation she was a producer plant onBelow Deckseason 10. She claimed in interviews and on social media that producers created situations that made her look bad. For instance, she mentioned being called away for confessionals during busy work times and being offered drinks, which led to her appearing unprofessional. She could have been set up.
Camille’s relationship with Ben Willoughby was later used to stir up drama in season 11 between him and Sunny Marquis.
On one occasion,Camille said a producer encouraged her to sit on the dock with a glass of champagne, which was then noticed byChief Stew Fraser Olenderand contributed to her dismissal. Camille described these circumstances as being a set-up, though she didn’t directly accuse the production team of creating the situation that led to her firing. Nevertheless, it seems like Camille was specifically planted by the producers to be a villain.
7Danny Zureikat
Danny Zureikat, a deckhand fromBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 1, was almost certainly a producer plant given his lack of experience and interest in his job. Fellow crew member Bobby Giancola claimed Danny joined the cast not for a genuine interest in yachting but as a springboard for a career in TV and entertainment. Bobby described Danny as someone who liked to stir the pot. It seems like he was planted by producers to create dramatic situations onboard rather than his work ethic.
Most of theBelow Deckcrew members are legitimate yachties, but there have been a few clout chasers on the show, including Danny.
Danny’s quick pivot to acting and content creation after his firing, along with his self-description as a producer, actor, and artist, further exemplifies this argument. Danny’s disregard for yachting norms and repeated conflicts with everybody onboard made him seem more like a disruptive presence intended to generate storylines rather than a legitimate crew member. He was made to be villainous.
6Barbie Pascual
Barbie Pascual was so laughably ridiculous onBelow Deckseason 11 she had to be a producer plant. She had zero experience working aboard a luxury yacht as an interior crew member, andBelow Deckusually casts established industry professionals for their roles.Barbie came onto the scene as a spoiled, out-of-touch rich girl made to get a jobby her rich father or lose her inheritance. While her attitude certainly created entertaining moments, she positioned herself as a potential villain and enemy of Chief Stew Fraser and fellow Stew Xandi Olivier.
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Her crush on Deckhand Kyle Stillie was cute at first, but she turned on him when he didn’t meet demands, including wearing a kilt or joking around with the boys. She was obviously a plant to provide entertainment in the season, but Barbie shouldn’t come back for the next charter season.Below Deckshould hire a more competent stew.
5Ashley Marti
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Ashley Marti’s time onBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 3 was controversial and could have stemmed from her being a producer plant.Ashley’s relentless pursuit of First Mate Gary Kingled to a drunken tryst that raised issues of consent. Additionally, her tense dynamic with Second Stew Gabriela Barragan seemed forced for entertainment value. Ashley ultimately left the series and leveraged her newfound notoriety to focus on other ventures, including a lucrative OnlyFans account, and avoided participating in the reunion.
She accused Bravo of creating a negative narrative about her, but her actions spoke for themselves. Gary had already solidified his reputation as a troublemaker onBelow Deck Sailing Yacht, and Ashley’s pursuit could have been an attempt to absolve him of his bad behavior. Nevertheless, Ashley’s aBelow Deckfranchise villain who’s difficult to forget.
4Kyle Viljoen
If there was anyone specifically planted to stir up drama in theBelow Deckfranchise, it’s Kyle Viljoen. His time onBelow Deck Mediterraneanfeatured several high-profile conflicts.Kyle most infamously stirred up drama between Natalya Scudder and Tumi Mhlongoby playing both sides. Tensions arose when Kyle reportedly shared comments made by one with the other, framing them as an attempt to help. However, he was just making them hate each other.
Tumi and Natalya could have been friends, but Kyle purposefully played them against each other from the start.
Kyle informed Natalya about texts and comments made by Tumi but claimed he intended to support Natalya by warning her not to escalate conflicts. However, his actions exacerbated the tension, leading to further animosity between the stews. Kyle claims he was authentic on the show, but his ability to stir up drama was unmatched. Even Captain Sandy Yawn had to get involved in calling him out for unprofessional behavior.
3Lara Flumiani
Lara Flumiani’s short tenure onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 5 definitely could have been an attempt by producers to stir up drama, especially given her confrontational and dismissive attitude towardChief Stew Hannah Ferrierfrom the outset. Lara clashed with Hannah almost immediately, refusing to take direction and challenging her authority. Hannah later described Lara as insubordinate.
Lara quit the show after only one charter, citing an unfriendly environment and poor treatment by some crew members, but she was probably just planted to antagonize Hannah. Once she achieved that end, the show didn’t need her anymore. She claimed she left because she was treated poorly and belittled by Hannah. However, her insistence on defending her perspective and dramatic exit gave the season an early jolt of drama that producers might have found useful.
2Kyle Dickard
Below Deck Adventure
Kyle Dickard was one of the most ridiculous cast members to appear onBelow Deck Adventure, leading to the belief that he could be a producer plant. His over-the-top personality seemed crafted for maximum drama.Kyle’s wild behavior included making inappropriate advances towards Stew Kasie Faddah, engaging in threatening confrontations with his bunkmate Nathan Morley, and generally displaying disruptive conduct.
Kyle’s behavior towards Kasie should have been the end of his tenure onBelow Deck Adventure, but it wasn’t enough to fire him.
Kyle reportedly refused to flush the toilet in their shared cabin, leading to a heated altercation where he threatened to “tussle” with Nathan, prompting Captain Kerry Titheradge to intervene. Ultimately, Kyle was given the choice to resign or get fired. He chose to leave the boat. Despite his dismissal after just one charter, Kyle’s exaggerated persona and willingness to stir conflict made him a focal point of the show’s early episodes. He was planted to inject some much-needed drama into the early episodes.
1Dane Jackson
Dane Jackson was a perplexing cast member onBelow Deckseason 3 and was probably a producer plant. There was a chaotic series of events surrounding his arrival and departure. Dane was brought in as a replacement after Don Abenante suddenly quit, a move that itself caused tension onboard. Almost immediately,Dane’s drinking and inappropriate behavior became obvious. During a night off, he got excessively intoxicated, leading to an incident on an island outing where he became belligerent.
Dane’s actions forced bosun Eddie Lucas to send him back to the yacht alone, fearing for the crew’s safety. Captain Lee Rosbach fired Dane the next morning. The whole situation seemed contrived, especially given how quickly tensions escalated after Dane’s arrival. Dane’s tenure onBelow Deckwas short-lived, but his potential producer plant status certainly packed a punch.
Below Deck Sailing Yachtairs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
Cast
Below Deck Sailing Yacht is a spin-off of the Below Deck reality television series. Premiering on Bravo, the show follows the life of a Yacht crew as they attempt to navigate a busy Charter season in which many customers make use of a 177-foot sailing yacht. Over the first three seasons, the yacht has been to Greece, Croatia, and Spain.
