Barely a season of Below Deck goes by without at least one crew member being fired.
Most recently, the BD universe was sent spiralling after two Below Deck Down Under employees were fired over some shocking sexual misconduct. In light of that, BDDU Captain Jason Chambers has explained how he decides if a crew member needs to be let go.
“Personally, it’s not something I like to do obviously. I’ve been told I’ve got an art to make people feel like it [being fired] is a good thing for them,” he said in a post-filming interview on Mediaweek and Chattr’s The Entertainment Hotline Podcast on July 19.
Captain Jason explained that there are two parameters that he considers when deciding if someone needs to be dismissed from the boat.
“I feel that as a captain if there’s someone that’s not going to be at the top of their game, that’s where I’m going to make a change from a professional and qualified perspective,” he said.
“And then from a personal perspective, if there’s someone that’s really badly behaved towards another crew member, I’m definitely not going to tolerate that too,” he said. “I haven’t got the time to sift through it and try and make it all come out in nice fluffy, big flowers. There’s not enough time. If you’re not going to get on the train, you can get off it.”
What does Captain Jason look for in replacement staff?
Captain Jason explained that finding replacement staff for a fired crew member isn’t as simple as just finding anyone to fill the empty gap.
“You’re not going to just replace someone for the same result. So if I can bring someone else in, it’s going to be the other piece of the pie that I need.
“So I’ll have a chat with them and say, ‘This is what I need, this is what I was missing and this is what I want out of you and to make that pie complete.'”
“And, there is a goal. And my goal is to try to get to the best team and the best outcomes with the best tips at the end of the season. That’s my goal, my own mantra.”
Captain Jason explains how rushed Below Deck seasons are
Captain Jason said that Below Deck seasons have much less time between charters than a regular yachting season, which leads to elevated drama on the show.
“In six weeks we are doing what most boats are doing in four months. A good charter boat might do eight charters maximum a year, we’re doing nine charters in six weeks.
“Also, you’re getting a whole crew that’s never worked together before. There’s not a week between charters where they can patch things up, or not be hung over and move on. They’re going to be hungover, it’s going to carry on to the next charter and it’s going to fester, that’s why the show is so good. It allows what would happen over a longer period of time in our industry to happen very quickly, so the audience can see it happen.”
Stream Below Deck Down Under on Hayu.
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