TheBelow Deckfranchise is chock-full of entertaining characters, but these female cast members who were given the villain edit are still fan favorites.Below Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5is well underway, with potential villains and producer plants making themselves known as the season goes by. First Mate Gary King is struggling with incompetent Stew Emma Crouch whilepotential producer plant Daisy Kelliherfeuds with Stew Diana Cruz on and offscreen.
Producer interference could have played a role in how theseBelow Deckcast members were perceived, especially given their high entertainment value. However, some onscreen villains are too charming, skilled, or funny to resist. Here are the top eight fan-favorite female cast members despite their villain status.
8Gael Cameron
Below Deck Mediterranean
Gael Cameron developed a bit of a villainous reputation in her relationships with Bosun Iain Maclean and Lead Deckhand Joe Bradley onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9. She and fellow deckhand Nathan Gallagher had a boatmance going for much of the season despite Gael having a boyfriend. The two eventually grew apart, and Gael started hooking up with Nathan. This dynamic seemed to make Joe jealous, and he began undermining Gael’s work ethic.
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Gael tried to turn her fellow crew members, including Nathan, against Joe, and she could also be insubordinate to Iain. In fairness, Joe and Iain often didn’t know what they were doing, which made her a continued fan favorite. Gael and Nathan were also cute together, which potentially endeared her to viewers. However, she was also considered a low-key villain because of her emotionally cheating on her boyfriend.
7Barbie Pascual
Below Deck
Barbie Pascual was hilarious in her villainy onBelow Deckseason 11. Her self-proclaimed “daddy’s girl” persona, luxury lifestyle, and dramatic presence added entertainment value. Her insistence on bringing luxury items like Chanel sheets onboard showed her commitment to staying true to herself, even if it clashed with the rough-and-tumble nature of yacht life. Barbie didn’t shy away from drama, especially in her interactions withChief Stew Fraser Olender. She also called out Kyle for doing things she didn’t like, such as wearing a kilt or having fun.
Barbie is too hilarious to hate, making her a great Below Deck cast member.
Barbie should have been a straight-up villain, but there was a certain charm about her. She was a rich girl attempting to secure her inheritance, and her lack of understanding of regular life was entertaining. Barbie was difficult to hate despite her dramatic blowouts and controlling nature.
6Rachel Hargrove
Chef Rachel Hargrove had a villainous streak but was still a favorite on the show. Her fiery temper and blunt attitude led to explosive but entertaining confrontations inBelow Deckseasons 8 and 9. Her unfiltered commentary laced with expletives could come across as abrasive, and her willingness to challenge Captain Lee’s authority was unusual for a yacht chef, making her seem rebellious or difficult to manage.Chef Rachel is often an example of a terrible chefor cast member, but she was just kind of fun to hate.
It’s unfair to categorize Chef Rachel as a bad crew member; she just wasn’t always a great cast member for Bravo because she was willing to call out the network.
Despite her abrasive personality, guests loved her food, and she was mostly good at her job. Chef Rachel was unapologetically herself, and her quippy one-liners made the show. Unfortunately, Chef Rachel spoke out too much against Bravo and didn’t return forBelow Deckseason 10. She was vocal about her hatred for the show and how she was portrayed, and Chef Rachel decided to move on fromBelow Deck.
5Natalya Scudder
While Natalya Scudder definitely could have been considered a villain inBelow Deck Mediterraneandue to her feud with Tumi Mhlongo and complicated relationship with Kyle Viljoen, she remains a fan-favorite in the franchise. Her feud with Kyle, in particular, divided fans as they each accused the other of being toxic. Natalya claimed that much of her work fell on her shoulders due to favoritism from their Chief Stew, Natasha Webb. Things didn’t get much better when Tumi took over in season 8, especially with Kyle stirring the pot.
Natalya’s candidness and how she openly discussed her personal struggles, such as her mental health challenges and a difficult past, including dealing with anxiety, depression, and trauma from sexual assault, resonated with viewers who went through similar experiences. It also humanized her when she was feuding with Kyle or Tumi.Natalya was likely painted as a villain to create dramaamong her, Kyle, and Tumi, and production interference was at least partially to blame.
4Camille Lamb
Camille Lamb was a divisive figure onBelow Deckseason 10, but she couldn’t fully take on the hated villain role. Initially hired as a deckhand and stew, her performance in both roles was inconsistent, leading Captain Sandy Yawn to assign her solely to the interior team. Even with this shift, Camille struggled to meet expectations, frequently clashing with Chief Stew Fraser and Stew Alissa Humber, particularly over a boatmance she had withcontroversial Deckhand Ben Willoughby.
This boatmance cropped up again when Ben FaceTimed Camille onBelow Deckseason 11 while ignoring his new love interest, Sunny Marquis. Even more than her boatmance with Ben, Camille’s dismissive attitude reached a tipping point when she was caught drinking champagne instead of completing her tasks during a crucial turnover day. Fraser escalated the issue to Captain Sandy, who ultimately fired her. Production made her a villain, but hopefully, she returns to reality TV.
3Captain Sandy Yawn
Captain Sandy Yawn has sometimes appeared as a villain onBelow Deck Mediterranean, but she’s still a huge fan-favorite. Captain Sandy has faced backlash for certain decisions, such as the firing of Chief Hannah Ferrier, which was viewed as being overly harsh. However, she defended her actions by emphasizing her legal and ethical obligations as a captain, which are often underplayed in the show’s editing. Hannah brought an unregistered vape pen and Valium aboard, breaking maritime law.
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Captain Sandy also gives too many chances to people, like her forgiveness of Chef Johnathan Shillingford and Bri Muller inBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9. She allowed them to continue to perform poorly, impacting everyone else onboard. However, Captain Sandy’s wedding with her wife was so heartwarming that it’s easy to forgive her leadership style. Captain Sandy isn’t going anywhere, and not even producer interference can change her perception.
2Hannah Ferrier
Similarly to Captain Sandy,Hannah was a fan-favorite who unfortunately got a villain editafter she got fired. Her popularity is largely due to her quick wit, authenticity, and ability to balance her responsibilities with humor, which made viewers want to tune in week after week. Fans were split over her firing, with many viewing her as a more sympathetic figure. Captain Sandy’s strict and occasionally combative interactions with her were interpreted by fans as overly harsh or rooted in a lack of mutual respect. She didn’t let Hannah get away with anything.
Hannah broke serious rules onBelow Deck Mediterranean, but her firing was controversial.
Hannah used her firing for good, becoming transparent about her personal challenges with anxiety and other mental health issues. Post-show, Hannah has built a successful career, including hosting a popular podcast and appearing on other reality series, which has maintained her relevance and fan base. She may have become a villain on the show, but she’s a hero after her departure.
1Kate Chastain
Kate could’ve been considered a villain because of her no-nonsense leadership and sharp, sometimes biting, humor, but instead, she became a fan-favorite. Her sarcastic commentary and clever one-liners became hallmarks of the show and probably led to the original show’s initial success. Any villainous moments onBelow Decklargely stemmed from other crew members being disruptive or bad at their jobs, ultimately making Kate a hero.
Kate’s brutal honesty and propensity towards villainy were perfectly put to use inThe Traitorsseasons 1 and 2. She was perfect as a Traitor on season 1 and transitioned seamlessly to the role in season 2, nearly winning the entire competition. Kate will always be missed fromBelow Deck, but she’s unlikely to return. She’s busy being a mom and enjoying the social media fame she cultivated on the show. Any producer interference that happened with Kate was only in her favor.
Below Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5 airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and airs the next day on Peacock.
Below Deck is a popular reality TV franchise that focuses on a group of crew members as they work on luxurious yachts and cater to their client’s needs. After the original series proved to be a success, Bravo developed a handful of spinoff shows including Below Deck Selling Yacht, Below Deck Adventure, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Mediterranean.
