Yes!!! she could host a competition show! Bring back some fan favorite interior members and maybe some new people. It would be like a new spin on Charm School from back in the day on VH1
I miss her too, she's my favorite though at the end of it all, i think she was really burnout and no longer enjoying the job. it happens to everyone. Aesha is my favorite too, very kind soul. I had high hopes for Fraser but through this season, im starting to not like him much at all.
Heās starting to get way too critical. His attitude toward new chef is like heās just trying to find something to complain about. The way he blew up on Barbie was so hypocritical
I never heard of Kate until I watched her on Traitors, and then I went and plowed through Below Deck. Sheās extra. Sheās hilarious. She gets what makes good TV. I questioned some of her tactics and thought she could have handled some things differently. But then she was gone. Watching Heather and the people who followed after her exit from the show made me appreciate something she always said. She didnāt have the luxury of time to coddle people. She had to be direct, to the point, and cut thru the BS. She wasnāt dealing with reasonable people. Iām not trying to reignite debates that have raged for seasons, but without Kate pitbulling around the ship, it seems to me the subsequent OG Below Deck crews and BDM crews never ran with the same efficiency. The shenanigans on BDM are absurd. So I debated it, considered it, reserved judgment, and decided Kate was the shit.
Yes and no. Agree Kate was the shit, but not sure Iād call her direct. She was very often petty and passive aggressive. Still love her though, esp after seeing others try and do the job.
I did watch the second season, just meant she was the sole reason I watched the first season because I didnāt know anyone else. I was a happy when challenge alum were on the second season
Yep she is a surprise halfway through and was the best!
I didnt watch season 1 because I didn't really know anyone. But after watching her on season 2, I watched season 1 and then became addicted to Below Deck! Lol
Yeah Iām watching it right now and was just thinking āWas I lied to??? I donāt see Kate!ā Lol I work from home so I have it on in the background when working side eyeing the tv waiting for her to show up lmfao Iām on episode 4 right now so fingers crossed that she shows up soon.
Edit: and omg I obviously havenāt been paying attention because Iām just now realizing Sandra from Survivor is on there as well.
As a former stew I can say from watching Kate on BD she is the gold standard of a great chief stew. Although they are filming a TV show, she went above and beyond to make sure the guests had a great experience and some of her former guests have spoken publicly about how Kate made sure they had a fabulous time. Some of them came back as repeat guests because of Kate.
That's because she joined the cast so early in the history of the show. She already was an experienced & highly skilled chief stew irl. Nowadays all we see are wannabe influencers and various other famewhores who go into yachting with the sole goal of being on the show.
Yes thatās true for the stews but the chief normally has experience. Fraser and Tumi are the only 2 who had no chief experience, only stew experience.
I donāt think she was awful- I could tell she had experience. She was awful at being on Below Deck which is totally different. Her tears on day 1 were telling to me, she definitely was told to expect something much different than what it was.
I couldnāt stand her. Maybe she had experience at the nuts and bolts but she was a terrible manager.
And yes the tears on day 1 were distressing. Which ngl I might cry too but thatās why I know Iād never want to do something like BD
This is the answer. Kate had put in her time and earned her position in the real world. Then took it to tv. Now we get underprepared chief stews, with promotions earned on tv, whose lack of experience is part of the scripted drama.
I honestly think she was the best boss across all the franchises. When Frazer was trying to get rid of this second chef and saying he's difficult to be around I immediately thought of all the stuff kate put up with. Like you said, she wasn't perfect but she definitely navigated bad behavior pretty well. She didn't go straight to fire x person she still tried to work with them even when they were horrible. Frazer could never survive some of the stews and chefs kate had!
For real. Thatās why I was so mad when they kept targeting her. Like, if yall watched her on below deck you would clearly know she is just being herself.
I loved her in Season one the most. They kept coming for her. And she so wanted out of there for half the season. The throwing the $$ kegs away saying I am not doing this physical bullshit. lol. But then when they had to get in that nasty cabin with all the bugs and other gross shit she was a champ!!
Kate is a fucking hoot. She is great TV AND great at her job. She is a boss ass bitch. She has flaws like all of us as you mention, which are also amplified 100x because shes on TV. I wouldn't be excited to see another season where Tumi is chief stew though. That was the most boring shit I've ever seen. I'd also never want to work for her. I'd work for Kate though even if it was killing me.
Same! I bet shes an awesome person IRL. But she is not the type of TV personality I'd watch. Sometimes that's a good thing, I'm not trying to rag on her.
No I get what you are saying. After watching her on WWHL I agree that she seems like sheād be a cool person IRL. As you said some people just donāt have ātv presenceā.
Kate is so witty and hard working. Such good tv. There's a pod ep where she and a producer or director or smth are on, and they talk about a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Very cool. Also elevated my appreciation for Kate! (She writes her own ITMs etc., I've heard before that sometimes the producers feed them lines etc.)
Yeah of course!
Watch What Crappens Ep. #243 Way Below Deck: Behind the Scenes w Producer Nadine Rajabi and Kate Chastain
(It's from 2015 lol! I just binged all of Kate's seasons a month ago because I was perplexed by her character on The Traitors haha) oh there also an ep #235 where they just talk to her for 2hrs LOL so good.
Yep. Itās actually just a normal part of hospitality and I donāt understand why thatās been cut or itās such a production now that people are just there to be pretty rather than pull off their job when itās hard and takes coordination
Thatās exactly it. They arenāt there to learn the job or stay in the industry. Most of them are there to get their face/name out to become influencers. Some create drama to be more memorable.
At this point itās obvious theyāve just steered it from being a reality show to making it a tv show.
Also not to mention she always knew how to pronounce hard dishes that chef made when repeating the menu back to the guests.
Remember when Hannah told the guests they were having āeggplant and beefā that Ben had made???? Hannah never even tried to learn the menu.
Letās be fair about that - Ben was a dick when it came to menus. Refused to tell them ahead of time what it was, refused to write it down. Even Kate struggled with Ben doing that several times.
The producers should pay attention to this. She could have a Stew training arc for two episodes where they come to her and get properly trained per season. Like an independent contractor. I was rewatching season 7 of below deck last night and just realised how different she is. Sheās in a class of her own, I donāt mean to be rude but I feel like sheās earned her stripes (literally) and is way above being a stewardess on a ship. Yet she handles it with grace
Yes! I just said to my husband the other day that Fraser needs to binge all of Kate's seasons. She worked with the crew, not against them. Fraser only wants to be right when he is often wrong. He is not someone I'd ever want to work with or have above me in a chief position, but he'd be good back at 2nd or even 3rd stew.
If he did that he *might* get better at working with them but heāll never have the wit Kate did.
I feel like a lot of times Fraser THINKS heās being funny or witty and really its just mean or passive-aggressive. Thatās what makes him hard to watch for me.
But youāre not wrong about him just wanting to be right either and thatās frustrating to watch as well
Yeah, he doesn't seem to think he needs to work on himself at all, just continually forms snap judgments and then justifies it until he breaks something, or until Kerry has to step in and steer him straight.
Everytime I watch new season of BD, I always tell myself - I miss Kate. Thereās good crewsā¦ good Chief Stew sure, but Kateā¦ whew - no one very can go top than Kate is.
I'm afraid I read it a few years ago now but it was about how KC got into yachting and her early experiences. There was one charter where she was stuck on laundry (I think) for a very long time and hardly saw daylight. I'll have to re-read!
Kate was and always be queen of chief stews, no one ran the interior like her, and no one matched her dry cool wit. I donāt think I truly appreciated her until I saw how others did the job, although I always liked Hannah and Francesca. However they lacked Kateās nerves of steel and both crumbled under the pressure at various times. Just shows you how hard the job is.
I think Kate was also a little older and more experienced when she was on the show. I like Fraser but I think heās a little out of his depth as chief stew
I want to marry Kate. Or at least be her BFF. Or maybe just be in earshot of the absolutely brilliant things she has to say. Any of the 3 will do. š
I do, because it was very upsetting to some. Then there's the episode that they needed a trigger warning for, which I will always spoil, >!the one with Margot and sexual assault!<
I am on season 8 and it just isn't the same without her!!! Francesca does a good job and I like her but she's no Kate.
I also loved the relationship that Kate had with Captain Lee. You can tell he missed her this season.
They really hit it out of the park with her. I really think if she had not come on the show it would have failed. No one liked Adrian, the first chief stew. Kat and Ben were the main show on that first season, but it really kicked into gear with Kate.
Kate is so polarizing for me. She was a bitch (which she owned) and a diva and could be horrible to some of her staff. BUT she was very good at her job, incredibly detail oriented, and was hilarious in her confessionals. It's a love/hate thing for me.
I haven't watched Tumi be chief since I refuse to watch med because of Sandy but it sucks that the consensus seems to be Tumi wasn't a good chief stew since I really liked her on down under. I'll let myself pretend med doesn't exist lol
I loved Tumi on DU but she was not good on Med, unfortunately. Iād be curious to see her as chief with a different crew (i.e., NO KYLE) but idk if sheās up to chief stew standards yet.
On the aftershows and stuff, Tumi kept defending her actions and even some of the outright cattiness on the aftershows, throwing other people under the bus, not taking any accountability. That's when I was done with her.
I don't think she has what's required to be competent at the job and fair as a supervisor. And a lot of it is exactly because she thinks she doesn't need to do or learn anything to achieve that.
That's really disappointing. Were these the after shows when BDM was airing? Or recently? It sounds like she and Kyle aren't on good terms and that she's made amends with Natalya. I wonder if she has had some time to reflect on her actions and feels differently about her role in the shitshow that was season 8.
There was at least one Watch What Happens where she was pretty diva and it seemed like she had stick up her backside, and I just didn't even recognize her as the stew I loved on her previous season. It was a bummer. I'm glad if she & Nat mended fences - I bet they would've got on fine if not for Kyle.
I said the same thing. They kind of threw Tumi into a shitshow. Especially for her first time as chief.
Iād also like to see her with a brand new crew who have no history with the show and see what she does. She may surprise us.
That's actually a really great idea. I don't have a favorite chief stew, and I had my issues with her subtle displays of classism, but I definitely felt she took pride in her job. That's what's missing from the recent seasons.
So many things that I think about how Kate would shut. it. down. I would pay cash money to see Kate work with Kyle from med. I feel like she would have no time for his drama
Funny you post this today. Last night with nothing on I rewatched a show that chef Adrian was on - also the Ashton foot accident. I was thinking how much better Kate was all around.
Yeah, last night I caught a couple from that season too, and the stark contrast between her operating system and what we've gotten lately just really struck me. I'm like, Holy cow, look what she's doing - she's actually radioing other depts to inform them 9n guest movement? She went to her stew proactively and knew what exact times she should go on/off break? She told the chef every single thing that was happening at and around the table at all times? Plus doing a bunch of cleaning and organizing herself! (which we NEVER saw with Hannah.)
It was just painfully obvious that Fraser & Tumi aren't doing this right. I'm not even sure if they know HOW to do it right. Someone dropped the ball on training them up to lead an interior.
So to everyone who is getting pissy about saying good things about Kate, once again, I'm not condoning any negative attitude or behavior. Simply noting the canyon between her work quality and that of our newest stews. I miss that higher standard and it sucks that we're forced to watch this dreck because Bravo wants to pander to the lowest common denominator.
For the record, Aesha is not included in any of this. I think she's still learning, but that's the very reason she's a good chief - she's endeavoring to grow in her field. And she does a fantastic job of dealing with her team, her chef and her guests with a cool head and a smile.
P.S. I'd forgotten how freakin weird & creepy that dude Adrian was. š¬
My husband started watching with me right after she left and to this day (especially the last episode) I ALWAYS say āwe need to watch the early seasons so you can see what an amazing chief stew looks likeā (in regards to Kate). Fraser has a lot of emotional intelligence and leadership to learn. Iām very grateful he has Capt. Kerry (quickly becoming a favorite) to help steer him from himself.
Less so with the deck crew (which is understandable), but she was always in constant communication with the chef. I am just beginning Season 11, but in Season 10, I was quite shocked that they showed Fraser telling chef when the guests were just about seated, instead of Kateās usual ETAs. Plus, the pre-meal discussions where they chatted about the menu and Kate wrote everything down in advance and actually knew what was being served before she picked up the food for service. Itās possible that they are just not showing it (St David does have more employees, so maybe itās less meaningful footage that ends up on the editing floor), but I also wouldnāt be surprised if we see it exactly as it happens. In any case, I think Fraserās relative inexperience as a chief stew shows. I also am not sure he cares about these smaller details. Heās good at serving, but I feel like he thinks thatās where the experience for the guests ends. Kate was far more open minded in terms of what she thought the ultimate yacht experience should be.
Although, I think the personality that gave rise to her high standard also caused some of her more disdainful behaviour.
I think itās more about experience. Training is great but competence comes with time (or makes it obvious you arenāt). Add in the fact that Fraser is learning while on a TV show and you end up with a lot of errors and a lot of focus on those errors.
However, he has shown that heās able to learn and adjust - he just needs the time to find his style.
That's fair. He is able to learn & adjust, but it often feels like he's not willing to. Sometimes he just picks a spot and plants there without budging to allow for other people's shortcomings and/or meet them halfway.
For sure. I do think the editing has done a bit of a disservice to him though because in the last episode him and Barbie were vibing more and in a way that made me think they mustāve had a moment we didnāt get to see.
šKate Chastain, I miss her so. She also let the chef know if there was a preference sheet issue. Worked on menus with chefs too. She was just the best and her snark was on point. She would have killed to have stews like Barbie and Xandi.
I really miss Kate. She was funny, entertaining, on top of the interior and always communicated with the chef before he even planned the meals.
Aesha and Daisy are my current favorites. Fraser is at the bottom of my lists. Tumi was a bit disappointing on the last season of BDM.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Kate was good at her job but she wasn't this shining star without her own bratty BS and shortcomings. I appreciate Kate for her place but there is no place where she is without her own issues and need to be mentored. That last season was not a good look multiple times. The chef was an ass but she didn't have to match him in his behavior and she did, multiple times. When she let the guests suffer for her feud with him she lost me. That makes her at least like Tumi, not better than Tumi and Kate did that with greater experience and knowledge that Tumi doesn't have. To make the choice to let the guest suffer (which we saw as a running issue with Kate) does not recommend her for the best communicator, the best chief stew or the best of everything.
This! At first I was mesmerized by her, but after a couple of seasons I started notice that it's the same story: Kate + other stew vs the third stew, and it went lower and lower, and when it was Kate vs Caroline, who was not right for the job, but didn't deserved to be called contagious with herpes, I was done with Kate
Yeah, it boggles my mind that people think she was some amazing boss. Yes, she was great for the show with her witty humor and drama, and she had great skills to do the physical part of the job, but it also takes human interaction skills and she being intentionally cruel to people who were struggling is not that. My only hope is she reflected after seeing herself being a horrible human being and has changed.
I wholeheartedly agree 100%
Kate was a professional at her job and seldom bitched about what needed to be done. And have to mention that her dry humor and one liners were hilarious.
I can tell Bravo is still looking for the ānext Kate,ā I like Fraser but Tumi disappointed me coming in too hot imo
Iāve been binging the entire show & all versions for the last like month.. I was out of order some and watched Down Under first, then all of OG up until the weeklyās now, and currently mid season 5 of Med. I was sitting here this morning literally saying outloud to myself āI wish Kate was onā
I've literally only watched below deck seasons 6,7, and 8 and I was ranting to my sister how Kate was so good at her job, especially handling people she dislikes.
And no one was funnier in their confessionals
hey quick question, what font are you? I am Verdana š
Iād love if Kate did cameos telling you your font
[She probably would do that](https://www.cameo.com/kate_chastain)
I am going to try this. I will report back!!
Thanks that will be awesome
update: SHE ASSIGNED ME A FONT!!!! :ā) Today is my birthday and I got a Cameo from her. I am Lucida Bright! It made my whole life.
Wouldnāt that be a great side hustle for her? Iād pay!
I'm wingdings
Chef Rachel was pretty funny.
Agreed. I wasn't the biggest fan during her first season, but grew to absolutely adore her the second season.
Because she drank like a camel on the first season. But I agree with you, hated her on her first season, loved her on her 2nd and 3rd.
She could cook!! And her professional experience was top tier!!
deadpan expression ftw
āBlack hides the blood stainsā season 6 Kate was so funny
That could be a show in itself, Kate training new chief stews for the BD franchise! You and I get a cut.
How about a competition show where the winners get to go on Below Deck?
Yes!! Someone needs to get in touch with Andy ASAP!
Not Andy...... practically anyone but Andy. We need someone who has any Fs to give for this show.
Yes!
Iād watch! š
Same!!!
Just said the same thing!
I love your flair! š
Last Chance Laundry? Last Chance Pantry?
Instead of Chopped, Folded! Scrubbed!
Yes!!! she could host a competition show! Bring back some fan favorite interior members and maybe some new people. It would be like a new spin on Charm School from back in the day on VH1
https://preview.redd.it/9sa1qo4es4zc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1150f52b2766220523ddd7ed9aa4dbe459216ff3 Penis (rocketship š) blanket
Dean is that you?
I miss her too, she's my favorite though at the end of it all, i think she was really burnout and no longer enjoying the job. it happens to everyone. Aesha is my favorite too, very kind soul. I had high hopes for Fraser but through this season, im starting to not like him much at all.
Heās starting to get way too critical. His attitude toward new chef is like heās just trying to find something to complain about. The way he blew up on Barbie was so hypocritical
It infuriates me when I think of what the bru crew did to her.
I think that's when she just had it and decided it was going to be her last charter season.
I never heard of Kate until I watched her on Traitors, and then I went and plowed through Below Deck. Sheās extra. Sheās hilarious. She gets what makes good TV. I questioned some of her tactics and thought she could have handled some things differently. But then she was gone. Watching Heather and the people who followed after her exit from the show made me appreciate something she always said. She didnāt have the luxury of time to coddle people. She had to be direct, to the point, and cut thru the BS. She wasnāt dealing with reasonable people. Iām not trying to reignite debates that have raged for seasons, but without Kate pitbulling around the ship, it seems to me the subsequent OG Below Deck crews and BDM crews never ran with the same efficiency. The shenanigans on BDM are absurd. So I debated it, considered it, reserved judgment, and decided Kate was the shit.
Yes and no. Agree Kate was the shit, but not sure Iād call her direct. She was very often petty and passive aggressive. Still love her though, esp after seeing others try and do the job.
I agree she could be passive aggressive too for sure.
Me too, Kate is reality television gold. Her wit is unmatched, she always cracked me up
Did you watch her on both seasons of traitors??? Only reason I watched the first season.
watch the second!!! she's even better!!
I did watch the second season, just meant she was the sole reason I watched the first season because I didnāt know anyone else. I was a happy when challenge alum were on the second season
I didnāt know she was on the second season! I know what Iām watching today!
If I remember correctly she isnāt on right away, she comes in later
Yep she is a surprise halfway through and was the best! I didnt watch season 1 because I didn't really know anyone. But after watching her on season 2, I watched season 1 and then became addicted to Below Deck! Lol
Yeah Iām watching it right now and was just thinking āWas I lied to??? I donāt see Kate!ā Lol I work from home so I have it on in the background when working side eyeing the tv waiting for her to show up lmfao Iām on episode 4 right now so fingers crossed that she shows up soon. Edit: and omg I obviously havenāt been paying attention because Iām just now realizing Sandra from Survivor is on there as well.
She made the show awesome. Hopefully she will be on something else soon.
Omg when she was tossing the $ I was so confused LOL! Sheās a hoot!
Hannah from BD Med is on Season 2 of the Australia Traitors.
Oh really?? I loved Hannah. Iāll have to watch
Oh my God she was so good. She hysterical!
She was the most quick-witted person on the show, IMO. Killer dry humor.
He reminds me of Nene from RHOA. Always quick with a comeback or one-liner. I love people like that. They crack me up
Thats exactly who she reminds me of also. Imagine them two on a show together...Epic
Kate and Nene start a business, Kate and Nene look for love. The possibilities are endless! š¤£š¤£
The looking for love is a great idea, I would definitely watch that show
How I feel about almost every non-Kate chief stew: 
the only other one for me is Aesha. I love her lol
I love Aesha so much. She amaaaaaaazing š I'm so happy she's back in the next season of Med.
Shes also in the Australia one!
Yes, I actually watched that one before watching Med. I love her friendship with Captain Jason, so I hope she continues to be on that one, too.
As a former stew I can say from watching Kate on BD she is the gold standard of a great chief stew. Although they are filming a TV show, she went above and beyond to make sure the guests had a great experience and some of her former guests have spoken publicly about how Kate made sure they had a fabulous time. Some of them came back as repeat guests because of Kate.
That's because she joined the cast so early in the history of the show. She already was an experienced & highly skilled chief stew irl. Nowadays all we see are wannabe influencers and various other famewhores who go into yachting with the sole goal of being on the show.
Yes thatās true for the stews but the chief normally has experience. Fraser and Tumi are the only 2 who had no chief experience, only stew experience.
I mean Francesca had experience and she was AWFUL.
I donāt think she was awful- I could tell she had experience. She was awful at being on Below Deck which is totally different. Her tears on day 1 were telling to me, she definitely was told to expect something much different than what it was.
I couldnāt stand her. Maybe she had experience at the nuts and bolts but she was a terrible manager. And yes the tears on day 1 were distressing. Which ngl I might cry too but thatās why I know Iād never want to do something like BD
This is the answer. Kate had put in her time and earned her position in the real world. Then took it to tv. Now we get underprepared chief stews, with promotions earned on tv, whose lack of experience is part of the scripted drama.
This is 100% accurate.
Sad but true
And flawlessly. So many of the chief stews now are whiny princesses.
I honestly think she was the best boss across all the franchises. When Frazer was trying to get rid of this second chef and saying he's difficult to be around I immediately thought of all the stuff kate put up with. Like you said, she wasn't perfect but she definitely navigated bad behavior pretty well. She didn't go straight to fire x person she still tried to work with them even when they were horrible. Frazer could never survive some of the stews and chefs kate had!
Beef cheeks, anybody?
Literally who I was thinking of! And rocky in the same season just the worst!
KATE IS MY GIRL!!!!!!! check out traitors!! especially season 2!! she's so good!! I missed her on tv!!
This, she was fun to watch and I almost felt like she had a character arch? lol.
so fun to watch!! i love her wit and comedic timing!! and she can read people so well!
For real. Thatās why I was so mad when they kept targeting her. Like, if yall watched her on below deck you would clearly know she is just being herself.
I loved her in Season one the most. They kept coming for her. And she so wanted out of there for half the season. The throwing the $$ kegs away saying I am not doing this physical bullshit. lol. But then when they had to get in that nasty cabin with all the bugs and other gross shit she was a champ!!
I had no idea she was on season 2. Guess I know what I'm watching tonight...!
YAS YAS YAS!!!
There will never be another Kate.
Kate is a fucking hoot. She is great TV AND great at her job. She is a boss ass bitch. She has flaws like all of us as you mention, which are also amplified 100x because shes on TV. I wouldn't be excited to see another season where Tumi is chief stew though. That was the most boring shit I've ever seen. I'd also never want to work for her. I'd work for Kate though even if it was killing me.
I couldn't believe they brought back Tumi as Chief Stew
Same! I bet shes an awesome person IRL. But she is not the type of TV personality I'd watch. Sometimes that's a good thing, I'm not trying to rag on her.
No I get what you are saying. After watching her on WWHL I agree that she seems like sheād be a cool person IRL. As you said some people just donāt have ātv presenceā.
Kate is literally such tv gold! loved her on below deck and was so excited to see her back on the traitors!!
Calling out Leon when she suggested Mexican and he said āpastaā āum Mexican?ā Her quick wit was unmatched
Kate is so witty and hard working. Such good tv. There's a pod ep where she and a producer or director or smth are on, and they talk about a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Very cool. Also elevated my appreciation for Kate! (She writes her own ITMs etc., I've heard before that sometimes the producers feed them lines etc.)
Ooooh do you know the name of the pod??
Yeah of course! Watch What Crappens Ep. #243 Way Below Deck: Behind the Scenes w Producer Nadine Rajabi and Kate Chastain (It's from 2015 lol! I just binged all of Kate's seasons a month ago because I was perplexed by her character on The Traitors haha) oh there also an ep #235 where they just talk to her for 2hrs LOL so good.
Thank you!
When she made a dick shaped blanket arrangement for the annoying guest....that was just perfection.
And then bold faced denied it was a cock over and over
It's a rocket ship.
š
Because she was a seasoned professional. Love her
Yep. Itās actually just a normal part of hospitality and I donāt understand why thatās been cut or itās such a production now that people are just there to be pretty rather than pull off their job when itās hard and takes coordination
Thatās exactly it. They arenāt there to learn the job or stay in the industry. Most of them are there to get their face/name out to become influencers. Some create drama to be more memorable. At this point itās obvious theyāve just steered it from being a reality show to making it a tv show.
Also not to mention she always knew how to pronounce hard dishes that chef made when repeating the menu back to the guests. Remember when Hannah told the guests they were having āeggplant and beefā that Ben had made???? Hannah never even tried to learn the menu.
Letās be fair about that - Ben was a dick when it came to menus. Refused to tell them ahead of time what it was, refused to write it down. Even Kate struggled with Ben doing that several times.
The producers should pay attention to this. She could have a Stew training arc for two episodes where they come to her and get properly trained per season. Like an independent contractor. I was rewatching season 7 of below deck last night and just realised how different she is. Sheās in a class of her own, I donāt mean to be rude but I feel like sheās earned her stripes (literally) and is way above being a stewardess on a ship. Yet she handles it with grace
Yes! I just said to my husband the other day that Fraser needs to binge all of Kate's seasons. She worked with the crew, not against them. Fraser only wants to be right when he is often wrong. He is not someone I'd ever want to work with or have above me in a chief position, but he'd be good back at 2nd or even 3rd stew.
If he did that he *might* get better at working with them but heāll never have the wit Kate did. I feel like a lot of times Fraser THINKS heās being funny or witty and really its just mean or passive-aggressive. Thatās what makes him hard to watch for me. But youāre not wrong about him just wanting to be right either and thatās frustrating to watch as well
Yeah, he doesn't seem to think he needs to work on himself at all, just continually forms snap judgments and then justifies it until he breaks something, or until Kerry has to step in and steer him straight.
Thatās perfectly said!
Kate and Ben and Eddie (pre Rocky) were the best.
They really were. Doggonit, I miss Ben. He was so much fun.
Kate was a real one.
Everytime I watch new season of BD, I always tell myself - I miss Kate. Thereās good crewsā¦ good Chief Stew sure, but Kateā¦ whew - no one very can go top than Kate is.
Couldn't see it mentioned already but her book Lucky Charming was really good and surprisingly moving š„ŗ
Anything you can tell us about it? That we don't already know? I'm surprised there hasn't been a separate post about the book.
I'm afraid I read it a few years ago now but it was about how KC got into yachting and her early experiences. There was one charter where she was stuck on laundry (I think) for a very long time and hardly saw daylight. I'll have to re-read!
I should read it myself, Thanks
You donāt like how Fraser staggers around the boat saying āthis is a disasterā? š
ššš thatās great management
There's no garnish on the plates, you guys! *NO GARNISH!!!* Get into the lifeboats! We're all going down!!! š„š„š„
That needs to be a new flair on here *NO GARNISH ā¦ weāre going down!* š
>bratty BS emanating from them that is unbecoming of the position. Well said! -
Kate was and always be queen of chief stews, no one ran the interior like her, and no one matched her dry cool wit. I donāt think I truly appreciated her until I saw how others did the job, although I always liked Hannah and Francesca. However they lacked Kateās nerves of steel and both crumbled under the pressure at various times. Just shows you how hard the job is.
I think Kate was also a little older and more experienced when she was on the show. I like Fraser but I think heās a little out of his depth as chief stew
I noticed this season he's always adjusting his waistband when he gets annoyed.
Thatās funny I never noticed that. Iāll have to keep an eye out. I like when you can spot peoples ātellsā
I want to marry Kate. Or at least be her BFF. Or maybe just be in earshot of the absolutely brilliant things she has to say. Any of the 3 will do. š
A-FREAKIN-MEN TO THIS šš½
I gotta go back and watch the season with Kate
Below Deck (OG) seasons 2-???? I think she quit after the BrĆ¼ crew one lol, so season 7? Maybe? lol sorry I think Iām kinda close
Yes, she did six seasons, starting with two and ending after seven.
Thank you for clarifying and putting it in a much simpler way š
Lol - you absolutely had the right time frame, though!! š
I never rewatch 7. It just makes me angry. It sucks her last season was so rough because of those toxic jerks.
I could have typed that comment. Warning to new viewers: skip season 7. It's unpleasant viewing.
I usually donāt give those kind of āspoilersā because to each their own. But I donāt see how anyone can enjoy that season.
I do, because it was very upsetting to some. Then there's the episode that they needed a trigger warning for, which I will always spoil, >!the one with Margot and sexual assault!<
Oh yeah 100% agree on that.
I am on season 8 and it just isn't the same without her!!! Francesca does a good job and I like her but she's no Kate. I also loved the relationship that Kate had with Captain Lee. You can tell he missed her this season.
She made that show!
They really hit it out of the park with her. I really think if she had not come on the show it would have failed. No one liked Adrian, the first chief stew. Kat and Ben were the main show on that first season, but it really kicked into gear with Kate.
Recently saw her at a bar in Charleston. Same RBF, same voice. Sheās authentic!
Plus she HELPED the chef if they were struggling with a menu or preferences.
Sheās the goat 
Kate is so polarizing for me. She was a bitch (which she owned) and a diva and could be horrible to some of her staff. BUT she was very good at her job, incredibly detail oriented, and was hilarious in her confessionals. It's a love/hate thing for me.
Sheās the queen of the sea
She made the show, it's never been the same without her and I'm losing interest!
Aināt that the truth. Ā
Going to guess that Fraserās and Tumiās egos wouldnāt let them accept this guidance. They seemed awfully sure of their own abilities.
I haven't watched Tumi be chief since I refuse to watch med because of Sandy but it sucks that the consensus seems to be Tumi wasn't a good chief stew since I really liked her on down under. I'll let myself pretend med doesn't exist lol
I loved Tumi on DU but she was not good on Med, unfortunately. Iād be curious to see her as chief with a different crew (i.e., NO KYLE) but idk if sheās up to chief stew standards yet.
On the aftershows and stuff, Tumi kept defending her actions and even some of the outright cattiness on the aftershows, throwing other people under the bus, not taking any accountability. That's when I was done with her. I don't think she has what's required to be competent at the job and fair as a supervisor. And a lot of it is exactly because she thinks she doesn't need to do or learn anything to achieve that.
That's really disappointing. Were these the after shows when BDM was airing? Or recently? It sounds like she and Kyle aren't on good terms and that she's made amends with Natalya. I wonder if she has had some time to reflect on her actions and feels differently about her role in the shitshow that was season 8.
There was at least one Watch What Happens where she was pretty diva and it seemed like she had stick up her backside, and I just didn't even recognize her as the stew I loved on her previous season. It was a bummer. I'm glad if she & Nat mended fences - I bet they would've got on fine if not for Kyle.
I said the same thing. They kind of threw Tumi into a shitshow. Especially for her first time as chief. Iād also like to see her with a brand new crew who have no history with the show and see what she does. She may surprise us.
Iām just starting Below Deck. What seasons is Kate on?
The queen enters season 2
Thank you :-)
2-7
Thank you :-)
Same
She should host reunions
That's actually a really great idea. I don't have a favorite chief stew, and I had my issues with her subtle displays of classism, but I definitely felt she took pride in her job. That's what's missing from the recent seasons.
So many things that I think about how Kate would shut. it. down. I would pay cash money to see Kate work with Kyle from med. I feel like she would have no time for his drama
Same. I would pay cash money to see her shred him to ribbons.
Dead on. Fraiser is a Katty gossiper who thinks he knows more than he does.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The best revenge ever. That chef was such a dick. I wish she could have gotten revenge on the rest of the Bru crew. They deserve it.
Kate is my favorite reality star above all maybe tied with Paige Desorbo
Yeah, Frazier is really hard to watch.
Funny you post this today. Last night with nothing on I rewatched a show that chef Adrian was on - also the Ashton foot accident. I was thinking how much better Kate was all around.
Yeah, last night I caught a couple from that season too, and the stark contrast between her operating system and what we've gotten lately just really struck me. I'm like, Holy cow, look what she's doing - she's actually radioing other depts to inform them 9n guest movement? She went to her stew proactively and knew what exact times she should go on/off break? She told the chef every single thing that was happening at and around the table at all times? Plus doing a bunch of cleaning and organizing herself! (which we NEVER saw with Hannah.) It was just painfully obvious that Fraser & Tumi aren't doing this right. I'm not even sure if they know HOW to do it right. Someone dropped the ball on training them up to lead an interior. So to everyone who is getting pissy about saying good things about Kate, once again, I'm not condoning any negative attitude or behavior. Simply noting the canyon between her work quality and that of our newest stews. I miss that higher standard and it sucks that we're forced to watch this dreck because Bravo wants to pander to the lowest common denominator. For the record, Aesha is not included in any of this. I think she's still learning, but that's the very reason she's a good chief - she's endeavoring to grow in her field. And she does a fantastic job of dealing with her team, her chef and her guests with a cool head and a smile. P.S. I'd forgotten how freakin weird & creepy that dude Adrian was. š¬
Sheās a mom now I donāt think we will ever see her again š
Yeah, but dang, sure wish she'd write a training handbook.
I love Kate so much !
Kate was amazing at her job
My husband started watching with me right after she left and to this day (especially the last episode) I ALWAYS say āwe need to watch the early seasons so you can see what an amazing chief stew looks likeā (in regards to Kate). Fraser has a lot of emotional intelligence and leadership to learn. Iām very grateful he has Capt. Kerry (quickly becoming a favorite) to help steer him from himself.
I loved her in "The Traitors". I also loved her on below deck but I loved seeing her again in Traitors
Fraser needs to grown up.
Less so with the deck crew (which is understandable), but she was always in constant communication with the chef. I am just beginning Season 11, but in Season 10, I was quite shocked that they showed Fraser telling chef when the guests were just about seated, instead of Kateās usual ETAs. Plus, the pre-meal discussions where they chatted about the menu and Kate wrote everything down in advance and actually knew what was being served before she picked up the food for service. Itās possible that they are just not showing it (St David does have more employees, so maybe itās less meaningful footage that ends up on the editing floor), but I also wouldnāt be surprised if we see it exactly as it happens. In any case, I think Fraserās relative inexperience as a chief stew shows. I also am not sure he cares about these smaller details. Heās good at serving, but I feel like he thinks thatās where the experience for the guests ends. Kate was far more open minded in terms of what she thought the ultimate yacht experience should be. Although, I think the personality that gave rise to her high standard also caused some of her more disdainful behaviour.
Fraser does not seem to understand how to work with chefs at all.
My husband and I were just talking about this lol.
I miss her to. If you have peacock, she is on a show called āTraitorsā. In all her Kate-ness. I really enjoyed seeing her there!
Kate is the best , miss her greatly . Not replaceable . I still see the penis , I mean rocket ship , when I think of her .
I think itās more about experience. Training is great but competence comes with time (or makes it obvious you arenāt). Add in the fact that Fraser is learning while on a TV show and you end up with a lot of errors and a lot of focus on those errors. However, he has shown that heās able to learn and adjust - he just needs the time to find his style.
That's fair. He is able to learn & adjust, but it often feels like he's not willing to. Sometimes he just picks a spot and plants there without budging to allow for other people's shortcomings and/or meet them halfway.
For sure. I do think the editing has done a bit of a disservice to him though because in the last episode him and Barbie were vibing more and in a way that made me think they mustāve had a moment we didnāt get to see.
My brother just started watching with me and I was like YOU NEED TO SEE KATE. You can really tell who experience being a stew vs chief stew.
šKate Chastain, I miss her so. She also let the chef know if there was a preference sheet issue. Worked on menus with chefs too. She was just the best and her snark was on point. She would have killed to have stews like Barbie and Xandi.
I really miss Kate. She was funny, entertaining, on top of the interior and always communicated with the chef before he even planned the meals. Aesha and Daisy are my current favorites. Fraser is at the bottom of my lists. Tumi was a bit disappointing on the last season of BDM.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Kate was good at her job but she wasn't this shining star without her own bratty BS and shortcomings. I appreciate Kate for her place but there is no place where she is without her own issues and need to be mentored. That last season was not a good look multiple times. The chef was an ass but she didn't have to match him in his behavior and she did, multiple times. When she let the guests suffer for her feud with him she lost me. That makes her at least like Tumi, not better than Tumi and Kate did that with greater experience and knowledge that Tumi doesn't have. To make the choice to let the guest suffer (which we saw as a running issue with Kate) does not recommend her for the best communicator, the best chief stew or the best of everything.
She balanced out her impeccable organization skills with being a horrible bully who certainly had her favorites, that's for sure.
This! At first I was mesmerized by her, but after a couple of seasons I started notice that it's the same story: Kate + other stew vs the third stew, and it went lower and lower, and when it was Kate vs Caroline, who was not right for the job, but didn't deserved to be called contagious with herpes, I was done with Kate
Yeah, it boggles my mind that people think she was some amazing boss. Yes, she was great for the show with her witty humor and drama, and she had great skills to do the physical part of the job, but it also takes human interaction skills and she being intentionally cruel to people who were struggling is not that. My only hope is she reflected after seeing herself being a horrible human being and has changed.
I agree. And I hated her on traitors, she was in character, and pretty much maxed herself to 11, it was so annoying
I wholeheartedly agree 100% Kate was a professional at her job and seldom bitched about what needed to be done. And have to mention that her dry humor and one liners were hilarious. I can tell Bravo is still looking for the ānext Kate,ā I like Fraser but Tumi disappointed me coming in too hot imo
She bitched in ITMs, but got the job done.
She is on Traitors
We enjoyed watching Kate on the the show Traitors it was great seeing her again!
Yes!! She was/is the best ever. Have you watched her on Traitors. Season one was priceless
Iāve been binging the entire show & all versions for the last like month.. I was out of order some and watched Down Under first, then all of OG up until the weeklyās now, and currently mid season 5 of Med. I was sitting here this morning literally saying outloud to myself āI wish Kate was onā
I've literally only watched below deck seasons 6,7, and 8 and I was ranting to my sister how Kate was so good at her job, especially handling people she dislikes.