On the latest double-episode of Below Deck Down Under, production directly stepped in after a crew member tried to climb into bed naked with an incapacitated crew member without their consent, leading to two firings.
Below Deck Down Under has been a show that has quietly performed well for Bravo, not generating much buzz and providing just enough entertainment to keep going. All that changed with one uncomfortable and powerful hour of television.
After a traumatic “consent” incident led to production directly intervening to protect one incapacitated crew member, followed by two crew members getting fired from the ship and the show, Captain Jason Chambers is speaking out with praise for everyone involved.
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“I’d like to thank the production team for breaking the fourth wall and stepping in, then reforming and allowing Aesha to come to me in an authentic manner, and us dealing with it as we would as captain and crew,” he said in a new video posted to his Instagram.
The incident in question happened when third stew Margot was helped to her bunk by bosun Luke after a night of drinking. It was when he climbed up into her bed to lay behind her while she was effectively passed out that production stepped in.
Luke went so far as to close the door on the field producers and camera operator. They reopened the door to find him naked and shut it down completely, with Luke ultimately storming off. Chief stew Aesha checked in on Margot, who told her she was asleep and “did not invite that at all.”
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In his message, Jason told his followers, “I’ve had a flood of messages over the last 24 hours from people in similar situations, some not so lucky of the outcome, so my heart goes out to them.”
He explained that he’s usually not aware of what his crew gets up to when they go out, so unless it’s serious enough for production to get involved or a crew member complains, as Adam did in this same episode, he would be unaware.
Adam’s complaint had to do with second stew Laura, who wouldn’t take no for an answer and went so far as to follow him into his bunk and even give him an unwanted back massage. She, too, was told to get out by production.
Later, she showed zero empathy for Margot’s trauma, instead expressing concern for Luke. Because of these two things, Jason fired her, as well. You can find out all the details about the episode by clicking the link below.
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Below Deck Down Under Fires Two After Production Intervenes During ‘Consent’ Incident
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As for Margot and Luke, Jason said that “as soon as Aesha brought it to my attention, I addressed it straight away. So, it’s real, it’s real time.”
The episode presented it fairly unfiltered and straightforward, too, in all its uncomfortable reality — a large part of why it’s come to resonate so strongly with viewers.
The captain closed his message with a note of positivity and hope. Noting that the events of the episode, while fresh for viewers, actually happened a year ago.
“The people involved are all hopefully on a better journey to better themselves,” he noted, adding, “And less hate please, more love.”
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