Scandoval is finally beginning to play out on Vanderpump Rules. On the Bravo series' April 19 episode, James Kennedy's girlfriend Ally Lewber became suspicious that Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss...
All's fired up on the Western front. The Yellowstone universe has its first real-life couple, y'all! Two of the Paramount drama's stars Ryan Bingham and Hassie Harrison—who play love interests...When it comes to reality TV reunions, Andy Cohen knows a thing or two. He’s hosted dozens and dozens of reunions and always holds it down and gets the goods. Meanwhile, Netflix just had an epic flop when trying to produce a live Love is Blind reunion. So, the Real Housewives executive producer shared his thoughts. As Us Weekly reported, he dished about the magic it takes to craft a perfect reunion and why a live taping should have never been planned in the first place.
Andy chatted about the Love is Blind reunion fiasco during a recent episode of his SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. When dishing on Netflix’s mishap, he didn’t mince his words. “Live reunions are a very bad idea,” Andy explained. “There is a reason we don’t do reunions live.”
Maybe someone at Netflix should have asked Andy for this advice before millions of Love is Blind fans sat in front of their TVs, staring in disappointment because the reunion didn’t air on time. Netflix later blamed the fiasco on technical issues. However, Andy asserted that outside of potential technical difficulties, there are more reasons why a live reunion is just a bad idea.
He explained, “There is a reason [reunion episodes are] edited down. We could talk about a topic on a reunion taping for 25 minutes, for 45 minutes before really getting to the heart of something.”
Andy is used to hosting reunions where everyone constantly talks over each other when he’s trying to ask questions. He explained that editing helps production pick out the important moments from the sitdown that might have otherwise been missed.
Andy continued, “Reunion shows are almost like a fishing expedition. You’re talking about different topics [and] you don’t know what’s going to land [or] what’s going to hit. By the way, a lot of times people will have incredible one-liners that no one in the room really heard because someone on the other side is talking. So we go through the footage, we hone it, we edit it [and it] is finally shaped.”
Ultimately, the Love is Blind reunion failed to deliver anything incredible. Many fans are petitioning for Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey to be removed as the hosts. Maybe Andy can take over since he’s such an expert on this stuff. During his radio show, he explained that hosting a reunion is an art.
Andy said, “By the way, you want them to be feeling the most intense feelings that they can about the seasons. That takes time to shape and craft. There’s an art here. You can’t just bang it out and say, ‘OK, we’re doing it from 9:00 to 9:59 and that’s when the reunion’s going to be.'”
He is speaking from a place of expertise, but even he learned this lesson about live reunions the hard way. Back in 2011, the Real Housewives of Miami tried a live reunion. The cast crammed into the Watch What Happens Live clubhouse and talked over each other for 40 minutes straight. That was the first and last time Andy did a live reunion. Let’s hope this is the first and last time Netflix will try it, too.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ANDY’S ANALYSIS ON FILMING REALITY TV REUNIONS? DO YOU THINK NETFLIX WILL TRY A LIVE REUNION AGAIN IN THE FUTURE?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
The post Andy Cohen Explains Why Love Is Blind Live Reunion Was A “Very Bad Idea” appeared first on Reality Tea.
When I’m not watching the Real Housewives, I’m likely keeping up with them on social media. Between some of our favorite ladies in Thailand to digesting the latest Scandoval news, it can be hard to keep up in real-time. But, when you’re a devoted Bravo fan like me, following along is par for the course. Keep reading to see what you might’ve missed on social media this past week.
Hopefully, you’ve been keeping up with Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. In case you haven’t, what you need to know is Gizelle Bryant, and Porsha Williams are WORKING. Sure, most viewers are upset because of their feud with Leah McSweeney and Candiace Dillard Bassett, but hello… is that not why we watch? In my mind, this is classic Housewives. Gizelle putting on a show about her missing bottle of Clase Azul, whether produced or not, had me on the edge of my seat. However, her antics didn’t sit well with the rest of the ladies. Or even the staff.
At the end of episode five, titled “Oh Bottle, Where Art Thou?”, cameras cut to a crying Pepsi as he struggled to locate Gizelle’s missing bottle of tequila. The next day, when he shared his displeasure with the other ladies, Gizelle and Porsha made it clear they were NOT apologizing for fighting. Of course, once fans saw this clip, they started coming for Gizzy — hard, too.
But Pepsi posted a new update on his Instagram and told everyone that he and green-eyed-bandit #1 are A-OK. At the end of his post, he signed off with, “Love you.3000.” Now, I’m not sure what the 3000 reference means, but from the looks of it, Pepsi has some fond memories with Gizelle and the other ladies. Gizelle even commented herself, adding, “Love you Pepsi!”
After attempting to escape the drama surrounding his salacious affair with Raquel Leviss, Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules let loose on Mirval Arizona Resort & Spa after they hinted at his stay on their Instagram.
“I’m beyond disappointed in Mirval Resorts and their decision to post to their Instagram account this past weekend alluding to me staying there this week,” he wrote in his IG stories, captured by Queens of Bravo.
“They claim to be a refuge for wellness and betterment, but that is obviously false,” he continued. “They’d rather feed into the negativity and spectacle that has engulfed my life.”
Remember Tom — no one made you cheat. You brought this upon yourself. Now, you must pay the price. Oh, and no one feels sorry for you. Well, maybe, except for Tom Schwartz. However, his judgment skills are questionable, too. Perhaps that’s why they’re real-life besties.
Do you all remember Bille Lee from VPR Season 6? Well, she’s back in the mix. Kind of. Recently, she made headlines as she was spotted stepping out with Tom Scando Sandoval several times over the weekend. And to no one’s surprise, Ariana Madix fans are in an uproar. Rightfully so.
An online user posted an interesting take shared by the popular Instagram account, Comments By Bravo, questioning Billie’s motives. After being reportedly fired from VPR following her 10-episode run, Ariana was the only Pump Rules cast member by Billie’s side—often defending her from vicious trolls on social media. And this is how she repays her? Got it.
But it’s not just the fans coming for Billie—try a heated Kristen Doute, too. After calling her out for crying alongside Ariana about Tom’s unforgivable affair, Billie responded with a statement.
“Ya I was crying because they are BOTH my family,” she wrote. “What were you doing while I was crying!? Literally taking selfies,” Billie continued. Look—family or not, Billie, if Ariana is your girl, you must show some loyalty, especially if you’re trying to weasel your way back onto Bravo.
Ay, Por Favor! Some of our favorite Real Housewives of Miami, Alexia Nepola and Marysol Patton, recently announced their newest business venture on Instagram, and some of you may be here for this.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s not a hair care line or a chain of restaurants. Yep, you guessed it, it’s a podcast. “We’ll be bringing the heat as we dish on hot topics, celeb gossip & more,” Alexia wrote on IG.
And, if you’re interested in listening to this dynamic duo dish on the latest pop culture news, be sure to stream wherever you catch your podcasts.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PEPSI’S INSTAGRAM POST? WILL YOU BE LISTENING TO MARYSOL AND ALEXIA’S PODCAST? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BILLIE LEE?
[Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images]
The post Here’s What You Might’ve Missed On Social Media This Past Week appeared first on Reality Tea.
As one of the original Real Housewives of New York, there’s a high standard set for Ramona Singer. Not only has she provided us with some memorable television moments, but some iconic fashion looks over the years. Here we take a look back at some of the best from one of New York’s most entertaining Real Housewives.
Ramona stepped onto the reality TV scene looking like she was made to be in front of the cameras. This classic look screams New York City lady. A fur jacket was the perfect remedy to the cold that often blasts down the city streets. The shiny bronze dress worn under the fur pops against the cobbles of the city. Completing the look with the long heels, Ramona instantly proved that she knew how to throw an exciting outfit together. And she wasn’t done there.
Ramona is no stranger to gala dinners. So it’s no surprise that she knows exactly what to wear in order to stand out from the crowd. Here, she has opted to upgrade to gold. A fitting choice for the self-described icon of New York. The pattern on the dress here gives a message that it is clinging to a woman’s shape who comes from money. Ramona is rich, everybody, and she isn’t afraid to flaunt that wealth! Some may call it overkill, but you cannot deny the sense of style.
The dress Ramona wears here looks purple from some angles, and sapphire blue from others. It’s a truly magical number and one that really lets her shine. The choice to pair it with silver heels was a brave one, but it has paid off. From the painted nails to the simple accessories, and of course the glamorous earrings, Ramona has put together another knockout ensemble. Five seasons into Real Housewives, it would be hard to keep these fashion wins coming, but she has done it with a smile!
Simple. Elegant. Those are the choices made with this stunning and classic outfit. Ramona probably wasn’t going to take anybody for a ride on the Ramona-coaster in these clothes. Instead, she seems ready for a relaxed rest of the day. Once she’s got off the red carpet, of course. Ramona keeps it simple again with her accessories and has gone for a black and white color combination on the heels, with multiple straps. Not mind-blowing, but that’s not what Ramona needs to do.
If there’s a New York City housewife who knows how to wear a patterned dress, it’s Ramona. She proves that exact sentiment here, in this black piece that stole the show at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016. When you’re surrounded by countless famous faces, you have to make an effort to stand out. Ramona does that with this look, without trying too hard. The devil’s in the details, and Ramona shows she knows exactly what she’s doing, as she matched the blue of her bag to the polish she painted on her nails.
Ramona doesn’t let her age define the clothes she wears, and that is something to be celebrated. While a lot of Real Housewives would opt for simpler clothes that don’t make as much of an impact in front of the camera, Ramona decides to go all out whenever she is given the opportunity. The lace woven throughout this outfit gives off an air of sultriness, but also innocence, grace, and dignity. Wearing black and white from head to toe was a great choice, and those heels are to die for.
There have been some incredible looks at the Real Housewives of New York City reunions across the years. The one New York City star we can always count on to bring the fashion is Ramona. This golden gown was her most memorable reunion look. When she wasn’t caught up in the dramas that a reunion can bring, she was shining on the stage. It’s hard to stay angry at someone who looks so good, so perhaps that was Ramona’s strategy going into this one. Drama does seem to follow her around.
Do you know those gorgeous patterns that sometimes appear on pottery at your grandparent’s house? If you could take that and put it onto a dress, you would come up with something like the gorgeous piece Ramona is seen wearing here. She pairs the outfit with some blue velvet heels, and what have become her signature simple accessories. The white nail polish and beige bag complete one of the classiest looks we’ve ever seen Ramona wearing. She rightfully looks comfortable wearing it.
You would have to be the biggest of all super fans to know how many times Ramona has appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Looking back at her many appearances, this look that Ramona wore on WWHL stands out among the crowd. Despite pink looking absolutely ravishing on her, it’s not a color that Ramona wears often. The gown has some intricate patterns and design features. It’s clear that Ramona has let her hair down in choosing this outfit, and we’re grateful to her for that.
This platinum princess knows exactly how to capture the attention of photographers at any high-profile event. Ramona attends the 2022 Angel Ball here in New York City, and looked the part. If you saw this picture and didn’t know who Ramona was, you would be forgiven for thinking she had been plucked out of Hollywood. This is a glittering sequined gown that reeks of femininity. From her makeup to her earrings, to the shining silver handbag, there’s not a thing wrong with this fashion moment.
TELL US – WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE FASHION MOMENTS FROM RAMONA? IS SHE ONE OF THE MOST FASHIONABLE REAL HOUSEWIVES?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
The post Ramona Singer’s Best Looks Over The Years appeared first on Reality Tea.
The Survivor community is mourning the loss of one of their own. Keith Nale, the two-time contestant who competed in Survivor: San Juan del Sur and Survivor: Cambodia, has died at the age of 62....The Real Housewives of New Jersey may have celebrated the final stretch before Teresa Giudice’s wedding in Ireland, but the vacation wasn’t all peace, love, and Guinness chugging. We knew that Tre’s relationship with Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga was on the fringes prior to her nuptials with Luis Ruelas. Tre’s only brother didn’t show up for her wedding and, unfortunately, the writing was all over the “creepy” walls of the Irish castle, as MelGo put it.
The latest RHONJ episode, “I Smell A Rat,” also featured some merry-go-round fighting among the newbies Rachel Fuda and Danielle Cabral. Thankfully, a messy and misunderstood moment of comedic relief from Jennifer Aydin threw us off that ride. Here are the five main takeaways from RHONJ Season 13 Episode 11.
The episode picked up with the RHONJ ladies taking on Tre’s bachelorette party pub crawl in the streets of Dublin. After Jennifer Fessler’s brief face plant on the cobblestone, the ladies hit the pub to challenge the locals to Guinness chugging contests. Previous enemies like MelGo and Jennifer Aydin or Rachel and Danielle bonded over a night of drunken debauchery. It was a nice reprieve from what’s bound to be a tense rest of the season thanks to Tre’s problems with her family. It was nice to see Fessler with beer foam all over her shirt and an open-mouthed Danielle passed out in the Sprinter van on the way home. It’s what Real Housewives was meant to be.
The camaraderie quickly ended the following morning when the ladies gathered in their castle for breakfast. Rachel and Danielle are forced to rehash their problems when MelGo turned coffee talk into rat chat. She tells Rachel that Danielle called her a rat. The Jersey ladies were more offended than if she said the C-word — seriously, Dolores Catania said it was worse.
Dolo has to break up the fight to get the ladies to move on with the day, but the two continue to bicker for the remainder of the episode. “The same thing has been said 50 times and you all ruined another Irish meal,” Dolores said in defeat. Margaret Josephs seemed to be slightly pleased that she was involved with the drama without having to utilize her arsenal of tea. However, Danielle is keeping one eye open after the MelGo makeout bomb was dropped last week and maybe she should be.
The ladies took a moment to appreciate that the only reason they were really in Ireland is a result of Dolores and Paul Connell’s love story. Dolo got real during one of the many Sprinter van rides about the infidelity she dealt with when married to Frank Catania. She revealed she was willing to stay with Frank if he promised to be faithful. When he couldn’t, she moved on, never looked back, and appreciates her growth as a result.
Later on, the ladies mutually agreed that they wouldn’t mind seeing Dolores up next to walk down the aisle after Teresa. She got visibly giddy during the conversation which was a nice change from the Paterson Dolores we’ve seen for so many seasons. “This is a very happy time in my life,” she proclaimed. Dolo even admitted that she’s discussed rings with Paul to her friends’ delight, as well as mine.
RELATED: Teresa Giudice’s Best Looks Over The Years
Tre and Melissa had another blow-out fight which was a tell-tale sign of what was to come. It’s on yet ANOTHER drive when Rachel asked Tre if her kids are close with the Gorgas’ children. “Well they were and Antonia [Gorga] didn’t come,” Tre said with a shaky voice, referencing Milania Giudice’s Sweet 16 party. MelGo cut her off and went all Caroline Manzo by saying not to bring up her family. Tre deflected that she wasn’t saying anything bad and wanted the kids to be close, but it was the last straw for Melissa. MelGo even said it would “help” if Tre had included her in her wedding as an example of closeness for the kids. Burn baby burn.
Later on, Melissa called Tarzan fuming about the fight. MelGo reiterated that she was done and refused to be complicit in “pulling the next generation” into this decades-long feud. Melissa predicted her future by telling her husband that she wasn’t sure that they “belong” at the wedding. Joe responded back with a conspiracy that Tre wanted to push them to skip the wedding and make them look bad. Tre’s potentially questionable motives aside, Joe hit the nail on the head.
As always, Jennifer Aydin and Margaret couldn’t help but poke at one another on the trip. Marge showed up to the rat chat wearing a shirt that read “endorsed” in bold letters across her chest. Jennifer didn’t think it was funny, but clearly, it gave her the idea for a later attack on her frenemy.
The two get involved at the end of the episode during Rachel and Danielle’s never-ending back and forth. Marge actually owned up to calling Jennifer a drug addict and apologized. She refused to take back that she was disheveled, but it was the right move. Jennifer decided to ignore the apology and mock Marge for using big words. “How about boogawolf, you know what that means?” Jennifer shouted. Literally, no one had any idea what the term meant. MelGo asked Siri who revealed it meant an ugly or nasty person. Fessler totally called it — Jennifer was pouring over the dictionary to find the perfect insult to pull on Marge. Hey, Jackie Goldschneider, who is Miss Merriam Webster now?
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE LATEST REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY EPISODE? DO YOU THINK PAUL AND DOLORES WILL GET ENGAGED SOON? WOULD YOU STAY OVERNIGHT IN THAT CASTLE? WHICH RHONJ CAST MEMBER WOULD YOU LET PLAN YOUR BACHELORETTE PARTY?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
The post Real Housewives Of New Jersey Season 13 Episode 11: Jennifer Aydin Is The New Merriam Webster appeared first on Reality Tea.
No pods, no problem. While Love Is Blind set out to discover if people can fall in love sight unseen, its cast members are still willing to dip back into the pod pool post-show with eyes wide...
Ariana Madix's pre-Scandoval support of Raquel Leviss continues to stun Vanderpump Rules fans. In E! News' exclusive preview of the Bravo series' April 19 episode, Madix and Tom Sandoval—who broke...
Dim the lights, an American Idol mystery has been solved. Viewers were left scratching their heads during the April 17 episode of the ABC series after host Ryan Seacrest announced that one of the...How on earth did Tom Sandoval think saying this would improve public opinion? In fact, the entire interview on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast seemed to have backfired. There is talk among Bravo executives about potentially firing him. Not only that but Sandoval has been called out for his questionable statements.
Like this gem, as reported by Page Six, about Ariana Madix turning a “blind eye” to his affair with Raquel Leviss. It sounds like Sandoval is trying to shift the blame. Vanderpump Rules co-star Lala Kent quickly called him out on it.
“She had heard things and seen things about Raquel but was very much turning a blind eye or just trusting me, I guess,” Sandoval claimed about Ariana’s supposed complacency. The Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner then explained how “distant” he and Ariana had become. Sandoval said, “I was seeing Raquel as often as I could — which I know that sounds horrible — and FaceTiming her all the time and, like, Ariana didn’t even notice because that’s just how separate our lives were.”
There’s no good reason to be saying any of this. It’s not an excuse for cheating. It hasn’t garnered any sympathy for Sandoval either.
But he continued, “I had to actually tell her, ‘Have you not noticed how distant I’ve been lately?’ And she’s like, ‘Oh, you have?’ … She didn’t even notice because that’s just how our relationship was. We had separate lives.”
Raquel and Sandoval’s affair goes way back to August 2022. His bestie, Tom Schwartz, confirmed that the pair had a “one-night stand” at that point. And Sandoval said he broached the topic of breaking up with Ariana prior to her finding out about the affair.
Sandoval claimed, “When I said hypothetically, ‘If we broke up,’ she basically was like, you know, ‘Definitely not going to the reunion, quitting the show, f—k the sandwich shop’ — which she’s supposed to open up with Katie [Maloney].”
Ariana reacted dramatically, he alleged. Sandoval continued, “And [she said], ‘We’re selling the house and I’m deleting all social media and I’m moving away.’” His claims have not come to fruition. Ariana is living her best life. And in case you didn’t know, she dressed in a dynamite red revenge dress for the reunion taping. She and Katie are sticking to their business plan of opening the sandwich shop they named Something About Her.
Ariana did quit social media after she found a sexually explicit video of Raquel on Sandoval’s phone. When she did return to social media, it was to thank the public for the support she received.
“I want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks,” she posted to Instagram.
Sandoval and Ariana will sell their home in Los Angeles’ Valley Village. They have yet to put it on the market. Instead, they are living together and communicating through a mediator.
Ariana told an insider about feeling “betrayed by her friend.” She and Raquel became close even as the former beauty pageant contestant started sleeping with her boyfriend of almost a decade.
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TOM’S INTERVIEW? DOES IT MATTER THAT ARIANA “TURNED A BLIND EYE?” IS CHEATING EVER JUSTIFIED?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
The post Vanderpump Rules Star Tom Sandoval Claimed Ariana Madix “Turned A Blind Eye” To His Relationship With Raquel Leviss appeared first on Reality Tea.
I guess all of the stars of Vanderpump Rules are putting the rest of the dirt out on the table. The timing might seem weird, but perhaps Scheana Shay was hoping it would be lost amid the drama of Scandoval. That said, for Scheana to want any media blurb about her to be suppressed is an outlandish prospect and I don’t know what I was thinking.
Scheana is no stranger to a romantic fling. She flinged around with fired VPR guy, Max Boyens, who you might not remember. One time, she flung herself at a bartender at SUR and then adopted a penguin for him. I wonder how ‘ol Spott is doing these days. But Scheana was single and flinging with consenting adults, and that is entirely her prerogative.
But Bravo is incestuous, so sometimes flings don’t stick to home base. Scheana has flinged with Summer House star Carl Radke. But we all know Summer House isn’t the only show with available men to fling. Now Scheana is detailing another Bravolebrity who found his way into her web. Briefly. Page Six has the details.
On an episode of Scheananigans, ScheShu talked about kissing Southern Charm star Shep Rose. Props to Scheana for having the courage to admit an obvious blight in her thinking pattern. “Shep and I kinda had a little fling. It was a blip in time,” she said.
Shep and Scheana met years ago at the NBCUniversal upfronts and she thought Shepster was the “funniest, most charismatic person.” She did want to point out they didn’t go down to Bone Town because they “never got that far,” which I’m sure is a blessing in disguise. No cranberry juice was needed on that day.
Scheana also dated Nema Vand from Shahs of Sunset. “Back when I was single, I dated a ‘Shah,’ I dated a ‘Southern Charm,’ I dated a ‘Summer House,’ and I wasn’t allowed on anyone else’s show,” she admitted.
After hooking up with Shep in 2018, Scheana was hoping to rekindle the flame at Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright’s Kentucky Kastle wedding, but Shep was too drunky to participate. I’m sure he absolutely appreciates Scheana revealing this little tidbit of information.
In 2020, she told Bravo Insider, that Shep was “not the best at rounding all the bases” because he gets “too drunk to remember what he’s doing.” What a resounding review of Shep’s performance abilities! “So, at the wedding, it was like a bunt to first [base] and the start of a drunken makeout, and then I was like, ‘I can’t. I can’t do it.’ It was just so sloppy,” Scheana added. Oh dear, perhaps we just pretend we didn’t read all of that.
Thankfully Scheana found her happily ever after (again) and is now married to Brock Davies and his kitten heel boot collection. As for Shep, he’s currently traveling the trails alone after ending his relationship with Taylor Ann Green.
TELL US- ARE YOU SURPRISED SCHEANA AND SHEP HOOKED UP? COULD YOU SEE SCHEANA AND SHEP AS A COUPLE? DO YOU THINK SHEP WILL EVER GET MARRIED?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
The post Vanderpump Rules Star Scheana Shay Shares Details Of “Little Fling” With Southern Charm’s Shep Rose appeared first on Reality Tea.
Episode 2 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht opened just after Captain Glenn Shephard learned that the Parsifal III’s engine was full of salt water. It was going to take 15 days to take the engine apart, clean it and reassemble it. Fun times!
The situation with the boat is dire. The local engineers were telling Captain Glenn that their shop was not available to do the fix, since it would take 15 days. “That’s bulls–t!” interjected Colin MacRae, the Parsifal’s Chief Engineer. “I’ve seen it done in 5 days!” But Captain Glenn explained, “The problem is we don’t have the rebuild kit. It might take us two or three days just to find it.”
“On top of that,” Glenn added, “we have guests on board who do not get their sailing holiday. Sucks to be me right now.” Glenn was not a happy captain.
Meanwhile, in an effort to keep the non-sailing guests somewhat happy, Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher was serving them a huge breakfast a couple of decks up. I love me some eggs bennie, any flavor. Yum! As soon as Daisy left the food on the table, one of the ladies brought up, “We will not make them do espresso martinis again. There has to be a limit.”
Her friend questioned that idea. “Why would you say there should be a limit?” she asked. I’m with her! It’s their vacation. They laid out a pile of cash for this sailing yacht that’s currently unable to sail. I think they’re entitled to eat ALL the gourmet food and drink ALL the alcohol. Don’t worry about the crew. That’s what they’re there for. To serve you, the paying guests.
On her way back to the galley, Daisy ran into Junior Stew Lucy Edmunds in the passageway. “Lucky” Lucy was wearing the wrong charter uniform: a tee shirt instead of the collared polo, and a black skort rather than the grey one.
“Oh, hey,” Daisy told Lucy, “this is our uniform,” indicating what she was wearing. Lucy claimed she “literally forgot.” But Daisy just told her to finish up what she was doing in the cabins and then go change.
Back at the breakfast table, Charter Guest Karen (oof, such an unfortunate name to have these days — almost as bad as “Debbie”) was making a pretend phone call. “Hello?” she spoke into her cell. “We need an engine, Can you bring me one? Yes, Parsifal III. Thank you so much . . . They’ll be right over,” she announced, to half-hearted chuckles.
Even though I’m sure there are a million things he’d rather be doing, Captain Glenn stepped into the lion’s den and faced the guests with more bad news. “How are you guys doing?” he asked, although he certainly knew they weren’t happy. “It looks like we’re not leaving the dock [again today],” he apologized.
“So we’re not going anywhere?” a guest inquired sadly. Embarrassed to be the bearer of bad news, Glenn tried to shift the mood. “That doesn’t mean that you guys can’t go somewhere and have fun,” he offered. “There’s a beach a couple of miles away. It’s really nice.”
Fortunately, they bought that idea and said it sounded “fabulous.” Glenn breathed a sigh of relief and beat a hasty retreat. Charter Guest Karen (of course) was not happy. “I love everybody,” she announced. “But I’m done with this. Let’s leave.” Her comment elicited more giggles, but I don’t think she was kidding.
Since the inside crew was so overwhelmed with work and had a mountain of laundry to do, Daisy decided to send the “boys” with the guests on their beach excursion. “Me sending a girl to open up beer bottles [for the guests] would not be a good move,” she said. “Fortunately, Gary [King]’s not here to argue with me.”
Back in the cabin, Karen was on a roll. “We’re not going anywhere,” she complained, “except on a blow-up raft.” She wasn’t really wrong.
On the bridge, Glenn called everywhere he could think of, trying to find the parts they needed to repair the engine. He wasn’t having much luck. Even if he had “all the money in the world,” it wouldn’t make any difference since there was just nothing available.
Meanwhile, the ladies were boarding the tender to go to the beach. Of course, everybody wanted a roadie, but there was no cocktail ice to be found, even though Daisy insisted she had loaded it. Glenn radioed Daisy to bring two bags of ice to the tender ASAP.
“These guests are having less than the best experience possible,” Glenn understated. Sadly true. When Daisy insisted there was ice already in the tender (it was in the ice bucket), Glenn lost his cool. “I’d rather have two than none. Let’s get these guests going.” I hope the guests didn’t hear all the F-words Glenn was using. They were already upset enough without pouring fuel on the fire.
RELATED: Below Deck Sailing Yacht Star Daisy Kelliher Says She Isn’t “Attracted To” Gary King
Having thought it through, Colin came to Captain Glenn with an unorthodox plan to get the boat moving again. He figured out a way to clean out the saltwater and run the engine without using the aftercooler. They would have to take it slow, but they’d be able to get off the dock. It would be less efficient and require them to limit their speed to four of five knots, but it should work.
A very relieved Captain Glenn exclaimed, “That’s five knots faster than we’re doing now!” Colin should get a raise for saving everyone’s butts (and tips). If they can’t get that boat moving again, they all might as well go home, because their charter season would be over.
While the guests were partying on the beach, Lucy and the other Junior Stew Madison (Mads) Herrera were busy cleaning the guest cabins. The women had strewn their crap everywhere, piled dirty towels in the bathtub, and even clogged the sink drains. One of the stews (I can’t tell you which one, because they both look exactly the same) “guaranteed” that there had been vomiting in the cabins the night before since everyone had been so wasted. I’ve been on cruise ships (I know, I’m too poor for a charter), and I know that puking is very hard on nautical plumbing.
Speaking of vomiting, Chef Ileisha Dell‘s blender just went all The Exorcist and spewed green goo over the entire galley, including the ceiling and Ileisha’s white chef’s coat. Looks like dinner will be a little late. Don’t think it’ll matter because, judging by the intoxicated state of the guests coming back from the beach, they won’t be able to taste it anyway. The boat’s plumbing should expect another workout tonight.
Even while the guests were complaining about not being able to leave the dock — “I can do this in Florida” (pretty sure that was Karen) — Colin was nearly done with the tedious job of cleaning saltwater out of the engine. “We’ve got as much of the water out as we possibly can,” he said. “The next step is to actually start the engine and just shoot out anything remaining in the cylinders.”
“I don’t know many engineers that would take this on,” Colin added. “But it kind of excites me in a way.” While hosing down the outside of the boat, deckhand Chase Lemacks asked his co-worker Alex Propson, “You catching vibes from anyone yet?”
“No,” Alex answered. “I don’t really focus too much on ladies yet.” In an interview, Alex confessed that he likes “brunettes with nice teeth.” Since Daisy, Lucy, and Mads are all blondes, where does that leave Alex? Although he thinks they’re all lovely, none of them is really his type. “[But] it’s a long time on a boat,” Alex admitted. “Whatever happens happens. We’ll see.”
Time for an update on Gary, who was still at home hoping to get a negative Covid test so he could return to his job. Those green deckhands could use some training, even though they seemed to be coping pretty well in his absence. Captain Glenn was once again texting Gary to find out what his status was. “Hey dude, when’s your next test?” he wrote. “We need some good news.”
“Tomorrow morning,” Gary responded. “Fingers crossed.”
Meanwhile below deck, Daisy was subtly flirting with Alex. “I mean, Alex is really good-looking,” Daisy admitted in a production interview, “but I don’t want to be hooking up with any junior deckhands . . . [But] I really do enjoy looking at him.” She’s Chief Stew, for f***’s sake! She’s waiting for Gary’s return. At least he’s the First Mate, her equal in the hierarchy. Or perhaps those rumors about the triangle with her, Gary, and Colin will come to fruition. Can’t wait to find out!
While the rest of the crew were setting the dinner table, polishing wine glasses, and delivering even more towels to the guest cabins, Colin was still down in the engine room, attempting to start the engine. After cranking it for so long that I was afraid he’d drain the battery, it finally turned over. And angels sang! “F*** yes!” Colin fist-pumped. “I knew we [meaning “I”] could do it!” Overjoyed with relief and gratitude, Captain Glenn shouted, “Dude! Is that the main engine running?”
“Yes!!!” Colin laughed, as he ran up the stairs to the bridge. “F*** yeah, baby!” Glenn cackled, as he gleefully hugged his Chief Engineer. “That’s amazing!”
Colin just saved the charter season. He should have a big “S” on the front of his uniform. He’s a superhero. “I’m so f***ing stoked right now,” he crowed, as the rest of the crew hugged and celebrated.
“Everyone give Colin a pat on the back,” Glenn announced. “Incredible. Colin’s always been a legend, but he’s just gone up like three notches in my eyes.”
Even though he was elated about the change in their fortunes, the Captain was still feeling a little cautious about their situation. “Until we get her out to sea and test her under load,” he said, “I don’t want to get too excited. But, I’m feeling good.”
As the guests gathered on the aft deck for dinner, everyone wanted to sit next to Captain Glenn. The first course was a cucumber gazpacho with olive oil pearls and fresh radish. Sounds delicious to me! Alex thought it sounded disgusting because he’s a Philistine.
At that same moment, Lucy was confronted with a hellscape in the guest cabins. Apparently, the guests were packing and suitcases had been piled everywhere (it always amazes me how much luggage people bring for a two-night charter). Everything was total chaos. The camera even zoomed in on blood smeared on a bed sheet. I can’t even. Who lives like that? Telling herself, “All right, let’s do this,” Lucy took a deep breath and plunged in.
“I am disgusted,” Lucy interviewed. “There is blood on the carpet. Clothes everywhere. It stank of fish.” Ugh. Fish? I don’t even want to know. Shockingly, it seems rich people can be gross, disgusting pigs.
Back at the dinner table, the staff was presenting the next course, which, ironically, was a tuna taco with a parmesan crust and honey mustard sauce. Again it looked delicious, but a little too soon after what Lucy was dealing with in the cabins.
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In the galley, Ileisha was fighting her OCD as she prepared for the next course. Her perfectionism was slowing her down, forcing her to have second thoughts about every small detail. The main course was a surf and turf creation: rib-eye with grilled prawns and truffle butter. Again, I’m drooling, and the guests loved it.
When Daisy went down to check on how Lucy was doing with the cabins, she told her to strip the bed with the blood on it and just redo it. They would deal with the sheets the next day, once the guests had gone.
As soon as dinner was done, the guests retired to their now-clean cabins and went to bed. Pretty sure the tired crew followed as soon as possible.
The next morning, even though Colin was anxious to try taking the boat out, Glenn vetoed that idea. The guests were leaving at noon, so sadly there wouldn’t be enough time to take them out for a sail. In addition, the weather wasn’t conducive to sailing. And Glenn added, “There’s no wind, and there’s rain.”
As the ladies enjoyed another beautiful breakfast on the aft deck, Mads got her turn with the ghastly guest cabins. Even though they didn’t get to go sailing, these guests really put the crew through the wringer. I hope they have the good grace to leave them a decent tip, but I’m not holding my breath.
As he headed to the bridge, Glenn texted Gary the good news about Colin getting the engine running. But his good news was dampened by Gary’s response, “Wow that’s great! Is this a bad time to say I tested positive again? :(” Gary’s disappointing announcement caused Glenn to mutter, “I need a drink.”
As the deckhands loaded the guests’ luggage into a van, the ladies urged someone (I’m guessing it was Karen, as the “most outspoken of the group”) to make a statement to the staff. Dun dun DUN. I don’t have a good feeling about this.
“What’s going on?” Captain Glenn asked, as Karen tearily approached. “Honestly, I felt like we were getting punked,” she began. “We had no toilet paper.” Really? All I saw was Lucy and Mads refilling the toilet paper. “No towels, no bathmats.” So what were all those used towels discarded in the tub then? “Honestly,” Karen continued, “aside from being with my best friend and the company . . . worst trip of my life.”
“Really,” Glenn was flabbergasted at Karen’s review. “We take pride in making sure you guys have everything at all times.” As Daisy was walking past at that moment, Glenn invited her to join the conversation. He told her, “They were just saying there were a few things where we dropped the ball.”
Even though they said Daisy had been “absolutely lovely,” Karen’s bestie told her, “Nobody took out the trash. There was no toilet paper. We had no towels. It was just kind of a hot mess.” What a liar! Everybody who watched this show knows none of that was true.
Knowing these women were full of poopoo, Daisy politely blew them off by saying, “I’ll speak to the girls. I’m sorry about that.” What good would be accomplished by calling out these lying bitches? The whole world will see the proof on TV that they live in a fantasy world. Personally, my feeling is that they were looking for a refund or at least a deep discount because they didn’t get to leave the dock.
Trying to prepare her staff, Daisy told Lucy and Mads, “Just warning you that they’re complaining about us . . . well, complaining about me. It’s fine, but just so you know.”
Just as I suspected, the rest of the group was waiting in the lounge for the two Karens, and one of them commented, “Neither one of them [the Karens] wanted to give extra money.” So they were trying to get out of leaving a tip. The rest of them were discussing how much tip to leave, with one of them saying, “I think we should leave a lot more,” and another woman agreed, “I’m totally down.” They all stood around on the aft deck shuffling Benjamins, as they decided that they needed to make up for their cheapo friends. Bless their hearts.
Back in the lounge, Karen #1 told Karen #2, “I love you for loving me, even when I’m an asshole.” There’s a moment of self-awareness for you. Saying goodbye, Karen #2 said, “Things could have been better, but overall you guys were fantastic. So, girls’ trip of a lifetime.” I thought it was the “worst trip of your life?” After handing Glenn the tip envelope, she disembarked, while the crew smiled and waved. They were smiling on the outside, but seething on the inside.
Despite the nasty comments, Glenn still said, “Great job, everyone.” They did their best under difficult circumstances. Back to work, cleaning up all the mess.
Going forward, Daisy told her stews, “The aim is to improve. Completely stock up the cupboards with toilet paper, so as to avoid [any complaints]. Do you feel like as a team, we did all we could . . . to deliver?” The Chief Stew just chalked it up to being a “hard charter” and encouraged them to keep learning and improving.
Finally, the moment the crew had been waiting for: Glenn called them to the “saloon” for the tip meeting. “That was the Mother of all intense first charters,” he said. “Missing first mate, no engine. Just that we survived that charter is pretty amazing.”
“Colin,” he added, “well done. I would say that it’s the most challenging engineering problem I’ve ever come across in my career. That’s never happened [before]. Kudos. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Daisy,” he continued, “not being able to leave the dock put an extra strain on especially you guys, so thank you all for your efforts. Ileisha, the guests seemed quite pleased with the food. Personally, I agree, because it was delicious.”
“Chase and Alex,” he went on, “thanks for taking the initiative on deck. As far as the status of our first mate, of course, I will pass [that] on as soon as I have news.”
Of course, all they really wanted to hear was the amount of the tip they would all divide. Drum roll, please. That amount was $19,100 US dollars. Wow! Much better than I was expecting. I’m sure much more than they were expecting after the fiasco with the two Karens. Thank god the other women had the decency to step up and pad the tip on behalf of their two deadbeat friends. The surprise and relief in the room were palpable.
And with that, Glenn announced that he’d organized a nice dinner and drinks to reward the crew for their hard work. Cheers! Let the debauchery begin! The crew enjoyed a lovely outdoor dinner, after which they returned to the boat and continued getting absolutely wasted. I could never do that. My body won’t tolerate that much alcohol and rebels after just a couple of drinks. Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise.
Colin wisely decided to call it an early night. In an interview, he confessed, “I would love to get sh**-faced with my crew tonight, but it’s not actually over for me, because tomorrow’s sea trial day. I have to be mature about this one.”
While Colin responsibly went to bed, the rest of the crew drunkenly frolicked in the hot tub. Chase confessed to Alex, “Daisy’s a looker, bro.”
“I kind of love Daisy,” Alex confessed. “But I also love Mads.” They agreed, “Whoever gets there first.” But then a game of Truth or Dare was suggested, so of course Chase dared Alex to make out with Daisy. Someone else dared Chase to kiss Madison.
Ileisha seemed a little shocked. “What is happening?” she giggled in an interview. “If this is night one, I don’t know how the rest of the season is going to go.” Has she worked on a boat before? Isn’t it always like this when the guests are gone and the crew needs to blow off some steam?
It’s only going to get worse when Gary finally manages to test negative and joins this crazy crew. From the previews, it looks like maybe it will happen soon. Can’t wait for his return and the drama that’s promised to ensue. See you next week!
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE SERVICE WAS REALLY AS BAD AS THE TWO KARENS CLAIMED IT WAS? WERE YOU HAPPY THE OTHER WOMEN STEPPED UP AND COMPENSATED FOR THEM IN THE TIP? HOW MUCH DO YOU MISS GARY?
[Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo]
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