You can take Below Deck away from Kate Chastain, but Kate’s impact on this series will always remain intact. From Seasons 2 – 7, Kate reigned supreme as BD’s resident Chief Stew. Kate’s wit, snark, and work ethic all helped to turn this franchise around, which made her self-imposed exit super sad. However, Kate still keeps a white-gloved finger in the mix, as she often clocks in to comment on her former series. But if you ask me, this franchise would excel all the more if Bravo allowed Kate to start hosting the Below Deck reunions.
Kate Chastain knows the yachting industry better than most
In 2023, Kate appeared on Malia White’s podcast, where they discussed Kate’s longstanding career in the yachting industry. Kate stepped onto her first yacht in 2007, but this was not her original game plan. However, this employment opportunity presented itself after Kate graduated from UCF, just in time to save our little oceany legend from her self-described quarter-life crisis. Thankfully, her communications degree helped, as her studies aided her liaison responsibilities once onboard.
A job in the yachting industry demands way more than counting out white gumballs for picky charter guests. One wrong move can create disastrous consequences, affecting the lives of the crews, their guests, and their assigned vessels. Therefore, nautical regulations and terms are not just passing storylines. But Maritime Law has lent us some decent, albeit frustrating narratives, which, IYKYK.
In all, Kate spent over a decade in yachting. If anyone can speak on ship shows, it would be her. Kate knows how this stuff works and what kills a charter. She is also quick on her feet, so with her knowledge base as high as it is, she could create follow-up questions for days, ensuring zero yachties walk away unscathed.
If Kate hosted the reunions for Below Deck, she could even call out aspects that the current host, Andy Cohen, might not be aware of, like how many hours a day a lazy crew member can legally spend on a break. I can already hear her calling out certain unnamed yachties. Lawd, we need Kate to start hosting these nautical reunions, STAT.
Kate Chastain loves the Below Deck franchise
Even though she walked the plank in 2020, Kate still keeps up with her former series. From online posting to starring in other series that further delve into the Below Deck franchise, Kate is still in the background, helping to keep her former ship afloat.
Shortly after her exit, Bravo created a new series for Kate called Couch Talk. During each episode, she and another Below Deck alum, Captain Lee Rosbach, discussed Below Deck (and other series) in depth. Their last episode of Couch Talk (sadly) aired in 2023.
Thankfully, Bravo brought Kate back once again in 2024. She is now starring alongside Aesha Scott on the Below Deck Mediterranean After Show. While this is only a few minutes of airtime each week, Kate wastes zero seconds, as always, quickly inserting her opinions on everything from boatmances to entitled stews. She often says what many viewers think, further cementing my take that she would make an excellent BD reunion host.
Kate also has a deep history of the events that have already transpired on Below Deck. Mutter the words beef cheeks, mermaid tales, or even toxic crew members in her general direction and watch Kate quickly recall when these storylines occurred and who was involved. Her longevity with this franchise also means she is keenly aware of the staple cast members and returning charter guests. Should any of these former storylines, guests, or crew members need to be recalled, Kate is the right one for the job.
Andy slays, but Real Housewives are his home
Andy is the current host for every reunion shown on Bravo. He does an amazing job, but it’s clear the Real Housewives series has his heart. His career has evolved alongside many of these Housewives for years, so his friendships with these casts are solid. He has even gotten to know several of their families, so when I say he is invested, he’s invested.
The rough part about Below Deck is that the cast list changes every season within every spinoff across this franchise. That’s a ton of names for one host to catalog, especially with all of Andy’s other responsibilities. But just as the Real Housewives series is to Andy, so is the Below Deck series for Kate. If this were her sole job, Kate would learn every name, every scandal, and every backstory, and she would bring these receipts, proof(s), and timelines to help her recap each completed charter season like a well-oiled machine.
But also, most of these reunions have to take place over Zoom, as these yachties return to other vessels once they depart from Bravo’s lenses. With crew members living and working abroad, getting everyone to travel to New York City for a proper sitdown has proven difficult in recent years. But guess who is always open to hating more than one person (over Zoom)? It’s Kate.
So, Bravo, let’s make Kate’s Below Deck reunion hosting gig happen.
Below Deck is currently streaming on Peacock.
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