Chatting Below Deck with Aesha Scott.
If you’re a reality TV addict, we’re sure you’ve heard of Below Deck.
The Bravo reality show follows the crew of HUGE super yachts across the world and all the work/antics/DRAMA that go on behind the scenes.
Kiwi Chief Stew, Aesha Scott, is starring on the newest season of Below Deck Down Under which was filmed just off of Australia in the Whitsunday Islands.
Billie caught up with the gal in charge, Aesha, to chat about the latest season.
Below Deck fans are thrilled to see you’re back, what made you return to the show?
I returned to the show because I really wanted to prove to everyone that I was capable. I’d done two seasons as the second stew and I just wanted to come back and show the world that I could do it. [Be chief stew].
Congrats on your promotion to Chief Stew! What did you love most about this new role?
Thank you! What I loved most was the challenge. It was really hard but I’m such a believer in this world of…you shouldn’t stick with something that you feel safe in. You should always be trying to do new jobs and new challenges and let yourself grow. I really enjoyed that chance to fully challenge myself and it really was a challenge!
And what was the biggest challenge you faced as Chief Stew?
I honestly found the biggest challenge was managing the team. I’m such a people person and I’ve got a really good EQ. I kind of thought that stepping into a management role would be a piece of cake, but realised that everyone is so different.
Some people you have to baby, some people you can give it to them straight and some people are sensitive. People have such different personality types, you have to change your management style with each person to get the best out of them.
I found I really struggled with that because sometimes I’m like “grow some balls, I don’t want to have to baby you”. You want them to perform. I struggled with that a bit but it’s all good learning.
Tell us about the crew dynamic this season?
The crew dynamic this season overall is such a fun and entertaining crew. A driver of it was Culver, who was a self-designated entertainment officer. He was very into the idea of dressing up and entertaining the guests. Every time we had guests on, we’d do some sort of outrageous performance for them and it’s just so funny. We’re like the entertainment series, I think.
That’s what our point of difference is [to previous Below Deck crews]. But, like every other season, we do have some conflict and some romance… I get a bit cranky with Ryan, the deck team has their drama. You’re going to see some fire among the laughter.
What was the biggest difference for you coming from Below Deck Mediterranean to Below Deck Down Under?
The biggest difference apart from the obvious, which is my role, was that Below Deck Mediterranean was much more focused on the nightlife and France and a lot of the guest drama, whereas in Below Deck Down Under it’s very focused on the outdoors.
We want to take the guests out, we want to get them under the water, we want to take them hiking. It’s really showing off how beautiful Australia is. It’s really cool because we got to be a part of that and I didn’t realise Australia was that beautiful! I used to live in Australia and I didn’t realise parts of it look that tropical.
How did it feel filming so close to home in Australia? How was it different to previous seasons?
It felt good and bad, so I’d say the only downside was it was a little bit less mysterious and exotic [than the Mediterranean] because it was next door to where I grew up.
The good side of that is that I love Australians and I love the vibe. Most of the production crew and most of the guests were Australian, so it brought this laidback, casual vibe. Everyone got on so well. It was one big family. We also didn’t have a language barrier with provisioning. Provisioning was a lot more streamlined. It made everything so easy.
Is there any shark danger for your guests going into Australia's infamous waters?
Everyone knows that in Australia there is always going to be some risk of shark danger, but we really do make an effort to try and not put our guests in shark-infested waters. But you can’t always be sure!
How would you describe Below Deck Down Under in one sentence?
Funny, fiery, beautiful and juicy.
What is one thing we can look forward to in Below Deck Down Under?
I think what’s going to get everyone excited for this season is…everyone’s already very excited for Captain McSteamy [Captain Jason Chambers].
On top of that, there is some really fiery drama. We have a couple of crew nights out and some people just have the most outrageous tantrums. For me personally when I watch reality TV, that’s the stuff that I want to see. So they’re definitely going to see that!
You know those kind of tantrums when you’re sitting there and even witnessing it in real life you’re like “Is this a joke? How do people behave like that?” So you’re going to see that and you’ll be wondering if it’s a joke, but it’s not!
Below Deck Down Under premieres on Bravo (channel 4 or SKY channel 12) on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:30pm NZST, continuing weekly on Tuesdays.
