Below Deck season 1 introduced Bravo viewers to the world of yachties and the demanding charter guests they have to serve. Fans fell in love with the reality TV show, with Below Deck season 10 dropping later this year as well as the fourth latest spin-off Below Deck Adventure also coming out at the start of November. But what happened to the Below Deck season 1 cast who helped make the yachting show a hit? Here’s what happened to the superyacht Honor crew, including: Sam, C.J., Adrienne, Captain Lee, Aleks, Chef Ben, Kat, Eddie and David.
What Happened to Sam Orme after Below Deck Season 1
Sam (Samantha) Orme infuriated fans because of her snotty entitled attitude as the third stew on the first season of Below Deck. However, some fans liked how she ticked off Chief Stewardess Adrienne Gang.
A lot happened to Sam since filming Below Deck season 1 back in the fall of 2011.
Sam’s Instagram shows she moved to LA in 2012 to work as an engineer. She spent several years there, but always returned and missed family and friends in Florida. Sam, who celebrated her 35th birthday on August 7, became a travel blogger in 2015 with alongside a childhood friend, traveling to national parks across America and Canada. Around this time Sam moved back to Florida, and now lives in Tampa.
Sam’s ex long-term boyfriend before meeting her husband (Instagram).
Sam also posted some tributes to her sister Tanya who tragically died before she went on Below Deck. She also helped raise money and support for her nephew, who was diagnosed with cancer as a young child. She would later post photos of him healthy a few years later.
Sam had a few boyfriends since Below Deck season 1 flirtations with CJ. She got engaged to someone in 2015, but things ended before marriage. Sam had a serious long-term boyfriend who runs a fishing tourism business in Florida. They dated for a few years, but ultimately broke up. in 2018 Sam met her future husband Brad Ulmer, a coast guard helicopter pilot. The two had a whirlwind romance, getting married less than 12 months after dating. They’ve since had two kids and added a third dog to the family, Clark. Sam already had her oldest dog, Ed, around back when Sam starred on Below Deck season 1. The middle dog’s name is Palmer. They have two young daughters, Blake and Molly. Below Deck fans can book a video shoutout from Sam on Cameo.
What Happened To Kat After Below Deck Season 1
Fan-favorite Kat Held got up to a lot of drunken shenanigans while on Below Deck season 1. She almost got fired after she drank on the job when Adrienne reported her to Captain Lee Rosbach. She came up with a quick lie that she was taking anxiety medication and only appeared drunk. Luckily she got to finish out the season. Her strong work ethic earned her a second chance with Captain Lee on Below Deck season 2, where she got to have a redemption arc. But since then, what happened to the wild second stewardess in the past decade?
Kat Held’s LinkedIn shows she worked as a freelance yacht stewardess from 2009 to 2019. She stopped working as a Below Deck cast member in 2014. At the start of 2018 Kat went back to school to become a nurse. She also worked in marketing before getting into nursing.
Kat stayed good friends with Alek after the first season of Below Deck. She also returned to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2020 to celebrate the 100th episode of Below Deck. Kat moved from Rhode Island to Las Vegas since the show aired. Since her fling with Chef Ben on the show, Kat’s Instagram doesn’t show much about her dating life, but she was dating a boyfriend named Wyatt who was “the most beautiful person” back in 2017.
Kat was recently tagged in a couple of videos with her current boyfriend, Matthew Jaeger, who works in video production and marketing. Matthew recently posted on his Instagram the couple in his car on their new homemade reality TV show “The Matt & Kat show”.
What Happened To Adrienne After Below Deck Season 1
Although Adrienne Gang had a tough go trying to manage a bratty Sam and a party animal Kat, she got along with her other crewmates. After Below Deck season 1 aired, Adrienne even remained friends with Kat. She invited Kat to help her try on wedding dresses when she got engaged. They were still friends even though Adrienne blurted out on camera that Kat “blew” a guy her Below Deck season 2 co-star and friend Amy Johnson liked. Adrienne only made a cameo appearance in the second season because she was invited on by season 1 charter guests who returned. The tumultuous friendship finally died when Kat called Adrienne a lesbian on Watch What Happens Live.
Despite cutting Kat out of her life, Adrienne has still remained good friends with former co-star Chef Ben. Through the years the pair hang out in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they both live. Since the show, Adrienne became a yacht chef, too!
She also started a Below Deck recap podcast called Gangplank Report alongside her co-host and superfan Jen Bennington. They’re currently covering Below Deck Med season 7.
Below Deck season 1 Chief Stew Adrienne Gang was engaged to a fellow yachtie named Derek Christian (Instagram).
Below Deck season 1 Second Stew Kat went wedding dress shopping for Adrienne’s wedding. Adrienne’s engagement and friendship to Kat both didn’t work out (Instagram).
During her time on Below Deck, Adrienne was dating her boyfriend Cooper. Fans even got to see them do video calls together where Adrienne asked for help in managing her unruly interior team. The relationship ended after the show ended. After that, Adrienne was in a serious relationship with fellow yachtie Derek Christian. The couple were even engaged and set to get married, but they ended up splitting. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Adrienne. She then met chiropractor Andrew Danks and they got married almost four years ago. IN 2021, Adrienne shared publicly the tragic news that they had had a miscarriage. Other cast members from the Below Deck family sent the couple love and support.
Adrienne and her husband Andrew live in Florida together with their dog Buddy.
What Happened To Chef Ben Robinson After Below Deck Season 1
Any casual Below Deck fans know Chef Ben Robinson, his talents in the kitchen and his quirky humor and suaveness with the ladies. After the premiere season Chef Ben became a bona fide Below Deck star. He returned for Below Deck season 2, where he and new Chief Stewardess Kate Chastain butted heads but had great sexual tension and chemistry on screen. The two would eventually hookup after the season ended.
Chef Ben didn’t join the crew on Below Deck season 3, but, just when he thought he was out, they dragged him back in. He came back for the latter few episodes of the season after Chef Leon Walker walked off the boat. Ben then returned for one final season on the original series, Below Deck season 4. During that season Chef Ben had a lot of people talking for his boatmance with the much younger English rose, Emily Warburton-Adams. They continued to date outside of the show, but eventually broke up.
After that, Chef Ben then joined the inaugural cast for the spinoff Below Deck Mediterranean. After season 1, he hung up his chef knives, but, in Below Deck Med season 4 production dragged him back on for the latter episodes because Chef Mila Kolomeitseva was a disaster, and Third Stewardess Anastasia Surmava tried to step up as a yacht chef but lacked the experience.
Since quitting Below Deck, for good, Chef Ben prefers to cook on land for wealthy private clients. Fans can book Chef Ben for a dinner party with friends, but he ain’t cheap. He also does video shoutouts on Cameo for $175 a pop. Chef Ben also runs the galley for luxury cruise ships now, with the next cruise set to depart from Miami in early 2023. Chef Ben will also be cooking on land at the Lobster Bar Sea Grille in Fort Lauderdale on September 28, 2022.
Chef Ben’s Instagram reveals that he is still close with Kate Chastain. The witty duo also still work together when they commentate on the latest antics of the new Below Deck seasons on Galley Talk. Ben is also going to be on TV again soon after guesting on the show Served Up Cooking Show.
Chef Ben’s love life used to be revolving door. But in the spring of 2020 that he made it official his girlfriend is model Kiara Cabral. At the time Ben was 39 years-old and Kiara was age 26. Chef Ben is now 41 years-old and turns42 on his December 30th birthday.
What Happened To Eddie Lucas After Below Deck Season 1
Deckhand Eddie Lucas took his yachting career very seriously in the first season of Below Deck. His respect and loyalty to Captain Lee earned him the respect of his captain. He got promoted to Bosun and starred in season 2 and 3. However, Eddie got to big for his breeches in season 3 when he lied to his crewmates when he was secretly hooking up with Third Stewardess Rocky Dakota. Captain Lee was disappointed in Eddie and he was banished from the show until he returned in Below Deck season 8, where he had a proper redemption arc. He even got promoted to first officer by Captain Lee. However, Chef Rachel Hargrove was angry and upset when she found out he relentlessly made fun of her drunken antics behind her back.
In Below Deck season 9, Captain Lee was unimpressed with Eddie Lucas in his new role as first officer. The deck crew caused mayhem throughout the charter season. On top of that, Eddie failed to inform the captain about how Deckhand Rayna Lindsey was upset over Chief Stewardess Heather Chase using the n-word in front of her. Instead, he tried to get Rayna to get over it and lied about hearing her using a homophobic slur, to try and say she wasn’t innocent either. Once Eddie wasn’t invited back for Below Deck season 10 he went scorched earth with Bravo by complaining that Below Deck pay is “peanuts” from the network.
Eddie’s Instagram shares how he is settled back in his home city of Baltimore, Maryland, after the end of his Below Deck career. He recently bought his first home and moved in with his Brazilian-Japanese girlfriend. They also have a pet dog together. Eddie works as a first officer on tugboat now.
What Happened To First Officer Aleks After Below Deck Season 1
First Officer Aleks Taldykin was supposed to become the face of the Below Deck franchise when he was casted in season 1. However, Captain Lee’s salty quips stole the show in season 1 and production decided to keep him as captain going forward. Captain Lee and Aleks didn’t get along at all throughout the season. Rosbach admonished Aleks for a failed fire drill and constantly undermined his authority.
Aleks wasn’t asked to return for another season of Below Deck, but that didn’t stop him from having a very successful yachting career. He still ended up working as a captain on other superyachts. Aleks owns his own yacht management company called Elite Yacht Management. His business helps yacht owners by taking care of all the superyacht’s maintenance, staff hiring, etc. Captain Aleks’s LinkedIn also notes he became a superyacht broker in 2019, so he now helps sell superyachts! It looks like he’s doing just fine for himself despite getting the boot from Bravo.
Alek’s Instagram shows some of the superyachts he’s helping sell or manage.
Aleks revealed he was engaged to his blonde girlfriend in 2019. The couple got married in September 2022.
What Happened To Deckhand David After Below Deck Season 1
Deckhand David Bradberry returned for Below Deck season 3 and was still with his partner Trevor Knight whom he got engaged to on Below Deck season 1. In 2019, Bravo reported that the couple broke up.
“I feel a need to let everyone know that David Alanson Bradberry and I are no longer together. I’ve been single for awhile now,” Trevor wrote. “I don’t need any calls, texts or DMs. I’m doing it alone. I will not answer any questions.”
David used to work as an actor up until 2015. He now works as the Program Manager for the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington DC, per his LinkedIn.
David also deleted his Instagram account or made a private account.
What Happened To Second Engineer CJ LeBeau After Below Deck Season 1
Fans will not soon forget bohemian rebel CJ LeBeau from Below Deck season 1. He shared a cabin with Sam and had a big crush on her throughout the season. Although she slightly led him on and they had a couple of kisses, she never had feelings more than friendship with him. Meanwhile, Captain Lee had no feeling other than disdain for CJ. He let his feelings be known, that he thought CJ was lazy, insubordinate and incompetent. CJ eventually abandoned ship, quitting before the charter season concluded and joining another boat.
Shortly after filming Below Deck season 1, CJ was arrested and charged with assault when he got in a physical altercation with his girlfriend. She admitted to hitting him as well. CJ was also charged with defacing property for allegedly breaking his ex girlfriend’s cell phone. He also got arrested for a marijuana charge in 2012 in Arizona too.
Since the reunion episode in 2013, CJ appears to have cleaned up his act. Per CJ’s LinkedIn, he now works a white collar job as the sales director of a marketing company. He previously worked in sales for solar panel companies before that. He also does home improvement repairs.
CJ’s Instagram also reveals he still has a rebel side as he loves to ride motorcycles and travel. However, he also likes to spend time with his family and friends.
What Happened To Captain Lee After Below Deck Season 1
Everyone knows what happened to Captain Lee after Below Deck season 1. He became a certified superstar of the Bravo reality TV franchise and is now nicknamed “the stud of the sea”. He’s drove all the superyachts and managed all the crews from Below Deck season 1 to 9. In that time he’s become great friends with co-star Kate Chastain. Captain Lee spends most of his downtime off the show enjoying the simple life in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his wife and family.
Captain Lee sadly lost his one son to a drug overdose a few years ago. He now advocates for reform to help addicts and also set up a fund to help them recover. Throughout the years, Captain Lee, age 72, has faced health issues. Fans are speculating Captain Sandy Yawn has to step in to replace the OG captain in Below Deck season 10.
