NBCUniversal/Heavy Fraser Olender
The 11th season of “Below Deck” is premiering on February 5 and returning chief stew Fraser Olender is spilling on a big line that he crossed while filming.
“I do break one of my No. 1 rules actually, and I end up getting with the guest,” Olender spilled to E! News about sharing a kiss with a charter guest named Steven. “We’ll see what happens there. It’s quite an exciting part of this season.” Olender, who hasn’t been involved in a boatmance in any of his past seasons on the show, said he was “a bit nervous for everyone to see” it.
Although he revealed that he is “in a relationship at the moment,” he wouldn’t confirm whether it was with the charter guest in question. “I’m getting lots of DMs of people asking what’s going on, but you’ll all find out in due course. You gotta stay tuned,” he teased.
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Fraser Olender Revealed That He Got the Green Light From ‘Below Deck’ Captain Kerry Titheradge
“Below Deck” crew members are notoriously not allowed to hook up with charter guests, viewers know, but Olender revealed that he actually got the captain’s blessing for this one.
The chief stew told the publication, “I was beyond respectful and I asked captain way before things got physical. He absolutely gave me the green light, so I felt like I could do a home run and I did.” Captain Kerry Titheradge is the man at the wheel for this season of “Below Deck,” having replaced OG Captain Lee Rosbach.
Olender’s co-star and fellow returning crew member Ben Willoughby confirmed that he was also supportive of the hookup. He also teased on his own “boatmance or two.” He said, “When I walked on board this season I liked my chances a little bit. I was like, ‘I might be the head deck here so I’ve got a little bit of interest from the ladies early on.’ Also, I’ve never had a working romance with someone in the same department, so that’s definitely a new learning curve for me and it’s definitely new water so I have to navigate.”
Beyond that, the deckhand revealed that he’s also friends with Olender’s boyfriend. “Funny enough, I was friends with his boyfriend before he knew him and started dating him,” he said. “So, I know both Fraser and his current boyfriend separately. I think they’re a great match for one another. They’re very suited for one another and very cheeky.”
The 11th Season of ‘Below Deck’ Has a Few Returning Crew Members But Will Mostly Feature an All-New Cast
In addition to Titheradge, Willoughby and Olender, the crew members for season 11 are Chef Anthony Iracane, Bosun Jared Woodin, deckhands Marie “Sunny” Marquis and Kyle Stillie, and stews Cat Baugh, Xandi Olivier, and Barbie Pascual.
Filmed in Grenada, the season will show Olender trying to build on his experience as a chief stew from season 10. It will also show the tension between Willoughby, who is familiar with motoryacht St. David from season 10, and the season 11 bosun, who is a newcomer.
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