Below Deck’s Daisy Kelliher on João, the RHOSLC Crossover & the Bravolebs She Wouldn’t Want on a Charter: ‘They Might Be Difficult’
Jason Pham
After almost two years away from Bravo, Daisy Kelliher is back. But this time, instead of managing guest complaints, incompetent stews, and steamy boatmances as the chief stewardess of Parsifal III on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Daisy has jumped ship (literally) as the new chief stew on Below Deck Down Under. “I’m not fussy about boats. I just go where the money takes me,” Daisy tells StyleCaster.
Daisy joined Below Deck Sailing Yacht in Season 2 and remained the chief stew until the series was seemingly put on pause after Season 5. In the time between her last season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht and the offer to star on Below Deck Down Under, the thought that Daisy’s Bravo career was over definitely crossed her mind, though she had hope that she would have the opportunity to cross over to another series like many other Below Deck alums have done.
“Obviously, I was a staple on Sailing, and I didn’t know what the future was with Bravo. But there was a part of me that hoped maybe there was an opportunity to join another franchise,” she says. “But I’m not included in those conversations. It’s about timing and luck. In any industry, it’s the same thing. It happens in the yachting industry as well. Sometimes boats sell. You might lose your job. I definitely did think that that was the end of my career on Below Deck. Luckily, this opportunity arose, and it worked out.”
Daisy joins Below Deck Down Under Season 4, which premieres on Bravo on February 2, with Captain Jason Chambers, who has starred on the show since Season 1, Ben Robinson, who has served as a chef on both Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean, and João Franco, who has been a deckhand and bosun on Below Deck Mediterranean and Down Under. Other cast members include sous chef Alesia Harris, who returned from Season 3, stews Jenna Woudberg and Joe Caron, deckhands Eddy Hounsell and Betul Yazici, and deck/stew Mike Durrant.
Ahead, Daisy sat down with StyleCaster to break down The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City crossover, her boatmance with João, and the Bravolebrities she wouldn’t want on a charter.
Photographer: Sarah Krick @sarahkrickphotography. Stylist: Danielle Premone. Hair/Makeup: Stephanie Amaro. Dress- Helsa. Jewelry: @jaridjamin and @sterlingforever.
Did you talk to Glen Shepherd, your captain from Below Deck Sailing Yacht, about your offer to join Below Deck Down Under before you agreed to do it?
I actually didn’t, and it wasn’t any shade with Glen. You’re focused on yourself selfishly. At that point, I was just trying to figure out what my trajectory for the year was going to be like. This is my primary job, so there were a lot of moving parts that it happened quite quickly. So I didn’t get a chance to reach out to Glen. I know he and Jason had a conversation, and he messaged me when I joined Down Under, and said how supportive he was of me joining the franchise and wishing me good luck. Glen’s super sweet, and I know he wants the best for me.
The first charter of the season was The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City crossover. Did you have any idea that the RHOSLC cast would be guests this season?
No, I learned in real time. I had an instinct that the first charter was going to be difficult, and to be mentally prepared. I have a relationship with the producers. They set us up for success and don’t want to see us fail. I’ve worked with them many times, so through conversations, they were mentally preparing me. It was a lot for me. I’m going on to a new franchise. I haven’t filmed in a year. They were just kind of warning me to get my head in the game. But I had no idea what that meant. I really didn’t think about it too much. I could go down a rabbit hole trying to guess who the guests were going to be, but [the RHOSLC cast] never crossed my mind.
Did you know it was going to be a crossover episode?
Not really. They kind of said it to me, but it didn’t mean a lot to me at the time. I’m very focused on what I’m doing. At that stage, I’m not thinking about, you know, because it airs nine to 10 months later. Obviously, I saw they had a film production, and they’re talking to me, but I’m trying to concentrate on what’s going on in me. It’s a huge amount of information you’re trying to process at once, learning a whole new boat, learning all the crew, learning the dynamics, trying to train crew—all within this 48-hour period. Those two days. I was averaging 19/20-hour days without a break. So I’m not thinking about 10 months down the line, or how it’s going to be produced. They said it’s a crossover, and that means nothing right now to me. It wasn’t really until later, after we’d finished filming, that I could start processing being like, “Oh, it’s gonna be like a crossover.”
After watching the RHOSLC perspective of the charter, was there anything that surprised you that you didn’t know about?
It’s always a really fun thing for us to be able to watch our own show, because there’s so much we don’t see. I knew they were arguing, but again, my brain was concentrating on what I had to do and the tasks I had at hand. I wasn’t able to process what their arguments were about. Obviously, they were midseason, so getting to watch their season, everything started to make sense and have context. There was so much I didn’t see. I didn’t even know Angie was throwing up on the paddleboard. I didn’t know that kind of iconic scene with Lisa up on the swim platform. I was really only having snippets with the ladies.
In the RHOSLC episode, we see you give Britani the stuffed unicorn that Meredith and Bronwyn threw into the ocean. But we don’t see how you got it. What happened there?
You’re gonna see it in the season. It was João who went, got it, and saved the unicorn. That was another instance where this meant nothing to us. I didn’t know why this unicorn was such a big deal. I was like, “It’s just a teddy.” But obviously, having been able to watch their show, now we know how iconic this unicorn is and what the context is behind it. You do get to see the savior of the unicorn on our show.
Another big topic this season is whether Heather and Jason actually hooked up. What do you believe?
No, I don’t think they did. I very much took Heather’s statement with a pinch of salt. I very much read it as they were joking around. It was funny how people ran with it. But I’ve been in that situation where I said something lightheartedly, and people have ran with it. You got to be careful with what you say on TV. They’re both single. If they hooked up, I’m all here for it. But Jason’s saying they didn’t, I believe it.
What can you tease about the RHOSLC cast’s tip?
I don’t want to give too much away, but the ladies made us work, which you’ll see, and we’re still friends with them, so take what you will.
Are there any other Bravolebrities you want to host on a charter?
I think the Summer House people. They’re always a vibe. They’re always up for partying. I think they would be really fun, and would definitely make me work hard. I would love to get the OG RHONY cast. I would invite any of the Bravo people. They’re all really nice. They’re welcome to come on our boat anytime.
Are there any Bravolebrities you wouldn’t want on a charter?
Oh, gosh, that’s a tough one. I love Beverly Hills, and because I’ve watched their show, I think it would be cool to have them on, but I think they might be difficult. So maybe them.
Let’s talk about the João of it all. Did you know who he was before filming started?
I’d seen his seasons, and I did know his name and his reputation. I was definitely nervous. I was quite anxious. I know he had high conflict with his previous chief stews, and I really wanted to have a good relationship with my bosun in this year. I was worried we were going to come into conflict, which was definitely not what I wanted. We had a pretty good working relationship. He was really supportive of my department. I don’t think we really had any conflict.
In the season trailer, you said that you didn’t want any more boatmances, which obviously didn’t happen with João. What drew you to him?
The fact we didn’t have any conflict. He was nice. I don’t really like to do the boatmances. It’s a little awkward having the world to see that, but t the end of the day, it is fun. You do work really hard. It’s very busy and taxing. It’s very mentally taxing, and having someone who’s nice with you, it’s fun to flirt, and have someone who’s supportive and in your corner. That feels good in this really intense environment. It feels nice when you have someone who’s looking after you and being sweet to you.
Where’s your and João’s relationship now?
We are friendly but are obviously very busy with our own projects. He’s working, and I am concentrating on my podcast “Yacht Mess.” We have a brief little boatmance. I don’t want to give too much, away but we had fun hanging out!
