Below Deck first set sail on Bravo in July 2013. It was a hit, and this series quickly blew up, with spin-offs emerging left and right. Or should I say port side and starboard? All yoke lines aside, inaugural seasons typically carry steep learning curves, but wildly, this first group of stars (mostly) handled their sh*t with ease. Let’s now do a roll call and check in on these series-introducing yachties.
Captain Lee Rosbach set sail on Oxygen
Captain Lee Rosbach, AKA the Stud of the Seas, kicked this entire franchise off. Therefore, I will always toss some respect on his name. He led from Below Deck’s wheelhouse until the end of Season 10, and then Bravo pulled his plug, replacing him with Captain Kerry Titheradge from Below Deck Adventure. Thankfully, this sassy Captain found his new home shortly after.
Reality television and true crime series are excellent forms of escapism. I am not alone in my avoidance pursuits, as Oxygen created an entire series with these two things in mind, and they brought Bravo’s first-ever Captain along for the ride. Cue Deadly Waters with Captain Lee, a series that sails through more sinister ports of call than BD. Each episode sees Captain Lee walking through various true crime stories, each taking place over a different body of water.
If you miss this witty wheelhouse wonder, head over to Oxygen and catch up with Captain Lee and his factually deceased seafarers (not his formerly figuratively dead-to-him hires) now.
Aleks Taldykin moved on to Vanderpump Rules, the sales side of yachting, and fatherhood
Fun fact. Aleks Taldykin was originally in the mix for the Captain’s role on Below Deck. After the network handed this gig over to Captain Lee, Aleks got cast in an equally important role, walking on board as the first First Officer for this series. Sadly, he only lasted one season.
When one door closes, another one opens, literally, for Aleks. In Season 4 of Vanderpump Rules, Stassi Schroeder opened Kristen Doute’s door, and there stood Aleks. He and Kristen had a small fling in 2016, three years after his stint on Below Deck. It didn’t work out, but it was nice to see Kristen putting herself out there again following her breakup with James Kennedy.
These days, Aleks is still in the yachting industry, although he now works primarily on land. Before he joined BD, Aleks started Elite Yacht Management in Southern California, so he already had a gig to return home to post filming. In 2019, he added another job to his resume via Denison Yachting, selling large motor yachts to everyone but me. As for his personal life, Aleks became a father earlier this year, so we can now consider his life officially busy.
Adrienne Gang made a brief cameo in Season 2 and then returned to her culinary roots
Adrienne Gang is the first Chief Stew in the Below Deck franchise. Her tough-as-nails work ethic didn’t always find her fellow yachties well, so she only lasted one season on Bravo. Much to the non-delight of her Season 1 stew, Kat Held, Adrienne made a brief cameo in Season 2. The charter guests were her friends, so she joined them on a land-based excursion while Kat (mostly) reigned her emotions in.
Following this cameo, Adrienne secured herself an impressive gig, working as the culinary director of Blue Oceans Yachting. She was a chef before Below Deck, so this makes sense. Additionally, Adrienne works as a private chef, with a few speaking gigs on the side.
Adrienne has also taken a few leaps post-filming that have failed to stick. In 2018, she got married. In 2021, she started a podcast called Gangplank Report. Unfortunately, her marriage ended sometime between 2023 and 2024, joining her equally defunct podcast around that same timeframe.
Good on you for trying new things post-filming for Season 1 of Below Deck, Adrienne.
Kat Held found other bars and gemstones
Kat worked as a stew in Season 1. Her carefree personality and love of a good time saw her returning for Season 2. However, these two seasons would be her only ones on Bravo. That said, she did return to film a BD 100th-episode special on Watch What Happens Live in 2020.
Best known for her drunken “I wanna go to the bar” cries, Kat has since exited the yachting industry. She has tried her hand as a waitress and a bartender, but these gigs must have grown old, as Kat is now all about that gem life. In 2022, Kate created a new Instagram account. Her latest venture is under the handle of @thelapidaryshop, where Kat describes herself as an “Archeology & Gemology Enthusiast.”
Kat is now a “Collector, seller, and buyer of gemstones, crystals, rocks, minerals, fossils, and jewelry.” Rock on, Kat.
Samantha Orme is an Engineer and a mother
Samantha Orme was a fan-favorite stew in Season 1, but she made the call not to return to filming in Season 2. She wanted a different life and a different life she now has. Work-wise, Sam stepped off the pier and entered into a Vice President of Engineering role at a solar energy firm. Now, she is the Enterprise Program Manager at Fidelity National Information Services, according to her LinkedIn.
Her bossiest coworkers, however, are likely her husband Brad, a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, and their two little girls, Blake and Molly. I have a Molly as well. Sam and I also share our current locations, which I will only describe as a beachy, sleepy little pocket just North of Tampa, bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Call me, Sam.
Eddie Lucas is now a tugboat captain
Eddie Lucas stole the show in Below Deck Season 1, so the network brought him back for Seasons 2, 3, 8, and 9. That said, the chances of seeing Eddie again on our screens are slim, as after filming on Season 9, Eddie trash-talked Bravo for their abysmal Below Deck paychecks. I can’t blame the guy for this, because have you seen the price of snacks these days?!
Eddie has since pivoted away from the superyacht industry, yet he’s still working on boats because “Eduardo loves the ladies” water. His current boats, however, are Tugboats, and he’s now a captain. This title took him several years to secure, but Eddie never gave up, and I am sure this made his boat Daddy (Captain Lee) proud. Eddie recently even purchased a home in Baltimore, so it’s safe to say that he has fully settled into his next chapter of life post-filming.
David Bradberry is an actor and a writer
David Bradberry was a precious, innocent deckhand. He engaged in little-to-no conflict throughout his entire first season, and everyone from the cast to the viewers loved watching his various unproblematic scenes. He even got engaged to his then-boyfriend during the show, but sadly, in 2019, this romance fizzled out. David also returned to Below Deck at the tail end of Season 3, rounding out a shortly-staffed crew.
Since leaving Below Deck, David traded in his epaulets and started perfecting his stage face. He is now living the dream, working as an actor and a writer in our nation’s capital. His IMDb page credits a few of his new roles, including “The Last Straight Man” (2014) and “Confessions” (2015). All the world’s a stage, and David is a solid player.
C.J. LeBeau owns a home improvement company
CJ LeBeau and Sam were tight in Season 1, but unlike Sam, CJ only lasted for nine episodes of Below Deck’s inaugural season. After taking a boozy swim with Sam during a charter, Captain Lee, who was already weary of the guy, talked him into leaving. He joined another boat at the marina, and following this, he stayed away from the limelight.
Minus an arrest for Domestic Violence, which we hope taught him many things, CJ returned to the world of construction, which he first started gaining experience in at the ripe old age of 12. Now, he owns his own company, Done Today by CJ. According to his website, he does everything from property repairs to plumbing, ever the well-rounded tradesman. Keep making good choices, deckie alum.
Chef Ben Robinson is still in the galley, just not on Below Deck, for now
Chef Ben Robinson has my heart for life. After charming everyone with his quick wit in BD Season 1, Bravo brought him back multiple times, including a few stints on Below Deck Mediterranean. This man can cook, clap back, and call out his fellow yachties like a true king. He is made for this realm.
According to his website, Ben now “runs a successful catering business.” This sees him traveling “all over the world creating culinary masterpieces. He is available for private events, private instruction, and guest appearances.” His website also links to his purchasable wares and tools, all sold to help inspire the inner chefs in us all.
On that note, It’s time for me to run along and burn tonight’s dinner. Chef Ben, send help. Also, send yourself back to Below Deck.
TELL US – WHICH OF THESE BELOW DECK SEASON 1 CREW MEMBERS DID YOU ENJOY WATCHING THE MOST? WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BACK ON THIS FRANCHISE?
