Summary
- Kate Chastain left Below Deck to pursue other endeavors, including starting a production company and running a non-profit resale store.
- Kate is unlikely to return to Below Deck but remains connected to the franchise through spin-off series like Galley Talk.
- Despite her departure from Below Deck, Kate maintains an active reality TV career and influencer status while focusing on being a mother.
Captain Lee Rosbach was caught off guard when his long-time chief stew, Kate Chastain, decided not to return to Below Deck after season 7. Kate had worked for Captain Lee since season 2 and excelled at her job. She helped to make her six seasons of charters successful. However, Kate wasn’t happy in her career as a chief stew and had other endeavors she wanted to pursue. She then exited from the series and started a new life on land.
Below Deck alum Kate started working on yachts long before Bravo launched the series, showcasing the behind-the-scenes lives of charter yacht crew members. She even started writing a book about her experiences, titled Lucky Charming, which she eventually finished and was published in 2016. However, Kate enjoyed at least some of her Below Deck stint and had her favorite people to work with. Ultimately, she had other things that she wanted to do, leading to her retirement from life on the seas. She had some significant life changes since Below Deck.
Kate Chastain Had Several Streams Of Income After Leaving Below Deck
After filming for Below Deck season 7 ended, Kate moved from Florida to New York and started a radio series on SiriusXM titled Unapologetically Kate Chastain. On top of her radio show, in March 2021, TV Shows Ace noted that Kate started her own production company, Remotely Possible Productions. She also runs the Genesis Boutique, a non-profit resale store in Florida, which raises money for Genesis House, a charity for homeless women and children.
Kate Likely Won't Return To Below Deck
Kate has not entirely escaped the Below Deck franchise, as she was involved in the spin-off series, Galley Talk, where crew members watch new episodes and film their reactions and opinions. She also suggested in an interview with ET that if she ever returned to the Below Deck crew, she would need to be sold on the idea. Kate would want a significant demotion to third stew or more money.
"I’d just be down there with my music saying, ‘Hey, guys…’ You get to be part of it with zero responsibility. When you’re third stew, you don’t realize how wonderful life is,"
Kate also gave birth to a son, Sullivan Cay, in May 2023. She announced the pregnancy in December 2022, which prompted speculation regarding the baby's father. However, despite rumors of Chef Ben Robinson being the father, both Kate and Ben denied these claims, and Kate expressed she planned on raising Sullivan by herself. She has yet to reveal the father's identity.
From the sounds of it, it doesn’t seem like Kate will be returning to Below Deck for future seasons. While Captain Lee appreciated her hard work and felt anxious when she left, Kate didn't enjoy all of her chief stew duties and is ready for a new chapter. Although she is not interested in returning to the crew, the fact that Kate still has ties to Below Deck, and continues to do interviews about the show, seems to indicate that there’s always a chance.
Kate's Current Projects & Endeavors In 2024
While Kate is no longer on Below Deck, that doesn't mean she put her reality TV career behind her. Kate appeared as a cast member from the beginning of The Traitors season 1. She was a Faithful from the start of the show to the time she was banished in episode 10. Kate stayed on the show for quite some time, but clearly, it wasn't enough for her. The former Below Deck star returned for The Traitors season 2 halfway through the season. She started on the show as a Faithful again, but that quickly changed towards the end.
Phaedra Parks, who was a Traitor, recruited Kate as a Traitor when she was the only one left. Kate had to either be a Traitor or be removed from the castle. Kate joined Phaedra but was quickly the only Traitor when Phaedra was banished from the castle. Kate made it all the way to the end but was banished before she could win the prize money. So is the only one so far to appear on The Traitors in more than one season. Hopefully, this means Kate's reality TV career will continue for a while.
Other than reality TV, Kate is also an influencer. She recently did a paid post for Dramaine for the herbal ginger chews. However, Kate's most important endeavor of 2024 is being a mother. She is always sharing photos of him, and clearly becoming a mother is her best career choice yet.
Below Deck streams on Peaco*ck.
Sources: SiriusXM, TV Shows Ace, ET
Below Deck
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*Availability in US
Below Deck is a Reality television series and franchise that has seen many spinoffs since its creation in 2013. The original series follows the lives of a crew that lives on a Superyacht called Honor and chronicles their experiences during "charter season."
- Cast
- Lee Rosbach , Kate Chastain , Eddie Lucas , Rachel Hargrove , Ben Robinson , Ashton Pienaar , Fraser Olender , Rhylee Gerber
- Release Date
- July 1, 2013
- Seasons
- 10
- Streaming Service(s)
- Bravo , Peaco*ck
- Franchise(s)
- Below Deck
- Writers
- Mark Cronin
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Creator(s)
- Mark Cronin
