Below Deck first launched on Bravo in July 2013. It was a huge success, and this series
under deck The first Bravo yacht launched in July 2013. It was a huge success, and the series quickly blossomed, with spinoffs popping up left and right. Or should I say left and right? Aside from all the yoke lines, the opening seasons usually have steep learning curves, but by and large, this first crop of stars (mostly) handled their problems with ease. Let’s roll the dice and take a look at this series of yachts.
Captain Lee Rosbach sails on the oxygen ship.
Captain Lee Rosbach, aka Stud of the Seas, was the one who started this entire series. So, I will always honor his name. He led the charge from his Below Deck home until the end of Season 10, when Bravo pulled the plug and replaced him with Captain Kerry Titheridge of Below Deck Adventure. Thankfully, this sassy captain found his new home shortly after.
Reality TV and true crime series are great forms of escapism. I’m not alone in my quest to avoid reality. Oxygen created an entire series with both in mind, and even brought on the first-ever captain on a Bravo series. Let’s start with Deadly Waters with Captain Lee, a show that sails through more sinister ports than BD. Each episode sees Captain Lee navigate different true crime stories, each set on a different body of water.
If you missed this great feat, head to Oxygen and talk to Captain Lee and his now-virtually dead sailors (not his officers who were metaphorically dead to him).
Alex Taldykin Moves to Vanderpump Rules, the Sales Side of Yachts, and Fatherhood
Fun fact. Alex Taldykin was originally considered for the role of Captain on Below Deck. After the network handed the role to Captain Lee, Alex got a much more important role, stepping aboard the ship as the show’s first officer. Sadly, it only lasted one season.
When one door closes, another one opens, literally, for Alex. On season four of Vanderpump Rules, Stassi Schroeder opened Kristen Doute’s door, and Alex stood there. He and Kristen had a small fling in 2016, three years after he appeared on Below Deck. The relationship didn’t work out, but it was great to see Kristen put herself out there again after her split from James Kennedy.
These days, Alex still works in the yachting industry, although he now works primarily on land. Prior to joining BD, Alex started Elite Yacht Management in Southern California, so he already had a mission to get home from filming. In 2019, he added another job to his resume via Denison Yachting, where he sells large yachts to everyone except himself. As for his personal life, Alex became a father earlier this year, so we can officially consider his life busy now.
Adrienne Jang made a brief appearance in season two and then returned to her culinary roots.
Adrienne Jang is the first female head chef on Below Deck. Her strict work ethic didn’t always win her fellow sailors’ attention, so she only lasted one season on Bravo. Despite not being liked by season one head chef Kat Heald, Adrienne made a brief appearance in season two. The ship’s guests were her friends, so she joined them on a wilderness trip while Kat (mostly) kept her emotions in check.
After this brief appearance, Adrienne landed a great job, working as the culinary director at Blue Oceans Yachting. She was a chef before Below Deck, so it makes sense. Additionally, Adrienne works as a private chef, with some side gigs as a speaker.
Adrienne also took some steps after filming that failed to pan out. 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 podcast that similarly went out of business in the same time frame.
Well done for trying new things after filming the first season of Below Deck, Adrian.
Kat Held finds other bars and gems.
Kat worked as a chef in the first season. She returned in the second season because of her fun personality and love of having a good time. However, these two seasons were her only two seasons on Bravo. However, she returned to film a special episode of the 100th series on Bravo in 2020.
Kat is famous for shouting “I want to go to the bar” while drunk, and has since left the yachting industry. She has tried her hand at waitressing and bartending, but those jobs must have gotten old now that Kat has taken an interest in the gem life. In 2022, Kat created a new Instagram account. Her latest venture is @thelapidaryshop, where Kat describes herself as “interested in archaeology and gemology.”
Kat is now a “collector, seller and buyer of gemstones, crystals, rocks, minerals, fossils and jewelry.” Keep it up, Kat.
Samantha Orme is an engineer and mother.
Samantha Orme was a fan favorite in season one, but decided not to return to filming for season two. She wanted a different life and a different life that she now lives. In practice, Sam left the sidewalk and entered a position as vice president of engineering at a solar energy company. She is now the director of enterprise programs at Fidelity National Information Services, according to her LinkedIn page.
But her most overbearing co-workers are likely to be her husband, Brad, a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, and their two young daughters, Blake and Molly. I also have a daughter, Molly. Sam and I share our current location, which I can only describe as a quiet little beachfront community north of Tampa, bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Call me Sam.
Eddie Lucas is now a locomotive captain.
Eddie Lucas stole the show in the first season of Below Deck, so the network brought him back for seasons 2, 3, 8 and 9. However, the chances of seeing Eddie back on our screens are slim, as after filming season 9, Eddie went on a bad run about Bravo for their low salaries on Below Deck. I can’t blame the guy for that, because have you seen the prices of snacks these days?!
Eddie has since stepped away from the luxury yacht industry, however he still works on boats because “Eduardo loves Ladies“Water. However, his current boats are tugboats, and he is now a captain. It took him several years to earn that title, but Eddie never gave up, and I’m sure that made his boat daddy (Captain Lee) proud. Eddie even recently bought a house in Baltimore, so it’s safe to say he’s fully settled into the next chapter of his life after filming.
David Bradberry is an actor and writer.
David Bradbury was a precious, innocent sailor. He didn’t get into too many conflicts throughout his first season, and everyone from the cast to the viewers loved watching his various non-problematic scenes. He even got engaged to his then-boyfriend during the show, but unfortunately, in 2019, that romance fizzled out. David also returned to Below Deck at the end of season three, completing an incomplete cast.
Since leaving Below Deck, David has shed his rank and begun improving his stage presence. He’s now living his dream, working as an actor and writer in our nation’s capital. His IMDb page credits him with some of his most recent roles, including “The Last Straight Man” (2014) and “Confessions” (2015). All the world’s a stage, and David is a consummate performer.
CJ LeBeau owns a home improvement company.
C.J. Lobo and Sam were close in the first season, but unlike Sam, C.J. only lasted nine episodes of Below Deck’s inaugural season. After drinking with Sam on a cruise, Captain Lee, who was already sick of the man, convinced him to leave. He joined another boat at the marina, and then kept a low profile.
After an arrest for domestic violence, which hopefully taught him a lot, CJ returned to the world of construction, which he first started gaining experience in at the age of 12. He now owns his own company, Done Today by CJ. According to his website, he does everything from property repairs to plumbing, and he’s always been a complete handyman. Keep making good choices, Dickey graduate.
Chef Ben Robinson is still in the kitchen, but not at Below Deck, for now.
Ben Robinson was the chef I loved the most. After charming everyone with his quick wit on the first season of “Bruvo,” Bravo brought him back several times, including a stint on “Below Deck Mediterranean.” This man can cook, clap, and talk to his fellow sailors like a true king. He was made for this world.
According to his website, Ben now runs a “successful catering business.” This has 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 merchandise and tools that can be purchased, all of which are sold to help inspire the inner chef in all of us.
And with that, it’s time for me to go ahead and burn tonight’s dinner. Chef Ben, send help. And send yourself down below deck, too.
Tell us – which Below Deck season 1 cast member did you enjoy watching the most? Who would you like to see back in the series?
