Ben Willoughby wasn’t always sure that a career in reality TV was for him, but when a Cher song came on at a defining moment, that all changed.
“I was in the taxi on my way to my first season [of Below Deck, Season 10] in Saint Lucia,” Ben, 30, tells TV WEEK. “It was just me and the taxi driver and the song ‘All Or Nothing’ by Cher came on. It was perfectly timed. I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this now, I’m either all in or I’m not doing it.”
(Image: Bravo)
Ben is a lead deckhand and star on Below Deck, a series that follows the lives of young, attractive “yachties” who work and live on superyachts during charter season and are often subjected to grueling hours and insanely generous tips from their demanding guests.
Now after filming his second season of the series, airing on Hayu now, what Ben originally thought would be daunting about the experience has become second nature.
“It can be very intimidating having cameras follow you around everywhere,” he says. “They even follow you into the bathroom, but if you watch me and Fraser (Olender) you’ll be able to see our mannerisms are a lot more comfortable and relaxed this time around as opposed to the new crew onboard.”
(Image: Instagram)
Chief stew Fraser and Ben, who have worked together on boats before, are reunited this season, and while the two share a friendship, there is a dose of healthy competition that arises between their two departments.
“He’s very sassy,” Ben says with a smirk. “I think the way that he talks to his crew could be improved. The interior is precious, but I don’t understand why they complain, they’re inside with the aircon.”
In the sink or swim industry, tensions run high and Ben teases this leads to drama between the crew this season, revealing he was “close to walking off at one stage”.
As for what they do with the whopping tips they receive at the end of each charter?
“If you ask the interior team, they just spend it all on materialistic stuff,” he reveals. “They love their Gucci. I’m pretty good to be honest. I spent a little on traveling last year and ticking things off my bucket list like hiking the Dolomites [mountain group in northern Italy] and spending the summer in Greece before I turned 30.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
