Fans first met Daisy Kelliher on Below Deck Sailing Yacht. She worked tirelessly as this series’ chief stew for three long, toxic seasons before crossing over to Below Deck Down Under. So far, Daisy is (mostly) thriving over there. It’s been a nice change of pace for everyone, Daisy seemingly included, which is why Daisy deserves a permanent spot on BDDU.
Daisy did a great job on BDSY. However, her final season was disastrous. Not helping matters, she didn’t always have the full support of her captain, who kept turning a blind eye toward her extremely problematic male colleague. And now, BDSY is off the airwaves because, all in all, Season 5, alongside the headlines that sprang up after, were just that poisonous.
Thankfully, Daisy quickly found a new home on BDDU. Currently airing is Season 4, and even though Daisy still has several challenging colleagues to contend with, she is still coming across far better than she ever did on BDSY. As a result, Daisy needs to make BDDU her forever port of call.
Daisy Kelliher needed a fresh start after Below Deck Sailing Yacht toxicity
BDSY Season 1 was a wash. So, producers started from scratch the following year. This is when fans met Daisy, Colin MacRae, and Gary King. Colin remained on this series until Season 4, while Daisy and Colin stayed until Season 5, the last season (so far) of this series.
At first, Daisy and Gary butted heads. Yet, despite their early tensions, mostly stemming from different working styles and Gary’s constant “stealing” of her stews for his own selfish, horndog pursuits, they went on to form a tight bond. However, everything fell apart in Season 4.
During Season 4, Colin was newly single, so he and Daisy entered into a boatmance. Even still, Daisy and Gary continued to flirt. But then, Gary turned, accusing Daisy of hooking up with Colin solely to “spite” him. During the Season 4 reunion, fans learned that Daisy and Colin had broken up, citing a lack of trust and toxic communication as the cause.
The following season, Gary made dismissive remarks about Daisy and her leadership, often refusing to help out with service. Daisy also sparred with her stews, one of whom called Daisy “unmotivated,” suggesting that she “didn’t give a f*ck” about her job anymore. Overall, Daisy admitted, the “toxic energy” she allowed to “filter throughout the boat” greatly brought her down.
Below Deck Down Under sees Daisy better supported by her captain AND bosun
Daisy made many mistakes in her final two seasons on BDSY. Naturally, Captain Glenn Shephard called her out as needed, specifically when it came to their guests’ complaints. However, Gary messed up as well, yet weirdly, he skirted a lot of accountability. As Captain Glenn later admitted, his “bro” bond with Gary might have been the cause, making him “subconsciously” side with Gary over Daisy.
Thankfully, on BDDU, Captain Jason Chambers is showing zero gender-based biases toward Daisy. In his confessionals, he has nothing but praise for his new chief stew, who he feels is “authentic, and she really cares about the job.” Workwise, he’s stressed, “Daisy brought her A-game, and she didn’t hold anything back. When she wants something, she gets it.”
Likewise, when Daisy brings problems to his attention, Captain Jason takes her complaints seriously. He does not offer any passes to anyone who disrespects her hierarchy. Meanwhile, her current bosun, João Franco, is also standing up for Daisy, expertly shutting down one particular male who keeps undermining her authority. All in all, Daisy is far better supported against misogyny on BDDY than she ever was on BDSY.
The fate of BDSY remains unknown, and Daisy deserves a permanent BDDU spot
Reportedly, while BDSY was filming back in 2022, Gary sexually assaulted Samantha Suarez, a former makeup artist on this series. Samantha and her then-boyfriend, Grey Duddleston, a BDSY production member, reported this incident to the higher-ups. After, they lost their jobs and were both added to a “do not hire” list. So, they filed suit against the network and Gary for allegations including sexual battery, retaliation, harassment, and negligent hiring, retention, and supervision practices.
By that time, filming on BDSY Season 5 had already wrapped. Therefore, amidst growing backlash against Gary, producers did their best to limit his screentime when this season finally aired. But then, the cameras went dark on this nautical sailing spin-off. And now, no one knows what might come of BDSY.
Either way, Daisy is the only mainstay left standing on that series. Since this series is currently facing an unknown future, for reasons that have nothing to do with her, she deserves another safe place to land, such as what she’s found on BDDU. Thankfully, her first season with Captain Jason is already proving to be a safe and productive spot for Daisy. Therefore, I think she deserves a permanent spot on this series.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Below Deck Down Under are streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – ARE YOU ENJOYING DAISY ON BDDU? DO YOU HOPE SHE STAYS HERE? ARE YOU MISSING BDSY?
