Elena "Ellie" Dubaich is reflecting on everything that went down during Season 9 of Below Deck Mediterranean — and it's safe to say that she has a few regrets.
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"I genuinely don’t even recognize the person I was last year when this was filmed," Ellie shared in an exclusive post-season interview with The Daily Dish. "This has been such an intense experience of personal growth and character strengthening. Although there were many negatives on my part this season that I do regret, I still appreciate them for making me better."
The stew went on to unpack a few of these "negatives," including how much of an emphasis she placed on her second stew status, as well as "rank and hierarchy" in general.
"Watching it back, I now understand where this issue stemmed from. Although hierarchy is an antiquated notion in the workforce, it is not at sea, it’s how boats operate," Ellie explained. "However, any boat smaller than 50 meters is known in the industry as more relaxed and having more of a family atmosphere amongst crew members as it’s a small team. My yachting experience, however, comes from boats ranging from 95 meters to 140 meters, plus cruise ships."
Yachts like these, according to Ellie, "run with a large crew and are very strict on hierarchy because it’s the only way to establish order."
"There are specific rules and etiquette we follow," she continued. "Bri [Muller]'s experience was on small vessels up to 30 meters, which had a handful of crew, so our experiences were just the complete opposite. This caused an issue where she’d think I’m power tripping while I would think she’s not respecting me."
Ellie didn't just clash with Bri, though — she also found herself butting heads with chief stew Aesha Scott.
How does Elena Dubaich feel about Aesha Scott after Season 9?
While reflecting on her repeated disagreements with Aesha, Ellie acknowledged that she seemed "completely delusional in terms of my work abilities" throughout Below Deck Med Season 9. "[I was] genuinely not realizing I wasn’t pulling my weight," she told The Daily Dish. "We’d work 16 hour days and I would get praise the entire day and a small note on something I could improve every once in a while. So, it never seemed like that big of an issue from my perspective."
Regardless, Ellie and Aesha are on better terms today. "Aesha and I have spoken since the season aired," Ellie said. "She reached out and offered love and support amidst the midseason backlash and I will always appreciate her for that. I think she’s a wonderful person and a great friend."
Where do Ellie Dubaich and Bri Muller stand today?
Ellie said she reached out and apologized to Bri "around episode 2 or 3" of Below Deck Med Season 9. "My experience with Bri turned unnecessarily negative in the beginning because my feelings got hurt. Getting emotional about things was something I needed to learn how to regulate better," Ellie told The Daily Dish. "I’ve learned to always take ownership of how I feel and focus on my actions matching who I am rather than reacting."
Today, "Bri and I are open to catching up when she’s back in town and mending fences," Ellie noted.
What is Elena Dubaich up to after Below Deck Med Season 9?
Ellie is currently based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She's spent the past year "freelancing on a variety of vessels in service," in addition to working as a solo stew.
What's more, "I’ve taken courses on bartending, purchased liquor to practice, done a Chief Stew course, and a Yacht Purser course," Ellie continued. "I feel much more confident in my skills and I’m looking forward to always learning and growing further in my career."
Catch up on Below Deck Med on Peacock now.
