Fraser Olender has excelled as Captain Kerry Titheradge’s Chief Stew in Below Deck season 11, and he should return for season 12. He joined the franchise during Below Deck season 9 as a stew under Heather Chase. Fraser was asked back for Below Deck season 10, and he made franchise history by becoming the show’s first male chief stew. He was promoted after one impressive season with Captain Lee Rosbach. Fraser has served the role for two consecutive seasons of Below Deck, becoming the second recurring chief stew since Kate Chastain retired after Below Deck season 7.
Fraser had big shoes to fill. The two replacement chief stews that were brought in after Kate flopped until Fraser stepped in. It appears Below Deck has found its new resident chief stew with Fraser. While he demonstrated villainous behavior during Below Deck season 11, there’s no denying his talents in hospitality. Fraser got closer to his previous co-star, Ben Willoughby, as they stepped up to lead their departments. With season 11 ending its course, there’s been speculation and rumors about the crew of Below Deck season 12.
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8 Fraser Was A Hit With The Charter Guests
Fraser Formed Close Relationships With The Guests
As chief stew, Fraser was a reliable and trustworthy point of contact for all the charter guests. He formed close relationships with many of the guests on the charters throughout Below Deck season 11. One guest, Steven, had a crush on him, which became a prominent storyline throughout the back half of the season. Throughout his time onboard, they would joke, and Fraser would refer to him as his “husband-to-be.” The primary and rest of the charter party urged them to make moves on each other when they had a mock New Year’s Eve celebration.
“I'm gonna give my husband a kiss.”
The close bond Fraser formed with Steven and the rest of the charter was a testament to his skills as a friendly chief stew. He has an undeniable charm that allows the guests to open up to him. They felt comfortable with Fraser, which showed during their charter on Below Deck season 11. After most of the charters, the primaries commended him on his impeccable service and hospitality skills, which he could bring on Below Deck season 12.
7 Fraser Is A Funny & Witty Chief Stew
Fraser Offers Comedic Relief In His Confessionals
There’s no denying Fraser is a witty chief stew. In his confessionals, Fraser gives hilarious commentary on the rest of the crew on Below Deck. His wit was one reason he became a fan-favorite crew member on Below Deck season 9. The show needs to cast people who have experience in the yachting industry. However, for the show to succeed, personalities like Fraser make great casting decisions. He was the narrator of Below Deck season 11, an important archetype in most reality shows.
6 Fraser Has The Experience To Continue Excelling As Chief Stew
This Season Wasn’t His First Time As Chief Stew
Fraser has adequate experience to continue as chief stew in Below Deck season 12. He has three seasons with the franchise, including two appearances as Chief Stew. Fraser was promoted after serving as a stew for one season to head the interior department, which does not happen very often. Per his bio on Bravo TV, Fraser went into Below Deck season 11 with six years of experience in the yachting industry. He’s not a newbie yachtie who is seeking screen time by being on the show. Fraser takes his job seriously and naturally appeals to the audience.
5 Fraser Knows How To Make Good TV On Below Deck
Fraser Is A Seasoned Reality TV Star
After appearing on the show for a few years, he knows the recipe for creating shocking reality TV moments. Fraser always puts his job as chief stew first and foremost, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feed into the drama. Throughout the beginning of Below Deck season 11, Fraser was feuding with one of his stews, Barbie Pascual. Their personalities clashed, and they couldn’t see eye to eye. During one of the crew's days off, they got into a heated argument. Fraser threatened to fire the stew, which drew up much controversy.
He didn’t end up firing Barbie, but it appeared he was going to. For the sake of their working relationship, Fraser and Barbie worked through their issues and grew closer after hashing out their beef. The conflict was rather silly as Barbie was a great addition to the interior team, she just struggled to take orders from her chief stew at times. Fraser knew it was best to make up with the stew, and it was one of the best moments of Below Deck season 11.
4 Fraser Led The Interior Team To Success
He Got Along Well With The Rest Of His Stews
Chief Stew knew how to lead his team to success. Barbie, Paris Field, and Xandi Olivier were Fraser’s main stews throughout Below Deck season 11. He had a rough start with Barbie but got along swimmingly with Paris and Xandi. Because Fraser took a liking to the women of the interior team, this allowed them to work together very well. It wasn’t his first season leading as chief stew either, so he knew what he was getting into. Fraser understood the demands of working on superyachts and headed the interior team exceptionally.
3 Fraser Got Along With Ben, The Head Of The Exterior Team
Fraser & Ben’s Pre-Existing Friendship Made The Season Even More Interesting
A good working relationship with all crew members is essential for superyachts. Fraser was notably close to the head of the exterior team, Ben. They both appeared on Below Deck season 10 together and formed a friendship before heading into season 11. Because of their close relationship, Fraser and Ben offered a helping hand to each of their opposing departments. On multiple occasions, all the deckhands assisted the stews when celebrating nightly dinners. It was great to see them interact positively, aided by Fraser and Ben’s friendship.
2 Fraser Listend To Captain Kerry’s Advice
Fraser Took His Captain’s Critique In Stride
On Below Deck season 11, he was very willing to take critique from Captain Kerry. After Fraser feuded with Barbie during one of the crew’s days off, he went to his captain to express his frustrations. After hearing his side, Captain Kerry urged Fraser not to take things so personally and to realize how good of a stew Barbie was. He could have gotten defensive and tried to justify firing Barbie, but Fraser didn’t do that. From there, Fraser had a productive conversation with Barbie and moved forward on better terms.
Fraser knew he had to listen to his superior, Captain Kerry.
He could have acted erratically and insisted on terminating Barbie’s employment. If he went against Captain Kerry’s word, he would've been fired. Fraser is not a perfect chief stew, but he can take orders and apply feedback. After his chats with Captain Kerry and Barbie, the interior team was a much more cohesive unit.
1 Fraser Had Some Hiccups As Chief Stew, But He Learned From Them
Fraser Grew A Lot As A Chief Stew On Below Deck Season 11
Fraser had a few hiccups working as chief stew during Below Deck season 11, but he learned from all his mistakes. His feud with Barbie was his worst moment during the season. At the start of the charter season, Barbie was combative and dismissive of the requests made by her chief stew. She was not used to reporting to a superior, and Fraser worked the best he could with her. When their tension finally bubbled over, Fraser sought advice from Captain Kerry. He listened to his captain and applied feedback that made the rest of their charter season enjoyable.
Fraser was an upstanding Chief Stew on Below Deck season 11, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t be back for season 12. He has three years of experience with the franchise on his resume, positioning him as a suitable candidate to take on the role again. It appears Below Deck has finally found a fitting replacement for its long-term Chief Stew Kate in Fraser.
Below Deck season 11 airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Sources: Bravo TV
Below Deck is a popular reality TV franchise that focuses on a group of crew members as they work on luxurious yachts and cater to their client's needs. After the original series proved to be a success, Bravo developed a handful of spinoff shows including Below Deck Selling Yacht, Below Deck Adventure, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Mediterranean.
