Producer Plants & Casting Shakeups Threaten Below Deck Season 12’s Authenticity

Below Deck underwent a dramatic makeover in season 12, and I’m worried that the changes aren’t all positive. Below Deck season 12 sees Captain Kerry Titheradge returning to the St. David, this time traversing the waters off St. Maarten, Anguilla, and St. Barts. He’s joined by several familiar crew members, as well as a team of newcomers who are already making a splash in the franchise. Captain Kerry is met with the repeated obstacle of navigating the yacht through the narrow Simpson Bay Bridge, but that’s not the only challenge he’s facing this season.

While changes are inevitable more than a decade into Below Deck's run, I’m not sure production is making the best moves. The cast is already showing signs of trouble in the first episodes of the season. Below Deck Chef Lawrence Snowden quit before completing his first charter, while the internal and external teams have already experienced various crises. On top of the shaky relations between the crew, the team is taking on challenging guests and lengthy charters. The drama on the high seas is reflected in the season’s new, experimental editing style, with a questionable end result.

Soléne Was Cast With Virtually No Experience
& A Clout Chasing Background
The drama within the interior team centers around Soléne Favreau, a French stew with extremely limited experience. Prior to Below Deck season 12, Soléne had worked on yachts for a total of 22 days, leading to her self-appointed title of “baby stew.” Soléne’s flightiness and lack of basic understanding of yachting procedures led her team to become quickly exasperated, particularly second stew Rainbeau de Roos.

While Below Deck Chief Stew Fraser Olender was preoccupied with keeping Captain Kerry and the guests happy, it fell on Rainbeau to ensure order within the interior. Soléne’s inexperience meant Rainbeau had to work overtime to compensate, with her frustration building into a frightening panic attack as she toiled alone into the early morning hours. Rainbeau insisted on keeping her frustration to herself and trudging forward until the job was done, a position she never should have been in. Soléne is bringing down the entire team, and I feel her casting wasn’t coincidental.

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Soléne previously appeared on Love Island France season 2 in 2023, finishing in third place. Her reality TV career continued in 2024 with a spot on the French show The Cerveau, or The Brain. Soléne considers herself an influencer and has a strong following on Instagram. Her placement on Below Deck makes me concerned that she’s a producer plant whose sole purpose is to add drama while increasing her own fame.

There Are Too Many Returning Below Deck Cast Members
Four Season 11 Yachties Returned For Season 12
Captain Kerry, who previously starred in the short-lived spinoff Below Deck Adventure, first moved over to Below Deck in season 11. He isn’t the only familiar face returning for season 12, as he’s joined by fellow season 11 veterans Fraser and Deckhand Kyle Stillie. Just days into the new season, Chef Lawrence’s exit paved the way for the return of another former cast member, Chef Anthony Iracane. Although Captain Kerry had previously fired Anthony, he made the unusual decision to give him a second chance now that Anthony is in a better headspace.

Production’s choice to bring back four cast members was an interesting one, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it’s nice to see so many familiar faces onscreen this early in the season. On the other hand, their overpowering presence makes it hard to get to know the rest of the season 12 crew. With a Below Deck veteran in each department, it’s a challenge to shake the experiences and biases of the previous season.

The returning crew members also have a loaded history that could potentially hijack season 12’s drama. Anthony holds resentment towards Fraser for his belief that Fraser played a role in his firing. Anthony also must work extra hard to prove himself after being given an extremely rare second chance. Fraser and Kyle, who shared a playful kiss last season, have their own banter that they’ve carried over into season 12. These existing dynamics make me worry that there won’t be as much room for new drama to unfold, and nobody wants to spend a season rehashing stale storylines.

Below Deck Season 12's Editing Style Has Been Strange
Many Viewers Find It Disorienting
The most distracting part of Below Deck season 12 has been its experimental editing techniques. Production is taking more artistic license with the camera cuts and angles, including elements like fast cuts and slow motion. The on-screen text and photo grids are reminiscent of social media, while the editing style mimics the chaos aboard the St. David.

Below Deck season 12 has already broken the fourth wall, a rarity within the franchise. Chef Lawrence directly addressed the cameras moments into the first episode and continued throughout his time in the kitchen. He eventually went on an unhinged rant against the production crew after buckling under the stress of the camera’s watchful eye. Season 12 producers also leaned into the tactic of teasing future drama by skipping ahead to the looming conflict between Fraser and Anthony, then returning to the present moment to document how it unfolded.

The need for dizzying visual effects and a cast with built-in drama makes me wonder if there’s no longer enough organic content to keep viewers satisfied, and producers may be overcompensating.
On their own, the Below Deck season 12 editing choices would make for a refreshing change. But paired with controversial casting choices, I’m concerned Below Deck is dangerously close to being overproduced. The need for dizzying visual effects and a cast with built-in drama makes me wonder if there’s no longer enough organic content to keep viewers satisfied, and producers may be overcompensating.

There's More Than One Suspected Producer Plant
Are Producers Creating Their Own Drama?
Soléne isn’t the only cast member that has me wondering about the producers’ involvement. Chef Lawrence, a born-again Christian who overcame his past demons after finding religion, was shockingly quick to unravel. His discomfort with the cameras, despite having signed up for a reality show, struck me as a convenient way to explain Chef Anthony’s return. It just so happened that when Fraser suggested Anthony to the captain, Anthony was at the ready and available to step in at a moment’s notice.

Bosun Caio Poltronieri is also making me suspicious with his quick succession of cringe-worthy mistakes. After leaving the guests’ luggage on the dock during the first charter, Caio exhibited a complete lack of control over his team’s schedule, even forgetting to give them meal breaks. And despite falling behind so early in the season, I find it strange that Caio has shown no desire to improve his own performance. If he continues to make careless mistakes even after Captain Kerry’s warning, my suspicions that Caio is a producer plant will be confirmed.

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It's hard to get a sense of Below Deck season 12’s potential with so many new production twists. I’m concerned that the casting and editing are last-ditch efforts to distract from a lack of real content. Like many viewers, I prefer to watch drama unfold naturally, even if it takes a while to build up. Producers’ push to ramp up the drama before the season even gets off the ground makes me wary, and I’m becoming gravely worried about the show’s new direction.