Summary
- Ben is working well as the lead deckhand but may cause drama due to his social interactions.
- Ben has become a mediator between Jared and Captain Kerry, potentially causing tension between them.
- Ben shared negative information about Cat with Barbie, stirring up drama between them.
Below Deck season 11 brought back a few familiar faces, including Ben Willoughby as the Lead Deckhand, but is he going to bring the drama to the season? First appearing on the last season of Below Deck, Ben went from a deckhand to lead in the break between seasons. While Ben had some issues with his responsibilities being taken care of in a timely manner in the past, he appears to be working hard on doing a great job as the lead deckhand on St. David. Ben hopes to be successful working under bosun Jared Woodin and Captain Kerry Titheradge.
While Ben is doing well in his job as lead deckhand, some social elements of his time on St. David could be an issue as he continues on in the season. During Below Deck season 10, Ben was occupied flirting with Camille Lamb, who was ultimately fired from the yacht. During Below Deck season 11, he has yet to find someone he can build a boatmance with and claims he’s sworn off doing so after Camille cheated on him. Because of his lack of romance on St. David, it appears Ben may resort to stirring up drama.
Although Ben is the lead deckhand and should be working with Jared and Captain Kerry in different capacities, he’s started being the go-between for his colleagues. While Ben was doing his best to work with Jared, it became clear that Jared wasn’t doing things the way Captain Kerry wanted.
Rather than talking to Jared, Ben has gone to Captain Kerry about the issues he’s seeing with the bosun. In turn, Jared has been getting flack for things that may have been Ben’s responsibilities. This could cause drama between Ben and Jared, or create an issue between Captain Kerry and Jared.
Ben Told Barbie About Cat's Negativity Toward Her
Newcomers Barbie Pascual and Cat Baugh have had a difficult time working together, as Barbie hasn’t been able to deal with Cat’s work ethic. During Below Deck season 11 episode 1, Barbie said she didn’t know how she was going to work with Cat when the newcomer.
Cat, who realized Barbie was dealing with frustration surrounding her performance, shared with Ben while on an excursion that she was hurt by Cat talking to Fraser about her. Ben, rather than keeping it to himself, stirred up drama with Barbie by sharing Cat was angry, making the pair of stews even angrier.
Ben Could Stir Things Up With Fraser Later In The Season
While Ben has been keeping the dramatics to a minimum in the first episodes of Below Deck season 11, the lead deckhand has been shown to be causing a bit of chaos as the season continues. In the trailer for the rest of the season, it appears that Ben and Chief Stew Fraser Olender will be having some issues in the future, which is out of character for Fraser. The drama could lead to Ben having problems with Captain Kerry, who’s trying to keep the peace on St. David. Below Deck season 11 could be a turning point for Ben.
