Below Deck Down Under‘s Captain Jason Chambers rightly predicted that the rocky start to Season 4’s second charter was a bad omen for the rest of the trip.
From the get-go, chef Ben Robinson and his newly appointed “assistant,” Elena “Ellie” Dubaich, were late to greet the guests upon their arrival in Episode 4, because they were occupied with chatting and getting to know more about each other’s backgrounds in the galley and missed the captain’s radio announcement.
On the Below Deck Down Under After Show for Season 4, Episode 4, Captain Jason explained that he was “glad” that the duo had gone “over and above” to establish a rapport, on the heels of Alesia Harris and Ben’s personality clash that led to her abrupt transfer request out of her sous chef role on M/Y Katina.
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“Someone’s trying to change the dynamics in the galley, which is a positive,” he said, before chief stew Daisy Kelliher pointed out that the duo’s tardiness showed “a lack of respect” for him and the rest of the crew.
“These little things really irk me,” Captain Jason admitted. “How you start a charter is usually a progression into it. And if you have a look at this charter, we start not ready, we’re not a team, we’re lagging behind. As you watch this charter go on, we see that same element throughout the whole charter.”
Ben Robinson and Ellie Dubaich owned up to their mistake from Below Deck Down Under
Elsewhere on the Below Deck Down Under After Show, both Ben and Ellie took accountability for their mistake.
“Ben and I had such a good time in the galley,” Ellie explained. “We completely missed the captain’s call for the guest arrival, which is embarrassing. Like, come on.”
The newest addition to the crew, meanwhile, agreed with Captain Jason’s prediction that their early misstep set the tone for not only that specific charter, but for the season as a whole.
RELATED:Â Captain Jason Chambers Makes a Damning Declaration on Chef Ben and Ellie: “Unacceptable”
“I think it was kind of indicative of how our season was gonna go, ’cause the two of us were just in our own world, in our own bubble, not really paying attention to what’s happening outside of that,” Ellie elaborated. “And I feel like that just continued.”
Chef Ben, for his part, separately defended himself by saying, “When you meet someone new, I wanna know about them. I need to vet our new opportunities.”
How Captain Jason Chambers reacted to Ben Robinson and Ellie Dubaich’s lateness on Below Deck Down Under
During Below Deck Down Under‘s Feb. 23 episode, Captain Jason first called out Ben and Ellie’s lateness for guest arrival in a confessional.
“We need to start the charter together as a team, front and center, ready to go. This is unacceptable,” he declared to a producer. “I understand there’s been a couple of changes in the galley. However, I expect more from Ben. He should be ready to go. This is where I get the s–t. If we start strong, we finish strong. We start like this, we’re gonna spend all charter making up for it.”
Jason eventually told Ben directly that his and Ellie’s tardiness was “not a good look” and encouraged him to “start thinking ahead.” The chef, meanwhile, apologized, reasoning, “There’s just been a lot of discombobulation. I’m just not used to it at all.”
After Jason assured him that all was “good,” Ben replied, “I really appreciate you.”
When Ben and Ellie’s meal for the charter guests also failed to arrive on time, however, Captain Jason decided to supervise one dinner service from the galley, explaining to his chef, “You were a bit late on their first meal, so that’s why I’m pushing a little. Just my presence is a push.”
As the charter continues, get more details on Ben and Ellie’s off-camera connection prior to her joining Below Deck Down Under Season 4.
