When chief stew Daisy Kelliher made what she thought was a simple request to head chef Ben Robinson on Below Deck Down Under Season 4, Episode 13, she had no idea she was sparking “cookiegate.” Shortly before the charter guests’ departure, someone asked for peanut butter cookies, and Daisy relayed the request to the galley, which did not go over well. Captain Jason Chambers weighed in with a hard stance during the Below Deck Down Under After Show.
“You did exactly what you’re supposed to do,” the captain said to Daisy on the After Show. “It’s not abnormal for a chief stewardess to request [on behalf of] charter guests, especially if they actually requested it.”
Daisy responded, “Jason, I’m with you. I did not understand either. But this was a huge issue.”
“The cookies were not for me. I did not [lie] there going, ‘How can I f–k Ben?’ Or, ‘How can I really throw him off his kilter?’” she continued. “No, I overheard something, [and] went and communicated it with him. I was just trying to give the guests what they wanted.”
Why Ben Robinson and Ellie Dubaich took issue with Daisy Kelliher sharing the guest’s cookie request
The drama over cookies began during the April 27 episode, when Daisy placed peanut butter in front of the primary guest, Joanna, at breakfast. Another charter guest asked, “Now could you take that and turn it into cookies?” to which Daisy answered, “Let me go and see what we can do.”
As Ben and chef assistant Elena “Ellie” Dubaich were relaxing in the crew mess after breakfast, Daisy said, “Ben, sorry to mention this — I think they really want homemade cookies. I don’t know if that’s something that’s doable?”
Although Ben agreed to do it, he met Daisy’s message with palpable annoyance. He was also skeptical about the origin of the request. “Did the guests ask for the cookies, or is this your idea?” he wondered out loud to producers. “Charter guests, although I love them, they’re sort of the enemy. You’re trying to please them. And they’re quite often trying to make our lives difficult. But it seems like Daisy’s kinda joining in their fun.”
RELATED: The Below Deck Down Under Crew Reacts to Two “Big F-ck Ups”: “I’m Getting Fired”
During the After Show, Ben blamed Daisy’s approach for the tense situation. “She should have said, ‘I put peanut butter down, and they said this would be better if we had cookies. Therefore, I think you should make cookies,’” he said. “She just was tricky about it.”
Ellie took issue with the timing: “The issue with cookiegate was Daisy coming to us 20 minutes before guest departure, and she thinks this would be the right moment for us to make cookies.”
Daisy Kelliher reacts to being shooed out of the galley by Ben Robinson
For Daisy, the real problem occurred when the chef shooed her away with a hand gesture. During the Below Deck Down Under episode, she called the gesture “rude” and asked for an apology.
Ben was reluctant to show remorse. “I can’t remember what happened. No, I was swatting a fly. Did I do that?” he said. “I was swatting a fly.”
“You don’t shoo me,” Daisy maintained on the After Show. “I did not deserve that.”
Even Ellie took issue with the gesture. “I don’t think that shooing people out of the galley is appropriate behavior in a professional work environment,” she admitted on the After Show. “Obviously not. But, is this a valid crash out? I think it is.”
Ben eventually offered a “hug apology” to Daisy. “Honestly, I’m probably more of a peacekeeper than people would give me credit for,” he reflected during the After Show. “And if someone is lacking an apology or cookies, for that matter, I will gracefully endeavor.”
RELATED: Is Captain Jason Chambers on Daisy or Ellie’s Side About the Rank Order? (EXCLUSIVE)
In the end, Daisy said she was “happy” and “grateful” for Ben’s apology.
Don’t miss Ben sharing more behind-the-scenes secrets about galley drama, including his thoughts when a charter guest eats a prime cut of steak with ketchup.
