WALKING up a gang plank and slipping off her shoes, Daisy Kelliher steps into the main saloon and assesses the super yacht around her.
Noting dust on its decadent interiors, she adds a line to the list of jobs she will need to take care of as Chief Stewardess, having worked on boats since she was 25.
The Irish lass is a key cast member on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, which follows the lives of the crew on a super yacht during the summer season as they deal with demanding charter guests.
From bumper tips to unrealistic charters, Daily says the hit Bravo show, which is also on Netflix, is just like her previous jobs – but on steroids.
The 35-year-old tells The Sun: “
“The show is odd in the sense that in the normal world you wouldn't do a three-day charter,” Daisy explains.
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“The minimum outside the show would be a week, and even then it's a bit short.
“Below Deck has also got insane with the tipping. It's normal to expect around ten per cent.
“Sometimes if you get a generous American who thinks they've had great service, you'll get up to 20 per cent.
“The tips really is the big draw to the industry.”
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Producers step in
9
9Another spin-off of the Below Deck franchise, Below Deck Down Under, sparked controversy earlier this month when it showed scenes of the Bosun tried to get into bed naked with a passed out stewardess.
Producers were quickly to intervene and prevent anything from happening – which is exactly what Daisy would expect.
She told The Sun: “I've seen it happen in my season when production have stepped in. It can be because arguments have got heated or someone's too drunk.
“It happens all the time. It just doesn't get aired. They're humans at the end of the day, they have a moral compass, and they're definitely there for us.
“Safety is the number one priority for must industries, as it is for them and us.”
Favourite type of guests
Daisy took over the role of Chief Stewardess for the Sailing Yacht series in 2021 and has become a fan favourite with viewers.
Each season, she takes on a new set of hospitality staff and has just 24 hours to whip them into shape before the boat takes on their first charter.
She add: "I think the outrageous requests we get on Below Deck has spun yachting into this kind of wild thing.
“I’ve never had an owner ask me to go get them a lion for the boat or anything like that."
Working a fourteen-hour day is normal for Daisy, but on demanding charters it can end up being much longer.
“We're supposed to have a break of between eight and ten hours by law,” she explains.
“But if it's a particularly busy charter, that can become really difficult. I've had to do 20-hour days before.
“I've also had the opposite, where you end up just working ten hours. So it's swings and roundabouts, really.”
While no guest is the same, Daisy says families with small children are the best, as they don't tend to get out of control.
“People with kids tends to mean water sports, dinner at an early time and often an earlier bed,” she says.
“The kids tend to be really sweet and often get attached to a particular deckhand or stew.
“Often I end up getting on really well with the owners' wives, and they'll ask me to sit and have a glass of wine with them.
“It just tends to be a more relaxed experience.”
Love triangle drama
While Daisy's last season in Italy started like all the others, it soon saw her at the centre of the drama as Chief Engineer Colin Macrae and First Mate Gary King battled for her affections.
Daisy struck up a romance with Colin, leaving Gary unhappy, and he attempted to sabotage the happiness of his pal and former love interest.
Speaking about the love triangle, she said: “It was undoubtedly difficult.
“In previous seasons, the drama has been around me, so that's been easier to deal with. It was normally people who come in and out.
“This time it was me at the centre with two people I've known for three years, which made it feel like the stakes were higher.
“It wasn't the most enjoyable experience, but I survived. I was the talk of the town for ten minutes, and then everyone moved on.”
Bad reputation
Below Deck isn't seen in a great light by the yachting industry, and for years Daisy never imagined thinking about going on.
But when the pandemic hit, she was left stuck back at home with her parents and no prospect of earning a living for a long time.
It led to a previous captain and friends suggesting she apply to the show because they thought she'd be good TV.
“Joining the show is a risk for your career, but for me, it's paid off,” she said.
“I'm getting exposed to lots more opportunities thanks to how big the show has become. I've also had a chance to pick up new skills whilst still working on a boat.
“But if I wanted to stay in the industry it could cause problems as lots of people who own and charter boats want to be discreet and a public profile makes that difficult.
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“If someone isn't bothered about staying in the industry, I'd recommend the show to them.”
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