Below Deck: Chef Rachel Reveals She Holds No Grudges Towards Eddie
Below Deck's Chef Rachel Hargrove doesn't hold any grudges towards crewmate Eddie Lucas this season after he called her out for her drinking in season 8. Viewers met Rachel for the first time last season when she came aboard the My Seanna superyacht as head chef. Rachel was quickly met with praise by Captain Lee Rosbach, who went as far as to say that she was the best chef he's ever worked with in his 40 years as a yacht captain. But not everyone was pleased with her presence on board.
Rachel first ruffled Captain Lee and her crewmate's feathers when she left the boat for a night after reading the demands of the upcoming charter guests. Captain Lee worried about finding a new chef before the charter began and her crewmates worried that they would be left picking up the slack. Chef Rachel realized she overreacted and begged Lee for her job back, and he obliged, but not before giving her a final warning. That was the first straw with then bosun Eddie, who later called Rachel's behavior unprofessional, both for leaving the boat and for later getting very drunk on crew nights off and rubbing him the wrong way with her behavior. Throughout the season, Eddie and Rachel did not get along, and only time will tell how things go between them on season 9, as they are both returning for another go.
In a recent interview with Us Weekly, while promoting Below Deck season 9, Rachel opened up about her relationship with Eddie and how she did not dwell on his comments from last season. "For me, grudges mean that I would actually have to care and give significance to that issue or that individual. I don’t," Rachel told the publication. The 39-year-old also pointed out that drinking is part of the lifestyle in the yachting industry, so she was confused as to why Eddie was so judgmental about her drinking habits. "Also if you work in restaurants and in kitchens, my behavior is nothing different than anybody else’s. She added that she thinks Eddie overreacted when it came to judging her, but she's not bringing any of that energy into season 9.
Still, there's likely to be tension between the two, as many of Eddie's interviews about season 8 surrounded his beef with Chef Rachel. During a December 2020 episode of Below Deck, Eddie called Rachel "rude and classless" when she drank, though he never brought it up to her after the one time because he was scared she would leave the ship again. In the premiere of season 9, Eddie and Rachel are cordial but not friendly with each other. Also in the premiere, Eddie, who is now first officer, can be told telling Captain Lee's replacement, Captain Sean Meagher, that Rachel is a great chef but that she's "batsh*t" crazy.
Even though Rachel doesn't hold any grudges towards Eddie after what he said about her drinking habits, it seems the two have not made amends. Hopefully, their ongoing feud doesn't get in the way of taking care of the charter guest this season.
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.
Source: Us Weekly