Below Deck star Eddie Lucas has claimed that his hit Bravo show does not pay the cast members well and alleged that he was not told directly that he had not been hired for another season.
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The popular reality star, who has worked closely with Captain Lee Rosbach as a deckhand and most recently First Officer, said: "I was not invited back to do another season. I actually didn’t even get a phone call from them saying they hired someone else — which kind of goes to show what the production entails. Everyone on Below Deck is expendable."
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The long-running fan favorite told New York Post: "There is somebody monetizing off of the show, but it’s definitely not us. Below Deck — regardless of it being the most popular show on Bravo — we are the lowest-paid cast members."
He also claimed that although they are paid better than "normal yachties" they are paid nowhere near what the Real Housewives stars make "which is a little frustrating, because they’re not really working — they’re just going out to dinner and fighting".
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Below Deck is the hit reality series that follows the personal and professional lives of crew members working onboard a mega-yacht during charting season.
The original follows a yacht and the crew around the Caribbean, while there are three spin-offs - Med, Sailing Yacht, and Down Under.
Eddie has been with the show since the beginning
The reality programme first aired in 2014 on Bravo but the show reached new audiences thanks to its presence on the streaming platform Netflix internationally during the pandemic.
Below Deck OG Eddie began his journey as a deckhand in season one before returning five years later as Bosun and later First Officer.
The hilarious crew member, known for his witty one-liners and comedic moments, spends his time in Baltimore, Maryland when he's not at sea.
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