Below Deck Med star Hannah Ferrier was unceremoniously fired from her position of Chief Stew on the Below Deck super yacht in 2020 for not disclosing her anti-anxiety medicine to the captain.
If you or somebody you care for needs help or information about depression, suicide, anxiety, or mental health issues, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
The scene was one of the most polarising that’s ever been shown on a reality show, and had fans outraged. Ferrier was one of the most popular cast members to ever star on Below Deck and helmed the stew crew for five seasons of the show.
Now, ahead of her upcoming stint on The Real Love Boat, Ferrier has opened up about her anxiety, and the shame she attached to it for years.
“I was ashamed of it,” she told Daily Telegraph of the anxiety she was secretly battling. “And I was embarrassed about it. And I felt, back then, that it was a weakness.”
Referring to the episode where Ferrier takes prescribed anti-anxiety medicine during her shift she said; “I’ve been through a lot in my life and in my childhood. And so my armour is going: ‘I’m strong’. So, when I had moments where I wasn’t strong and I couldn’t mentally control myself, I felt ashamed.”
Ferrier was fired from the yacht after Captain Sandy found her medication and never returned to yachting again. However, she revealed that in the years since hanging up her BD stew uniform, she’s found ways to deal with her anxiety rather than “trying to push it down or be embarrassed”.
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“I hid my anxiety for three seasons of filming Below Deck, which was really exhausting,” she says.
“Because it is a highly stressful, anxious, sleep-deprived, alcohol-induced kind of experience, if anxiety is ever going to come up, it’s filming a show like Below Deck.
The 35-year-old is set to be the cruise director in the new reality show The Real Love Boat which premieres on October 5th. Speaking of her new position – and return to reality TV – Ferrier has a positive attitude.
“The first day that I landed in Barcelona, and I remember just walking around the streets going: “Oh the food! The culture! The language! All of those things that fed my soul for 10 years,” she reflects.
“It was such an amazing experience after sitting at home for such a long time.”
The mum-of-one said that the filming of The Real Love Boat was a lot less stressful than her time on Below Deck Med.
“It was like nice to not be working 22 hours a day and be a maid with a camera strapped to me.”
“I feel like, you know, you can still go in and be yourself, and have your own personality coming through, even though you’re not part of the drama.”
“To be part of this amazing new show, where I could still be my cheeky self and poke a few bears was a lot of fun.”
For more on this topic, follow the Reality TV Observer.
