Below Deck Season 1 Cast: Where Are They Now?

Almost eight years have gone by since the series premiere of Below Deck season 1 onboard the mega yacht Honor. When the Bravo series premiered, there was some skepticism about whether the show would be a success or not. After nearly ten years, multiple spin-offs, and potentially more shows in the works, this reality TV franchise has quickly become a Bravo must-watch.

Ever since Below Deck premiered, the show has seen several deckhands, stews, and chefs come and go throughout the series. Certain cast members stayed on for several seasons, such as Kate Chastain, Eddie Lucas, Ben Robinson, and Below Deck‘s Captain Lee Rosbach, who is the only original cast member. While there have been a number of memorable seasons in the past, it was Below Deck season 1 that put the show, and franchise, on the map. So, what has that OG cast been up to since the first season?

Related: Below Deck Season 3 Cast: Where Are They Now?

Captain Lee Rosbach

Captain Lee has been the captain on Below Deck every year since the first season. He was absent for the first episode of Below Deck season 9 and was replaced by Captain Sean Meagher. Captain Lee also left Below Deck season 10 early and was replaced by Below Deck Mediterranean‘s Captain Sandy Yawn. When he isn’t out at sea, Lee can be found in Fort Lauderdale with his wife, Mary-Anne Rosbach. Lee is also very close with several crew members from the series, including his former Honor deckhand turned bosun, Eddie.

Aleks Taldykin

When Aleks Taldykin originally joined Below Deck season 1, he was hired as the captain of Honor. However, the boat’s owner didn’t feel comfortable with him, and Lee stepped in to take his place. Aleks was still working on yachts in 2019, but according to Vulture, he has worked as a captain, and according to Aleks‘ Instagram, he now works in super yacht sales. Besides his time on Below Deck, Aleks briefly appeared in an episode of Vanderpump Rules as a potential love interest of Kristen Doute’s.

Ben Robinson

Besides starring in the original Below Deck series for many years, Ben also appeared on Below Deck Mediterranean seasons 1 and 4. Now, Ben resides in Florida with his girlfriend, Kiara Cabral, and no longer works as a chef on boats. Instead, Ben is now a private chef, has his own catering business, and appears on Below Deck Galley Talk with fellow alumni where they talk about the show.

Adrienne Gang

Even though Adrienne Gang was a one-season wonder on Below Deck, the chief stew is still often remembered for taking her job way too seriously. Since leaving the show, Adrienne continued to work as a chief stew on yachts but has seemed to keep herself docked over the last several years. She has gone through a few life changes, including getting married to her long-time boyfriend Andrew, in 2018, and starting the Gangplant Report podcast in 2021.

Related: Why Below Deck Fans Are Comparing Captain Lee & Captain Sandy

C.J. LeBeau

The second engineer C.J. LeBeau left halfway through Below Deck season 1 after growing tired of being on the boat. After wrapping the series, C.J. was arrested for allegedly getting into a physical altercation with his fiancé at the time (via TMZ). Since then, he has not maintained an online presence.

Kat Held

Kat Held returned to Below Deck as a second stew for another season, but she left after Below Deck season 2. In fact, Kat put the yachting industry behind her altogether. Following Below Deck, she tried her hand at bartending and waitressing. During the Watch What Happens Live 100 episode special in 2020, she revealed she was pursuing nursing. While Kat has an Instagram page, she hasn’t uploaded to it since January 2020.

Samantha Orme

It was evident from the very first episode of Below Deck season 1 that Samantha Orme hated her job as a stew. However, she hated her chief stew even more. After the show, Sam put yachting behind her and became an engineer. Besides a career change, she took some big steps in her personal life. Sam is now married and has two daughters, Blake and Molly.

Eddie Lucas

After his first season as a deckhand, Eddie returned to Below Deck for seasons 2, 3, 8, and 9 as the bosun. He took a break between seasons 3 and 8 due to his affair with Raquel ‘Rocky’ Dakota during Below Deck season 3. After his time on the show, Eddie became the captain of a harbor tug in Baltimore Harbor, fulfilling a lifelong dream for the Below Deck OG.

Related: Why Below Deck Fans Think Captain Sandy Dislikes Fraser

David Bradberry

David Bradberry was a fan-favorite during his first season, as he managed to go through the entire season with barely any conflict with the other Below Deck crew members. During the season, David also got engaged to his then-boyfriend at the time, which was shown on-screen. However, in 2019, David broke up with his fiancé and is currently in another relationship.

More: Every Season Of Below Deck Mediterranean, Ranked From Worst To Best

Sources: Vulture, Aleks Taldykin/Instagram, Ben Robinson/Instagram, Adrienne Gang/Instagram, Gangplant Report, TMZ, Kat Held/Instagram, Samantha Orme/Instagram,