Alex Casey and Tara Ward look back at the best and brightest New Zealanders to appear in the greatest reality franchise of all time. Originally published by the Spinoff It’s the hugely addictive reality show with a little bit of everything . “It’s got the high octane Hell’s Kitchen action in the chef’s galley, the nouveau riche aesthetics and drama of Real Housewives , the outdoor elements of Man vs Wild, the workplace drama and power dynamics of Undercover Boss and The Apprentice, the ‘coupling up’ of Love Island and sometimes even the singing and dancing of X Factor ,” we wrote of Below Deck back in 2022.
Following all the behind-the-scenes action on a superyacht packed with cashed-up and demanding charter guests, Below Deck always remains firmly on the side of the hardworking, tireless crew. Living and working together in the most testing of situations, including guests demanding to be painted head to toe in chocolate, or Roy Orbison’s son pissing all over the floor, it is the rock-solid crew of Below Deck who truly keep the show afloat. And within those crews, there are a surprising number of New Zealanders who have popped up in various franchises over the years.
Part of it, leading local Below Deck expert Dominic Corry muses, is due to our aquatic inclinations. “We are a boating nation and lots of young New Zealanders work on the superyachts,” he says. “We’re all up in that field already, so it makes sense.
” But even more powerful than our pen.
