EJ Jansen from Below Deck has hinted that a new spin-off for the hit yachting franchise is in the works at Bravo.
The network has built a successful franchise around the yachting series. Along with Below Deck, Bravo has launched Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the network was forced to reevaluate the way Below Deck was filmed. Season 8 of the Bravo show was also cut short due to the health crisis.
Although reports stated that Below Deck Med Season 6 has started filming, the network has not confirmed anything yet.
Last summer, rumors swirled that Bravo was gearing up to add a new series to the Below Deck franchise. Now, EJ has social media buzzing again.
The show could feature a new side of yachting that viewers know very little about. It is the other side of yachting that occurs when a crew is not working on a boat.
Yachties meet The Real World
EJ teased a little more about the spin-off on the podcast Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef.
The Below Deck alum thinks the new series will focus on crew members not working on a yacht.
“The other side is you’re in the shipyard during the shipyard period where you get a crew house. And you’re given basically this whole house, usually in Florida with a pool in the back and hot tub,” EJ shared.
“You know, sh*t gets a little crazy on land because now it’s actually kind of funner because you’re so busy, and now you actually get a nine to five kind of job. And you can actually start living life, you know, on your own terms, in a sense like weekends off and whatnot,” he continued.
Prepping yachts for the charter season
Another aspect of the spin-off could feature crew members prepping a yacht for the next charter season. EJ explained that boats require a lot of maintenance during the offseason.
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EJ revealed that for two months, crew members work from nine-to-five, fixing anything that needs to be repaired and making other changes the yacht owner wants to be done.
One of the offseason’s bonuses is that crew members have more time to themselves thanks to the lighter work schedule. That means going to the beach, hanging with friends, and going out. All the things that make for a juicy, entertaining, and drama-filled reality TV show.
A casting call went out last summer that got the initial Below Deck spin-off rumors started. EJ’s thoughts line up with what the casting call was looking for, so the odds of a new yachting show starting up have improved.
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.