Below Deck Mediterranean alum Anastasia Surmava has revealed what Captain Sandy Yawn did that shocked her during her stint on the yachting show.
Anastasia started Season 4 of the Below Deck spin-off as the third stew. However, when chef Mila Kolomeitseva bombed and was fired five episodes into the season, Anastasia took on the role of chef.
The Bravo personality recently got candid regarding her choice and what the experience was like for her, including working with Captain Sandy.
Why did Anastasia step into the chef role?
Even though she had little to no experience as a chef, Anastasia agreed to take over for Mila. Anastasia did have a culinary background and was already helping Mila out in the galley.
When chatting on Side Piece with Melissa Pfeister podcast, Anastasia revealed she stepped up to the plate because she was fueled by the support Captain Sandy gave her.
“Honestly, for the majority of filming, she was always pulling me up to the bridge, always giving me pep talks, she shared. “Like multiple times she showed me this chart of like the hierarchy. And she’d be like, ‘See? This is where you are. You take control of your galley. You don’t let people walk all over you.’ So, she was really trying to pump me up.”
Viewers know that Anastasia ultimately went back to being a stew, and chef Ben Robinson came in to finish out the season.
What did Captain Sandy do that shocked Anastasia?
Anastasia has said she would work with Captain Sandy again, but there was one thing the captain did that left her in shock.
“I’m watching the show back. And there’s all this, ‘Can she do it? I don’t know.’ And I’m like, why are you telling me I can do something and then talking so much s**t behind my back. And saying like you don’t know if I can do it,” Anastasia spilled about watching Captain Sandy’s confessionals.
The Altered Reality podcast host questioned why Captain Sandy would lead Anastasia to believe she could handle the job as a chef if the captain didn’t really believe it.
“All I know is she really encouraged me a lot and really held my hand through it. And I really thought she believed in me. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t,” she explained.
Anastasia also expressed that Captain Sandy had a lot of anxiety and issues with the interior toward the end of Season 4 while praising the exterior crew for “waking up.”
Despite feeling shocked by Captain Sandy Yawn, Anastasia Surmava made life-long friends in Hannah Ferrier and Aesha Scott. Don’t expect to see her back on Below Deck Me anytime soon. Anastasia claims she’s retired from yachting.
Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.