Rachel Hargrove has explained why she quit Below Deck so abruptly, leaving Captain Lee Rosbach and the crew in an impossible situation.
The chef went from one of the most beloved in the franchise to one fans can’t stop talking about, thanks to her meltdown. Viewers watched as Rachel struggled with missing her boyfriend but what she did next was jaw-dropping.
Rachel lost it after listening to Captain Lee reveal an over the top guest preference sheet. She used foul language like “eat my cooter” and “go f**k yourself” to the captain, crew members, and the production team. Then, the chef left the My Seanna hours before charter guests were scheduled to arrive.
COVID-19 impacted Rachel’s mindset
On the Below Deck After Show, Rachel admitted COVID-19 gravely impacted her mindset. As fans know, her boyfriend in Italy gave her an update on the coronavirus pandemic in Europe and how it was being handled.
Rachel realized it was serious but didn’t feel like production understood the severity of the crisis at that point in filming.
“Unfortunately, these guys have no idea what preceded them, especially, like, I think at this point, Rome Fiumicino had already shut down, and Nice Airport was shutting down with COVID,” Rachel said.
“So I was like, I need to go home, and I need to prioritize what’s most important. And if I’m gonna deal with drama, I’m gonna deal with drama at home.”
The chef has expressed her frustration with the United States for taking so long to deal with the pandemic. She recalled it taking down Europe in late February, but yet nothing was done in America until mid-march.
Ready to go home
Over the years on Below Deck, crew members have often expressed their desire to go home. The majority of the time, that occurs at the end of the season. In Rachel’s case, though, she was simply done.
“I love my vast vernacular. Sometimes when I’m vehement about things, I really reach down there into the trenches and pull some good ones out,” she shared. “It was just a bunch of verbal bullsh**t going on because I was over it. I was like, ‘There is so much more important s**t to deal with right now. This is really pissing me f**king off.’ I’m like, ‘I’ve got to get the f**k out of here.'”
Oh yes, Rachel has certainly made it appear as though she has walked away from Below Deck. Captain Lee blasted her in his blog, also giving the impression the chef was done with the Bravo show.
Some fans, though, are not convinced Rachel has quit Below Deck for good and that she will return in the next episode.
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.