Below Deck charter guests Nikki Linn and Russ Niedwick kicked off Season 2 of the Bravo show with their rowdy group of friends.
Nikki got annoyed at her partner Russ and their pals on the first night because of all the drinking. The group was definitely wasted putting a damper on the real reason Nikki booked the vacation, which was to pay tribute to her late father.
On day two of the charter, Russ and Nikki wanted to forgo a sit-down breakfast instead of sailing. The request caused issues between chef Natasha De Bourg and chief stew Daisy Kelliher.
So, who are these two lovers of sailing and animals?
Who are Russ and Nikki?
On Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Captain Glenn Shephard revealed the couple are avid sailors and vegan.
Nikki and Russ have combined their love of both by traveling the world to save animals. Sailing yachts aren’t the only way they like to travel either. They are also motorcycle fanatics.
The couple met when Russ walked into Nikki’s no-kill animal shelter, and love soon blossomed. Based on their Instagram feeds, it’s clear they are head over heels for each other.
However, it’s their passion for animals that Nikki and Russ most like to highlight. They used Instagram to promote being vegan, not wearing fur, and other ways to ensure animals are not harmed.
Nikki even shares disturbing images of animals to spread awareness of the brutality that goes into making meat and fur.
Shark Tank appearance
If the couple looks familiar, that’s because Below Deck Sailing Yacht isn’t their first reality TV stint. In 2019, Russ and Nikki took their product Kitty Kasas to Shark Tank in hopes of getting one of the sharks to bite.
Kitty Kasas is a modular, stackable cube system for cats to play with that are easy to clean and hard to destroy. The product features three different cubes, including one with a scratching post, one with a bedroom, and one with a loose bed to put on top.
Lori Greiner, an avid animal lover, took the opportunity to help Russ and Nikki expand their business. She invested $200k for 30% of the company.
It’s still going strong today. Kitty Kass cubes can be purchased on Amazon and the company website.
There’s more to Below Deck Sailing Yacht charter guests Nikki Linn and Russ Niedwick than viewers will ever see play out onscreen. They are two extremely passionate people who spend their lives following those passions like saving animals, riding motorcycles, and hanging on sailing yachts.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.