Below Deck Down Under‘s Captain Jason Chambers has claimed the show “pays virtually nothing” to the talent.
Jason, who has captained the Below Deck spin-off since its inaugural season, confirmed in December that he’d be returning for the imminent third season.
However, despite the success of the Aussie-based series (which airs on Bravo and Hayu), he’s since dished the cast are less successful when it comes to their paychecks.
Taking to his Instagram Broadcast channel in August, the 50-year-old Captain addressed comments he’s received about his supposed lavish Island lifestyle.
He started, “A few comments on my IG are about where I live and how lucky I am to be in this position.”
“[The] facts are I went two years without seeing my daughter [due to the global pandemic, then] Below Deck came along. The show pays virtually nothing until you get a few seasons. So, I’m using this time to be with my daughter and do what’s necessary.”
Jason said he’s unable to “work in between” Below Deck seasons as charter captains are “full time”.
As such, “no owner wants a revolving captain running off to do other shows”.
After So Dramatic! shared his statements, Jason clarified that “all shows pay nothing until they get on their feet”.
“That takes a few seasons,” he reiterated. “It’s a roll of the dice…”
Another cast member backs Captain Jason Chambers’ claims Below Deck pays talent very little
Jason’s post was later shared on the Below Deck Reddit forum, where a user claiming to be a “recent cast member” backed claims that the show pays very little.
“Bravo pays us less than $6k for us regular crew. The rest of the money comes from us actually working our asses off for tips,” they penned.
“After the show, we’re left with one year without work for doing pickup interviews every two months or so (not paid either). Who wants to hire crew that leaves for a few days every two months? No one.”
The user claimed “no one wants to hire” them since they appeared on the show and that they were unaware their “career would be ruined” after doing so.
They also added that “Bravo doesn’t pay Below Deck cast” for appearing on Watch What Happens Live, a talk show that features reality stars from Bravo shows.
“They literally say it’ll give you exposure… yeah, right. So I work for your marketing/promo team but don’t get paid? Ok,” they alleged.
“Bravo catches us, uses us, and once done, they spit us back out like a piece of gum on the road. I’m still jobless two years post-filming.” Yikes!
So Dramatic! has contacted Hayu and Bravo for comment.
Want even more goss? Listen to the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
Know something that we don’t? Spill the tea here!
Get the tea first! Follow So Dramatic! on Instagram and tune in on Mondays to get your reality tea fix with the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto.
