If there’s something which “Below Deck Mediterranean” has taught us so far, it’s that drama is not uncommon, even in the most luxurious of superyachts. Besides the usual stress entailed by working in this demanding business, the crews of these yachts are faced with many personal challenges, while trying to keep their professionalism at the upmost level.
Even though the concept of “Below Deck Mediterranean” isn’t that different from other reality TV shows, the fact that the series has been on air for several seasons proves that there is never enough on-sea drama. That being said, certain cast members such as Hannah Ferrier have gained lots of popularity as well, even though sometimes for negative reasons.
So what happened to Hannah? Why was she fired from the show, and what is she doing now? Keep with us to know all about our favorite TV chief stewardess!
What Is She Doing Now?
Hannah Ferrier’s firing from “Below Deck Mediterranean” in the fifth season really caught us all by surprise. It wasn’t only the fact of knowing Hannah as one of the most beloved characters in the series that made her exit dumbfounding, but also the whole scandal surrounding it.
Haven't been this excited since the announcement of 'I Love New York' in 2007 https://t.co/9fhoAKYoyL
— Eric (@ericpmueller) June 23, 2022
With that unfortunate incident now in the past, more career opportunities opened for Hannah. Besides founding her own training academy Ocean International, she’s also in a new chapter of her life with “The Real Love Boat”, set to air in late 2022.
Just as expected, this new show will get Hannah back on board a luxury yacht, but instead of being in charge of a crew, her job in “The Real Love Boat” is to help its passengers to ‘find love’ and their ‘perfect match’ while traveling overseas, as she explained in an Instagram post.
While the show’s concept might not sound familiar for new generations, this new series is actually a revival of the 1970s drama “The Love Boat”, starring Gavin MacLeod. However, unlike the original, this sort-of spin-off is a reality competition which would challenge everyone involved with it in their search for love.
Despite how different “The Real Love Boat” is compared to her old job, it’s great to see Hannah again on TV.
Why Was She Fired From “Below Deck Mediterranean”?
Hannah Ferrier’s firing from “Below Deck Mediterranean” was messy to say the least. It all occurred in the fifth season, when viewers saw Captain Sandy Yawn receiving a message which read ‘I’m sorry but I have to report this’, accompanied with a pic of someone’s medication, and other articles which hinted at drug consumption, all of it embroidered with Hannah’s initials.
Taking the issues in her hands, Captain Sandy did all ‘the procedures and the protocol’ to fire Hannah for allegedly bringing undeclared drugs on board. In a later interview, the Captain declared that there were other reasons leading to Hannah’s sacking off the boat: ‘I don’t trust her as a crew member on board at all, that’s why I fired her; I’m a captain and she waits tables. There’s no equal there professionally’.
While it wasn’t openly said on screen who sent the pics, the strongest suspect was Malia White, which Hannah later confirmed through Twitter as she praised her former roommate’s ‘arranging skills’. Furthermore, Hannah openly identified the articles seen in the original pic as her anxiety medication, consisting of Valium and legal Cannabidiol oil, along with a prescription in her name.
Response To The Backlash?
Needless to say, Hannah Ferrier’s exit from “Below Deck Mediterranean” caused mixed reactions in the audience, split between those who supported her, and those who thought Captain Sandy’s decision was right.
On her part, Hannah stated that she was deliberately painted in a negative way, given that her anxiety diagnosis was known by the crew throughout the five seasons she was in it. Even a couple of days prior to her termination, the audience saw her having a panic attack, which prompted her to ask Malia White for help, making it apparent that her then-roommate knew about her medication: ‘It wasn’t like I was trying to be sneaky or anything like that. Nobody has ever declared medication when they’ve gotten on a boat’, she told Peninsula Living.
Furthermore, Hannah strongly disapproved of the ‘stigma’ regarding her situation and its portrayal on screen: ‘Anxiety medication is for a mental illness, so it shouldn’t be painted like, ‘You’re a drug addict smuggling drugs on board’.’
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That being said, while the scandal affected Hannah, she declared that it led to something positive, as lots of people suffering from similar conditions openly supported her: ‘the actual awareness and help that it gave people I think was more important than the hurt I felt’.
Relationship With Former Co-Stars
As people might expect, Hannah Ferrier is obviously not on good terms with some of her former co-workers in “Below Deck Mediterranean”. Starting with Captain Sandy Yawn, who not only doesn’t regret sacking Hannah off the boat, but has also shown her displeasure at the former Chief Stewardess: ‘the part that I think really disturbs her, is her ego. It’s sad. I feel for her, this girl still hanging onto that s**t’, she said, according to Metro. Apparently, Hannah doesn’t hold her former Captain in high regard either, as she affirmed to the podcast “Kyle & Jackie O Show” that they ‘weren’t friendly at all’ during the years they worked together.
For her part, Malia White admitted to having some regrets about the way ‘everything went down’, but also affirmed to be doing what she needed, given her job as a bosun, she told Us Weekly.
Considering the terms of Hannah’s exit, Captain Sandy’s and Malia’s statements aren’t surprising, but not everything is bad news. The show’s former star Aesha Scott said that she holds Hannah in high regard: ‘She’s such an amazing, beautiful friend to me’, she told Decider, also confessing to receiving advice from her former co-worker for her new series “Below Deck Down Under”. This proves that while Hannah’s experience wasn’t the best while working under Captain Sandy’s command, she gained the support of many people in the process.
Is Hannah Married Now?
Marriage is one of the many blessings which have come Hannah’s way since her exit from the “Below Deck” franchise. In early 2022 she tied the knot with fiancé-turned-husband Josh Roberts.
Their private wedding was held in Sydney, in a ceremony which celebrated Hannah’s Australian heritage and her now-husband’s Scottish traditions. As reported by E! News, the ceremony was attended by the respective families of the couple, whose engagement was announced back in late 2020 after dating for two years.
As Hannah said, their relationship advanced quite fast from their first meeting, passing from just drinking ‘a glass of wine’ to seeing each other all the time. On his part, Josh apparently wasn’t aware of Hannah’s status as a reality star, but even after knowing it, it didn’t deter his affections.
That being said, the couple had previously delayed their wedding due to buying their own house a year before. As Hannah told CheatSheet in late 2021, waiting for Covid-19 restrictions to tone down was also important in their books, as they wanted both their families to attend the wedding. Fortunately, everything turned out great for them.
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Maternity & Controversy Over Work
In late October 2020, Hannah and her now-husband Josh Roberts welcomed their first child, a daughter whom they named Ava Grace. Needless to say, the arrival of the new member of their family came as the greatest news for the couple: ‘She is already a little menace who has captured our hearts forever’, as Hannah wrote on an Instagram post.
Although motherhood is a challenge for anyone, Hannah affirmed that the countless years working in the hospitality business prepared her for this: ‘I just cannot see it being any harder or any more sleep deprived than a season of Below Deck Med’, she told The Daily Dish.
Following the birth of their daughter, the growing family took it as a priority to buy their own house, prompting Hannah to appear in “The Real Love Boat” as a way to pay her property’s mortgage. However, becoming a working mother caused a backlash to come her way, an issue she addressed on her Instagram page: ‘I am so disappointed with the amount of DMs and comments shaming me for working’, she said, before advising people ‘to get a grip’.
Regardless of the mixed opinions regarding her job choices, that fortunately hasn’t been enough to shadow Hannah and Josh’s excitement over parenthood.
Body Image Struggles
Ever since giving birth to her daughter Ava, Hannah Ferrier has been dealing with losing weight to get back in form. However, her journey was an uphill road, particularly during the lockdown, due to her inability to go outside, and totally putting her focus on her baby: ‘I was always reaching for my phone at 7pm to order dinner in, and always feeling like I deserved a ‘treat’ after such a hard day’, she admitted in an interview with CheatSheet.
Prior to her wedding, Hannah partially achieved some of her weight loss goals, but took the biggest step in her journey by joining Jenny Craig Max Up program, which apparently not only helped her, but also her now husband in accomplishing a ‘healthier’ lifestyle: ‘he’s feeling so much better about himself and so much more comfortable in his own skin’, she said a couple of weeks after starting the program.
I’m on my honeymoon but all I can think about is dissecting everyone’s story White Lotus style… pic.twitter.com/wdcrCuCQE8
— Hannah Ferrier – CEO Ocean Int Training Academy (@hannahferrier_) March 31, 2022
While her efforts to have a slimmer size are partially motivated by her return to TV, Hannah has also admitted to wanting to be ‘comfortable in her own skin’, as she has already accepted her post-pregnancy body.
Business
Sometimes blessings come in disguise, and that’s fortunately the case of Hannah Ferrier. While her career took a big hit after her firing from “Below Deck Mediterranean” in early 2020, that was the push she needed to become professionally independent. That’s why she established Ocean International Training Academy, a course for beginners in the yacht-specialized hospitality business, serving as a platform for students to land jobs in the industry.
Hannah didn’t found her company alone though, as her former “Below Deck Mediterranean” co-star Anastasia Surmava is her business partner in this venture. Their offered courses have an affordable range of prices, but according to Hannah, what really sets her business apart from others is their honesty towards students, just as she told Dockwalk: ‘It’s long hours, difficult guests, cramped quarters, and people need to be aware of the reality of yachting before joining the industry’.
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While starting a new company surely isn’t easy, Hannah and Anastasia’s love for their job in the industry, kept it afloat even during the pandemic.
Dealing With Fame
While Hannah’ journey career on TV hasn’t been the easiest, she fortunately knows how to keep her feet on the ground despite her fame. It’s that tough-skinned type of attitude and openness which has built her an approachable image as a celebrity, as she told Superyacht News: ‘my messages were just completely flooded with people getting in touch with me, trying to figure out how they can get on the yachts and kickstart a career at sea’, she commented, in regards to the idea of starting her training business after leaving the show.
Given the huge fame of “Below Deck” as a franchise, it’s unsurprising to see Hannah is widely followed on social media, accumulating over 800,000 followers on Instagram alone. That being said, she considers that fact ‘a bit weird’, but uses her platform to help other people interested in the yachting industry in pursuing their dreams.
While not letting fame get into her head is an accomplishment in itself, and for anyone involved in the entertainment industry, Hannah’s goals go beyond just not having ‘celebrity friends’, but to improve yachting as a more inclusive industry: ‘I always say I feel that the audience is like 20 years behind, like every other industry. That’s kind of normal, so I’m hoping we’re going to catch up really soon’, she stated.
What Happened To The Show After She left?
Hannah Ferrier was undoubtedly one of the most popular “Below Deck Mediterranean” cast members, so letting her go meant facing a huge backlash from the audience, Captain Sandy and Malia White getting the worst of that.
While that’s an expected reaction considering the conditions surrounding Hannah’s departure, Sandy didn’t let the criticism deter her, and is still an active member of the show, and has affirmed to ’never having hated’ her former subordinate. In the case of Malie, she eventually left in the seventh season to focus on ‘an upcoming exam’ while the show was filming. Though she affirmed her leave wasn’t definitive, it’s unknown when her comeback is scheduled for.
All in all, Hannah’s fans surely miss seeing her in “Below Deck Mediterranean”, but considering all the new and exciting career opportunities coming her way nowadays, as well as her apparent happy family life, it’s evident that she really needed to leave that old chapter of her life behind.
