Last night’s episode of Watch What Happens Live spilled more Below Deck: Med drama than many of the show’s recent episodes, with Captain Sandy Yawn and bosun Malia White coming on to rehash former chief stew Hannah Ferrier’s shocking mid-season firing. Andy Cohen asked both to respond to the backlash for their perceived roles in Ferrier’s being fired for having undeclared Valium and CBD onboard. Yawn maintained that she was following maritime law and that the incident was Ferrier’s fault. “I didn’t tell Hannah to behave that way,†she said. “Hannah probably sabotaged herself, because she really didn’t have a leave. And I think maybe that was her exit. You know, I think it was a subconscious thing.†Yawn cited Ferrier’s desire to start a family (she’s now pregnant) as reason for her wanting to leave the show, which she starred on for five seasons. “I feel bad that people think that I’m the reason that Hannah got fired, but Hannah’s the reason,†she continued. “Hannah fired herself. I didn’t fire her.â€
White echoed Yawn on following maritime law. “It had nothing to do with drama, it had nothing to do with a plot twist — like, before anything, our actual jobs come first,†she said. “People don’t want to put fault where fault lies, but had everything been by the book, she would still have a job.†With Ferrier now off the show, Yawn and White — who both had their share of drama with Ferrier during this season and before — are now telling us how they really feel. Cohen challenged Yawn to name three good things about Ferrier, to which she replied, “She’s great with people. She — yeah, three things. Um, she loves — she’s great with people, she’s great with people. She’s great with the guests, she’s great with the guests, she’s great with the guests.†Later, when White was asked to name something Ferrier did better than new chief stew Bugsy Drake, her friend, she struggled too. “Uh, on a serious note, um, uh, guest interact — I don’t know,†White said.
White also revealed some drama of her own, confirming that she broke up with Tom Checketts, her boyfriend during season five who came on as a replacement chef for the final few charters. “I am very much single,†she told Cohen, without replying to his second question about if Checketts cheated on her. “This industry is tough. We work apart for a long time, and yeah. It’s a mess. There’s some bad apples out there.†White alluded that something happened with Checketts on a different boat after this season, adding, “I don’t really want to get into it, but, you know, Tom and I are done.†Was it still worth fighting for that shared cabin, though?