Summary
- Fraser Olender is confirmed to return for Below Deck's 12th season despite facing backlash from fans for his conduct during season 11.
- Olender faced criticism for interacting with guests and crew members, leading to calls for him to be fired as Chief Steward.
- Some fans believe Olender deserves to keep his job due to his experience, leadership skills, and ability to learn from mistakes.
Since the Below Deck franchise has been going strong since 2013, some reality TV fans feel like they know what to expect. However, the truth is that the franchise can be unpredictable, as the failure of Below Deck Adventure showed.
Another way that the Below Deck franchise can be unpredictable is what happens to cast members. For example, Hannah Ferrier didn't expect to get fired, fans were surprised Kate Chastain didn't return, and Camille Lamb was put through endless drama. With all that in mind, Below Deck fans want to know what is going on with Fraser Olender.
This article will reveal whether Fraser Olender will be returning to Below Deck after how rocky season 11 was for him. Then, the article will look at why fans thought Olender deserved to be fired. Finally, the article will examine the arguments for why Olender should keep his job as Chief Steward.
Fraser Oldender Really Is Coming Back To Below Deck Despite Rumors He Could Be Fired
During Fraser Oldender's time starring in Below Deck, things have definitely been rocky for him at times. After all, Captain Sandy Yawn once called Oldender a "cancer" and in February 2023 she confirmed that she considered firing him during season 10.
Then, Olender's conduct continued to cause issues during Below Deck's 11th season, which left some fans calling for him to be fired.
As a result of all the fan discontent, drama, and rumors that has surrounded him, some Below Deck viewers wondered what Olender's fate would be. Would Fraser Olender be fired during season 11 or before season 12 began filming? What some Below Deck fans don't realize is that the truth about what happened to Olender has reportedly been revealed.
In May 2024, Screen Rant published an article about some of the cast members who were known to be returning for Below Deck's 12th season. Thankfully for him, that report stated that Olender would star in Below Deck's 12th season. In fact, Olender had already begun filming new Below Deck episodes according to Screen Rant's report.
That same report also revealed a pair of other Below Deck cast members who would also be part of the show's 12th season.
Who are the Below Deck franchise's ten most memorable crew members, according to Screen Rant?
| Cast Member: | Rank: |
|---|---|
| Rhylee Gerber | #10 |
| Camille Lamb | #9 |
| Colin Macy-O'Toole | #8 |
| Daisy Kelliher | #7 |
| Aesha Scott | #6 |
| Gary King | #5 |
| Hannah Ferrier | #4 |
| Kate Chastain | #3 |
| Lexi Wilson | #2 |
| Chef Ben Robinson | #1 |
It likely won't come as a surprise to any Below Deck fans that Captain Kerry Titheradge will star in Below Deck's 12th season. Screen Rant's report also stated that Kyle Stillie will be joining Captain Titheradge and Olender during the show's 12th season.
Why Below Deck Fans Think That Fraser Olender Should Be Fired
Since Fraser Olender is experienced, the decision to make him Chief Steward seemed to make a lot of sense. However, since Olender got that promotion, some Below Deck fans have called for him to be fired because things have been rocky.
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One example of things being rocky during Oldender's tenure is he deeply upset a former The Real Housewives of New York star. In April 2024, Jill Zarin appeared on the "Juicy Scoop" podcast and blamed Olender for turning her Below Deck trip into a "total disaster".
As Zarin explained, Olender talked to her and her tripmates about what to expect during their time on the yacht. After Olender set a high expectation, Zarin's expectations weren't met. Zarin specifically blamed Oldender for not giving her the yacht experience he promised.
“In fact, one of the things he emphasized which is ironic is that there would be snacks and food all the time everywhere. He actually emphasized and completely didn’t deliver. When I think about the trip, it was the head stew’s job to make sure things went seamlessly, and I kind of blame him for the trip being a total disaster.”
Of course, the fact that Olender had a former Real Housewives star calling him out publicly is a big problem for him. Based on that alone, it would be understandable if some Below Deck fans expected Oldender to be fired.
On top of that, a different Screen Rant article from May 2024 outlined several other reasons why some Below Deck fans believed Oldender should be fired.
By far the most talked about fireable offense that Olender committed was getting romantically involved with a charter guest. As Below Deck fans will already know, kissing a guest is considered a major offense for crew members like Olender.
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When and where was Fraser Olender born, according to Instinct Magazine?
| Where was Fraser Olender born?: | Hampstead, London, England |
| When was Fraser Olender born?: | October 26, 1993 |
| How old is Fraser Olender as of June 2024?: | 30 years old |
Screen Rant's article listed several other reasons why Olender arguably deserved to be fired. For example, the article argued that Olender had a history of getting frustrated too easily, which obviously is an issue for someone in a position of power.
The majority of the reasons that Screen Rant's article brought up that Olender deserved to be fired were related to his interactions with crew members.
The most notable examples of that included arguments that Olender picked favorites and gossiped about his team members. The article also claimed that Olender could be disrespectful to the people who worked for him and that he undermined him.
Screen Rant's article went on to point out that some Below Deck fans had issues with how Olender interacted with The Captain. Most notably, fans argued that Olender went to The Captain about every issue, which they believed left his boss annoyed.
Why Fraser Olender Deserved To Keep His Job
Even though some fans think that Fraser Olender deserves to be fired as Chief Steward, other Below Deck viewers feel differently. Some of those fans have brought up counter-arguments to address some of the reasons Olender could have been fired.
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The most notable counter-argument relates to the backlash Olender got for kissing a charter guest. While getting involved with a guest is a major offense, sometimes people just have chemistry.
As a result of that undeniable reality, there is a system in place that any crew member who is interested in a guest should follow. There is no doubt Olender did that. After all, Olender requested and was granted permission to kiss the guest, and then he didn't let things go too far physically until the trip was over.
Even though Screen Rant published an article about why Olender should be fired in May 2024, they also took the counter position. In May 2024, Screen Rant also published an article listing the reasons why Olender deserved to keep his job.
That article argued that Fraser is funny, experienced, and most charter guests like him. Furthermore, the article claimed Fraser makes good TV, leads the interior team well, listens to The Captain's advice, and has learned from his mistakes.
