The 'Lady Michelle' Crew Filmed 'Below Deck Med' Season 6 During the Pandemic
Published June 22 2021, 1:13 p.m. ET
Though Captain Sandy Yawn and Malia White are back again for Season 6 of Below Deck Mediterranean, most everything else about the beloved Bravo reality series has changed.
The sixth edition of the show — which highlights the dynamics among the crew members on a luxury yacht (and the guests who charter the boat) — will be the first full season without Hannah Ferrier as the chief steward.
Captain Sandy controversially fired the Australian in Season 5 after Malia reported that she had drugs on the boat.
While fans were divided about both Malia and Captain Sandy after the incident, the two are the only returning cast members on the latest season.
The show will also be quite different this time around because it features a different boat, the Lady Michelle, and it was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where was 'Below Deck Med' Season 6 filmed?
Bosun Malia and Captain Sandy are joined by an entirely new crew on the Lady Michelle, which is a 180-foot mega yacht. New Zealander Katie Flood is taking over as the chief stew, and her interior staff is rounded out with Lexi Wilson, a native of the Bahamas, and Courtney Veale, who is from North Wales.
Malia's deck crew includes Mzi "Zee" Dempers, who hails from South Africa, David Pascoe, who was born in Italy but who was raised in the United Kingdom, and a mustached Lloyd Spencer, who is also from the United Kingdom.
The seasoned (pun intended) chef who will be cooking for the guests and for the yacht employees themselves is Matthew Shea. Matthew is from Rhode Island, and he has plenty of experience when it comes to creating dishes for uber-wealthy guests. He's previously cooked for Rupert Murdoch and for Hugh Jackman.
Like the cast of Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2, the Lady Michelle crew also used Croatia as a filming location for Season 6. For the sixth season, Captain Sandy is leading the guests around Šibenik, which is a historic city in the center of Dalmatia.
The last time the Below Deck Med stars went to Croatia was in Season 2, which was actually Captain Sandy's first season on the show.
Lexi Wilson, Courtney Veale, and Katie Flood on 'Below Deck Mediterranean'
When was 'Below Deck Med' Season 6 filmed?
The crew members have yet to publicly discuss when they filmed Season 6. It appears as if the charters all took place in the fall of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was already in full swing. Several of the Lady Michelle employees shared photos and videos on their Instagram accounts from Croatia in October and November of 2020.
Based on these posts, filming wrapped for Season 6 in November.
On Nov. 3, one of the stews, Courtney Veale, posted a photo of the sunset and a glass of wine, and she tagged Croatia. Her caption, which included #PeaceOut, hinted that she was leaving the area.
Katie Flood, the chief stew, also shared the same photo of the sunset and wine on her own page on Nov. 7. She captioned her shot, "Bye Forever," and she tagged Croatia's Split Airport as her location.
Though there's change in scenery and in staff for Season 6, one thing never changes: there will always be plenty of drama on Below Deck Med.
Season 6 premieres on June 28 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. New episodes air on Mondays, and those with Peacock subscriptions can watch each episode a week early.
