Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Who Is Captain Kerry Titheradge? Meet New ‘Below Deck’ Skipper Replacing Captain Lee
After 10 seasons with Captain Lee Rosbach at the helm, Below Deck enters season 11 with a brand-new skipper. Fans want to know more about Captain Kerry Titheradge and how he’s going to shake up the show.
Has Captain Kerry Been Featured on a ‘Below Deck’ Show Before?
The Australia native was at the helm for 2022’s Below Deck Adventure, the franchise’s first cold-weather yachting show. The action went down in Norway as charter guests got to participate in the region’s extreme sports, including rock climbing and parasailing.
Why Did Captain Kerry Take Over ‘Below Deck’ From Captain Lee?
Bravo has never explained why the longtime skipper was replaced for season 11. He missed the majority of season 10 after having to leave the superyacht St. David and return to Florida for surgery due to back and nerve issues. Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Mediterranean helmed the boat and dealt with the crew during Lee’s absence.
Fan-favorite Lee claimed he was replaced by Bravo, telling The Sun Sentinel in April 2023, “I did not quit. I did not retire. I was just not invited back.”
What Can Viewers Expect From Captain Kerry?
In the first few minutes of season 11’s opening episode, Kerry said he was “born for this life” of captaining yachts and “growing up in the Australian Outback I had to be tough.” Kerry has more than 20 years of experience in the yachting industry.
“You wanna know a little secret? Part of being a captain is driving the boat. The hard part is the crew,” he added in the clip obtained by Entertainment Weekly.
Kerry showed he’s willing to eliminate problematic crew members by getting rid of deckhand Kyle Dickard during Below Deck Adventure after he threatened a fellow crew member and showed inappropriate advances towards another. But in a gentler move, Kerry gave Kyle the option of resigning before getting fired.
What Have Captain Kerry’s Crew Said About Their Skipper?
Deckhand Ben Willoughby, who worked with both Captain Lee and Captain Sandy during season 10 of Below Deck, told E! News, “You either sink or swim with Captain Kerry. And rightly so, he’s come onto a 190-foot yacht, which is huge. He doesn’t know any of the crew, he’s gotta get through six weeks of charter and I don’t blame him now for being as stern as he was. I would have probably been even more sterner if my license was on the line.”
“He’s very stern,” the deckie continued, “very much a captain who says ‘if you mess up, that’s strike one.’ Whereas if you got Captain Sandy, she’s very much like a motherly figure, kind of comforting, wants you to learn and nurture. And Captain Lee is just very much ‘all right, you messed, up do better.'”
As for how viewers may perceive Kerry, “Some people may have to get a little bit used to that, but once you get into the rhythm of it I think you guys are really going to appreciate the different level of professionalism that he brings to the table with his crew,” Ben added.
Is Captain Kerry Married?
Kerry and ex-wife Jennifer divorced in 2020. The former couple share two children.
The yachtsman spoke about his girlfriend, Ghönül Bihan, during Below Deck Adventure. She worked as chief stew under Kerry while he was married and they didn’t get along at the time.
“I’ve been dating my girlfriend, Gönül for a little over a year,” he explained. “She’s from Turkey. We worked together quite a few years ago. She was the chief stew. She actually quit after a few months because she didn’t like the way I ran a boat.”
“A few years later, after I got divorced, we reconnected,” he continued. “Eventually, she opened up. She’s helped me become a better person. And that’s pretty special.”
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