'Below Deck's' Chief Stew Fraser Olender 'Rolls With the Punches'

Fraser Olender has returned for his fourth season on Bravo's "Below Deck" as the Motoryacht St. David visits Caribbean islands of Anguilla, St. Barths and St. Maarten. This marks Olender third season as Chief Stew, a position that fans have seen the out, 32-year-old Londoner grow in since he was promoted in 2022.

The charismatic seaman has had challenges along the way, specifically on Season 10, when temporary captain Sandy Yawn slammed his leadership style by calling him a "cancer" on the ship. Harsh, to say the least. She later apologized for using the term; for his part, while stung by the criticism, Fraser recognized the importance of taking personal responsibility for his mistakes and the value of Yawn's experience.

Learning from the experience, he showed considerable growth on Season 11, under Captain Kerry Titheradge. He became a better manager, handling challenging situations with cool professionalism, and he opened himself up with his fellow crew members, connecting with them on a deeper level. He has also become a fan favorite for his dry, sarcastic wit and his ability to balance his professional life with his personal one, though some say he pushed the envelope last season when he had a romantic encounter with a charter guest named Steven Raucci (whom he labeled his "husband to be" during their on-screen interaction). Despite having received permission from Titheradge to see Raucci, it is considered a fireable offense for crew members to have this kind of social interaction with a charter guest.

This season promises more challenges along those lines when the Motoryacht St. David picks up a group of adult male film performers for a four-day charter. How did Fraser handle the demands and temptations that this group had? Stay tuned. (Let's just say, it brings out his Daddy vibes.)

But such challenges are just part of the fun for Fraser on what is considered the queerest crew on the show's twelve seasons. Already, he has had to deal with an incident that involved local police coming aboard the St. David, for which his fluent French came in handy in resolving a potentially dangerous situation.

EDGE recently caught up with Fraser for a conversation.

EDGE: This season, you're returning as chief stew. What lessons from last season did you bring with you?

Fraser Olender: One of my most insecure issues I had in previous seasons was being reactive and emotional, and allowing that to filter through to my professional decisions. I'm hyper-aware of that now. It was made very clear to me on numerous occasions, and I have been working on it. This season, I was absolutely unaffected and non-reactive to things that were either designed to probe me or annoy me. I learned to take a step back, take a deep breath, and then deal with the issue. I hope those actions will be seen, and honestly, it's been such an amazing learning opportunity for me.

EDGE: What's your philosophy when it comes to managing drama below deck?

Fraser Olender: It's very much to roll with the punches. You need to pick your battles. I'm very good now at quickly identifying who's going to be my problem child for the season, and who's going to test me every single day, continuously. We all need to remember why we are there, which is to do the job, and I have to help the individuals who work for me. I also want to teach them as much as possible about interpersonal relationships within the crew, because that's not something I should be getting involved in. We're all adults. People need to be friends or not, but do their job.

EDGE: This season's crew seems especially fiery – what can you tease about the relationships onboard?

Fraser Olender: I think it's undeniable for people at this stage that Solène is going to get under quite a few people's skin, in the workplace as well as out. I think it will be interesting to see how Chef Anthony joins this season, and whether he has improved since last year. It's interesting to see how we work together and how he is socially. I think there's a big difference there that we haven't seen in previous seasons. It is nonstop.

This season was incredible to film, because at no point was I not flabbergasted by what had just happened. It is exciting, not only for the show, but also for us all to reflect on and see how we emerged from it unscathed and lived to tell the tale.

EDGE: What's harder: Handling demanding charter guests, or managing clashing personalities on your team?

Fraser Olender: I don't choose these people that work for me, contrary to the belief out there. I think charter guests are always going to be challenging, and it's a matter of luck who you get. The guests are our job, and that's what I know how to do. What I'm paid to do is to look after them. I'm also paid to lead a team, but this team has been specifically put together for me to have issues. It's amazing that I can hopefully learn something new from each of these different characters. I love learning how you can quite literally transform one of the most unhinged human beings on this planet into something that resembles a stew, and that's what I'm proud of.

EDGE: As the first openly gay chief stew in "Below Deck" history, what has that visibility meant to you?

Fraser Olender: I think it's something I've definitely been reflecting on, specifically this year, with everything that's going on. I've never been so outward and loud about it. I've always been labeled as the first male gay chief stew, and I didn't like that. How about you look at me doing the job, and then you can consider my sexuality when that becomes your business? Which is never.

Representing Bravo is an absolute honor. The number of messages I receive daily from people who are struggling, seeking advice, or who have seen my story and it has given them the confidence to come out to their families, has been an amazing gift. I'm going to continue fighting for what's right and standing up for us.

Fortunately, we also have a huge LGBTQ+ cast and crew this year, and I hope that as people watch, we can help normalize and foster acceptance for all in our community.

EDGE: Do you feel like the "real Fraser" gets shown on "Below Deck," or is it more of an edited version?

Fraser Olender: I love this question. I feel like for most of the seasons, they've just shown snippets of me and my work, and that's why I am there, but I, too, have a personality, and I don't feel like that's been shown. I would love for it to be shown, because I'm a fun person and I enjoy having a good time. I'm there to have as much fun as my crew, just as much as I'm doing my job. I think it would be wonderful to see that slice of me. I hope that's what they do this year, but you never know with these guys.

EDGE: Which LGBTQ+ celebrity would you die to host on a charter?

Fraser Olender: What a fabulous question. It would be relevant to have both Troye Sivan and his partner in crime, Charlie XCX, because they are very much leading the summer partying for the gay community at this time. Of course, I would want Cynthia Erivo so that we can do some 'Wicked' things together, and Reneé Rapp, because she's gorgeous.

EDGE: Looking back, what would your younger self think if they saw you now on "Below Deck?"

Fraser Olender: Now I am going to get emotional. I mean, we've heard it all before, but, keep at it. Do what you bloody well want to do, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Doing this show, now four years in, people told me, "You can't be a friend and a manager." You absolutely can be. Just because the grand majority can't do that, I can do it, and I am going to prove all those losers wrong in due course.

EDGE: What excites you most about this season?

Fraser Olender: The love we have for each other as a crew. There's an interesting part towards the end of the season where we don't even talk about the drama that's happening because it's so severe. Still, we all act and say the exact same thing to protect a specific member of the crew without even planning it. I love how we do it, because we have each other's backs. The core value of a crew is that we are there for each other, and we'll have each other's backs until the very end.

EDGE: This is not a waffle house on your Instagram

Fraser Olender: "This is not a Waffle House; this is a super-yacht" is a quote I said last season. We receive a lot of charter guests from all over who are not the epitome of class or chic, and we also have a crew that comes from different backgrounds and sometimes acts like we're in a Waffle House. This is specifically about one of my gorgeous stews, Cat Baugh, who was picking up the guests' dinner plates and stacking them on top of each other. I said, "This is not a Waffle House; this is a super-yacht," and I stand by that. You will see all sorts of things on "Below Deck," but I want to let you all know that I work to a different standard.

"Below Deck" airs on Mondays at 8pm on Bravo.