Fraser Olender is opening up about Below Deck season 12 and Chef Lawrence Snowden quitting very early on.
The 32-year-old Bravo star is in his fourth season on the show and his third as Chief Stew, while the chef was a brand new addition this year.
However, as shown in the first episode of season 12, Chef Lawrence quickly became quite overwhelmed in the galley and by the end of the episode, told Captain Kerry that he was quitting. In this week’s episode, the second of the season, Lawrence fully quit and a chef from the season before was brought on to take his place.
In a new interview, Fraser talked about the chef’s early exit and how he just couldn’t handle all that was going on.
Keep reading to find out more…
On SiriusXM’s Reality Checked with Dorinda Medley & Kiki Monique, Kiki noted, “He’s brand new and I will say, he has never been on reality TV at all. He doesn’t seem comfortable with it and at the end of first episode, I don’t even know. It seems like he might quit. How did he even end up on a yacht full of cameras when it’s clear he does not want to be in front of the camera?”
Fraser responded, “You’re asking the same question as everyone else in America right now. I think that you know what you’re getting into. I can assure you that the cameras are not physically in your face. They’re not intrusive that way. I think it might potentially be a cop out. I’m not spreading the rumor. I’m just saying it’s an option guys. If you can’t do the job, you can’t do the job and if you want to blame it on a third party, that’s not something I’ll be doing or anyone else is doing.”
Fraser added that it was definitely all of the pressure that got to him, not just being on the boat, but being in front of cameras for the first time.
“He was a phenomenal chef. I’m not taking that away from him, but I haven’t got time for you to throw a hissy fit within 24 hours of joining this vessel,” the Chief Stew said. “I have not got the time ’cause guess what? I’m stressed too. I’m crying too. I’m panicking too, but guess what? I’m also doing the job, boo boo.”
Lawrence is still set to appear in the upcoming third episode, but that will be his last as he helps Chef Anthony Iracane get reacquainted with the vessel and get settled before his departure.
Fraser also talked about the expected tip amount.
“I can tell you for a tip on our charter season, the minimum I would expect you won’t see me crack a smile. Put it that way,” he said. “If we are not getting between 20, okay, I’ll scrap that. 25 and 30 for the time we’ve done. I don’t care if that’s one day, three days, or five. I’m waiting for that amount of cash and if you can’t, you know, if you’re not coming with that to be expected, just don’t bother. Maybe just go on a cruise.”
