It is possible that controversial Sailing yacht below deck First Officer Gary King could become captain and take Captain Glenn Shephard’s position on the show. Captain Glenn has been the figurehead Sailing yacht below deck since it premiered in February 2020, and season 5 is currently airing. Gary started as a foreman in BDSY season 2, and he’s been in every season since, working his way up to first officer. Captain Glenn has been yachting for over 22 years.
Sailing yacht below deck is the third spinoff of Below Deck umbrella, and differentiates itself by focusing on aspects of superyacht sailing with the Parsifal III vessel, rather than a motor superyacht. BDSY has always occurred in the Mediterranean region. Daisy Kelliher is also a staple of the spinoff. She started out as Chief Stew in Season 2 as a department head alongside Gary. Gary has the ambition to remain in Below Deck franchise, and aims to be captain, a role he could take over from Captain Glenn.
The Below Deck franchise wants to keep Gary despite the controversy
Gary can do no wrong on the Bravo network
BravoLebrity Gary has been embroiled in controversy on and off screen since his season 2 debut. Gary is known for being a playboy, heavy drinker, rule bender and pot stirrer during the seasons. Off camera, he was involved in a sexual misconduct allegation in 2023 where a Below Deck the makeup artist accused him of inappropriately and drunkenly grabbing her in her hotel room and trying to stop her from leaving. The Bravo network said it investigated the allegations and took action, but the only consequence that happened was Gary being disinvited from BravoCon 2023.
Many BDSY they were calling for Gary to be written off the network, but he returned for season 5, proving he can do no wrong.
Gary has a big personality with questionable behavior and is popular with women, making him a good reality TV star.
It appears Bravo is willing to forgive his transgressions in exchange for increased interest and viewership in the spinoff.
Captain Glenn is not interesting
He doesn’t have a great personality
Captain Glenn has a hands-on management style and often remains indifferent to the crew’s drama. He has fired crew members in the past and asserted his authority, especially in matters of safety, but his personality hasn’t been as big as some of the other formidable Below Deck captains as Captain Lee Rosbach and Captain Sandy Yawn. Captain Glenn’s highlights are usually about what he’s eating or watching in his free time, or about him learning Spanish (@belowdeckbravo), which are not entirely interesting activities. Gary would be a much more interesting captain.
Gary wants to be captain
But is he fit for the position?
Gary made this known in Sailing yacht below deck season 5 that he has the ambition to be captain.
“I want to be a captain one day and coach people under any circumstances. So I’m going to use this to prove that I’m a good leader.”
Since Bravo has an affinity for Gary, it’s possible they could have Captain Glenn step down and Gary take his place. However, Gary would have to toe the line of what is acceptable behavior from a captainand that would be a challenge for him. There are currently no rumors about Gary officially taking over the spinoff, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen in the future.
Sailing yacht below deck airs Mondays at 9pm ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
Source: Bravo/YouTube, @belowdeckbravo/Instagram