When I found out Solène Favreau only had 22 days of yachting experience before appearing onBelow Deckseason 12, I was skeptical. However, I hoped she would exceed my expectations and prove to be the right stew for the job. Unfortunately, Solène has not shown the promise I wanted to see. In fact, I’ll be surprised if she makes it throughBelow Deckseason 12without getting fired.
Being a stew on a superyacht like the St. David requires wearing a lot of hats. Not only do stews need to provide excellent food and beverage service, they are also the housekeeping team on the boat. While most of theBelow Deckseason 12 cast membershave years of experience and know exactly what they’re doing,Solène seems like a fish out of water. I wanted to give her a chance, but so far, her actions aren’t making me feel hopeful.
Solène Doesn’t Have Any Yacht Experience
22 Days Isn’t Enough
At first, I wanted to give Solène the benefit of the doubt. Sure, she had less than a month of boat experience beforeBelow Deck, buteveryone has to start somewhere. It’s hard to get work experience without, well, working. If she was willing to learn and was a quick study, I thought she would do okay on the St. David.
Unfortunately, Solène was unwilling to put in effort during the first charter of the season.
She was constantly questioning why her fellow stews wanted her to complete tasks in a certain way, which came off entitled and bratty. Plus, she didn’t want to clean any of the toilets, despite that being a job requirement. I don’t know why Solène took this job if she didn’t want to do the work.
Solène May Be On The Show For Clout
This Isn’t Her First TV Show
Solènemay be new toBelow Deckand the yachting industry, but this isn’t her first time on reality TV.Below Deck’s Solène Favreauwas onLove Island Franceseason 2, but her TV career didn’t stop there.Solène also appeared on a French dating seriescalledThe Villa Of Broken Heartsas well as a competition show calledThe Brain. Clearly, Solène feels at home on unscripted TV shows.
Solène is also an Instagram influencer, with over 38,000 followers on the platform. I’m worried she went onBelow Deckfor the added fame and not because she wanted a career on the sea.Solène’s previous TV experiencemeans she’s well versed in confessionals, but she may not be cut out for life on a boat. If she was trying harder to be a good stew, I wouldn’t be complaining, but Solène’s actions coupled with her clear quest for fame meanI don’t think Solène is cut out forBelow Deck.
Will Solène Make It Through The Season?
She Won’t Be The First Boot
Every season of the flagshipBelow Deckseries has seen a cast member depart early. Last season, Cat Baugh quit when she realized her friend back home needed her. In addition,Captain Kerry Titheradge had the unpleasant task of firing two crew members. Both Jared Woodin, the bosun, and Chef Anthony Iracane were let go before the end of the season due to their less-than-stellar performances. Already on season 12, Chef Lawrence Snowden has quit due to the stress of the job. Will Solène be the next crew member off the boat?
I think there’s a very high probability that Solène leavesBelow Deckseason 12 early. She could get fired, or she could realize she’s no longer interested in this line of work.Chief Stew Fraser Olender has been very patientwith her so far, but Solène is going to need a huge attitude change if she’s going to make it through the season.
Instead of arguing with her fellow crew members, Solène needs to realize she can learn from them. Plus, she’ll need to pick up the pace when it comes to cleaning the rooms so the other stews don’t get so frustrated with her. It’s possible Solène will keep her job onBelow Deck, but I’m not holding my breath.
