When it comes to the chefs who've starred on the 26-odd seasons of Below Deck, it's quicker to count the ones who ✨didn't✨ get fired than the ones who did.
Being the sole provider of food on a superyacht full of cranky crew and demanding rich people is high pressure enough without your every move being documented by reality TV cameras.
Season 11 of Below Deck, which is currently streaming on Hayu and Bravo NZ, brought back some familiar faces, like Fraser and Ben, but French chef Anthony became a new member of the dysfunctional family.
He quickly showed us he wasn't going to be the stereotypical, well… dickhead we're used to seeing in the chef's jacket, but his sweet personality wasn't enough to keep him on board.
"To make amazing food, I need to be really happy. And I am very sad, so my food sucks," he said in episode 12.
Not long after, he was let go by Captain Kerry. He was the third crew member to be fired this season, but his goodbye was definitely the most emotional.
"I love everyone, and I'm going to miss them so much," he told producers through tears, before adding:
I'm going to come back like a crazy motherf*cker.
We got the chance to talk to Anthony just before his shocking exit from Superyacht St David to find out everything from his biggest Below Deck challenges to the most famous celeb he's ever cooked for.
How hard was it for you to get used to being followed by cameras everywhere?
I actually really enjoyed it. I don’t feel like it was that odd for me to be followed by the cameras because I was very focused on my job. Of course, it does feel different but at the end of the day, it’s the same job that I do every day, with or without cameras, because I am the same person, with or without cameras. All of us together with the crew, we became a big family.
How do you feel when you watch yourself back on the show? What moment(s) have made you cringe the most?
When I watch the show, I feel like I’m myself. Sometimes I watch my scenes and say “Oh no Anthony, what are you talking about?” but I guess that’s the story of my life - I like to make everyone happy and sometimes I’m a little bit of a clown, but I love it.
The chefs on Below Deck (and chefs in general) tend to have a reputation for being bad-tempered and dramatic - why aren't you?
Most chefs act a little bit crazy because of all the pressure they face, but I don’t see myself like other chefs.
Everything I do is with love and passion - even when everything around you is a mess and, in the yachting business, people can scream at you – and I’m just inside my little bubble.
I don’t like to yell at people and I’m working with a great team. I ran a restaurant with eight employees and I can tell you that yelling and screaming at people is definitely not the way to go... you need to talk to people like they are regular human beings.
When I was younger, I was angry about the entire world, and then I realised that it does not matter.
You've been brutally critiqued for lack of organisation in the galley - how do you feel watching the mess back on camera?
Yeah, sometimes when I see myself and the way the galley looks, it’s like an explosion. I’m just focusing on my cooking and I am not an organised person. Sometimes it’s hard to see that because I know I’m cooking well, but I know I should take care of the mess. I’m not perfect and that’s probably my weakness, I’m a messy boy.
Who's the most famous person you've ever cooked for?
I think one of the most famous people I’ve cooked for is Drew Barrymore. It was such a pleasure. I find what she’s doing on television and in movies to be amazing. Some stars as big as she is can be very different from how they appear, but Drew is a lovely human being. It was such an honour to take care of her and I would love to cook for her again if I had the opportunity.
Who has the hardest job on the boat?
Everybody has a hard job on the boat. Each department is important and everyone faces different pressures in their department. As a chef, I work long hours.
I start at five o’clock in the morning and often keep going until one o’clock in the morning.
What would you say to someone who was thinking about a career as a superyacht chef?
Start when you are young and save your money. I owned a restaurant when I was 21 and I feel like I should have started in yachting before opening a restaurant. It’s an amazing experience to be a part of at that age, because it’s like having a family, and you learn so much about people and the job.
