Captain Jason Chambers of the Australian reality show Below Deck Down Under has spoken out about sexual misconduct on the set.
He commended the staff for “breaking the fourth wall and stepping in” during two incidences during the new series’ filming.
In recent episodes of the yacht-based show, two cast members were shown making unwanted sexual attempts.
Luke Jones and Laura Bileskalne were both fired from the show.
The popular series has gotten a lot of attention when two occurrences were included in the sixth and seventh episodes, which aired on Australian TV station Bravo on August 7.
Capt Chambers stated that the “unacceptable” actions occurred a year ago, when he was not there, after cast members had been drinking together.
In an Instagram video, he stated, “I don’t know what goes on” when the cast of the show socializes, but added, “If it’s inappropriate behavior, you’ve seen that production would inform me.”
Luke Jones, who has appeared in 11 episodes of the show, was seen entering fellow cast member Margot Sisson’s cabin without her knowledge.
She was sleeping after consuming alcohol at the time, and Mr Jones was nude.
Mr Jones was seen climbing into her bed, prompting the production team to step in and order Mr Jones to leave the room, claiming that Ms Misson had “said no.”
Mr Jones then attempted to close the cabin door and then held it tight before leaving.
Ms Misson thanked producers for intervening during the incident on Instagram after the program aired, saying it was “vital” for the incident to be included in the episode since “this issue is all too real and far too frequent.”
Mr Jones has not publicly commented on the incident.
Ms Bileskalne was seen entering the room of another cast member, Adam Kodra, and attempting to massage and kiss him without his consent during the same episode.
The episode featured Cpt Chambers dismissing both from the yacht where the programme is shot, and both have since left the production.
Ms Bileskalne apologized on Instagram after the show aired, stating, “I made [Mr Kodra] feel uncomfortable and no one should be put in that position.”
The makers of the show were complimented by the UK domestic abuse organization Refuge for how the occurrences were handled.
The instances, it added, “sparked vital conversations about consent,” and “we’re pleased to see that action was taken quickly to ensure a safe environment.”
Bravo has not yet responded to the incidents. The production company has been contacted by BBC News.
Under Deck Down Under debuted in March 2022. It is a spin-off of the American television series Below Deck.