Summary
Iain Maclean has endured a rough charter season thus far as the bosun onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9, but almost nothing compares to his cringeworthy flirting with stew Elena “Ellie” Dubaich, which producers could have pushed. Given his missteps,Iain should be firedfrom theBelow Deck Medcrew, but he’s somehow still onboard. He caused a dangerous situation with an anchor and left Nathan Gallagher out at sea with a charter guest early on in the season. Instead of focusing on improving his job performance, Iain started flirting with Ellie.
Meanwhile, Ellie and Bri Muller’s feud has escalated.Chief Stew Aesha Scottis at her wit’s end, and Captain Sandy Yawn threatens to fire both women amid their issues. Bri seems incapable of consistently high achievement in her position, and Ellie threatens to undermine her at every turn. As Bri and Ellie’s disagreements continue to move past their mutual interest in Joe Bradley, Iain starts flirting with Ellie. However, Iain’s intense flirting could be the result of producer manipulation onBelow Deck Medseason 9.
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Producers Likely Made Iain Think Ellie Was Interested In Him
His Flirting Was So Cringe
As evidenced by a clip from Bravo posted on Reddit byu/elkoholicsanonymoose, Iain flirted with Ellie by blowing on her in the car. “What’s going on?” Ellie asked, looking around. “A bit breezy in here,” replied Iain. “Oh,” Ellie responded, not taking Iain’s bait. “I LOL’d at Elena being startled by Iain’s presence,” wrote the original poster. Many fans agreed the action was cringeworthy in the comments. “He blew in her hair. He’s so completely unaware that she isn’t interested, it’s really amazing,” commented one user, while another agreed, “He’s had to have died watching the show. Poor guy.”
“He blew in her hair. He’s so completely unaware that she isn’t interested, it’s really amazing.”
OneBelow Deck Medifan suggestedIain might have pursued Ellie to make for good reality TV. “I’m absolutely convinced that the producers led him to believe she is interested,” they postulated, continuing, “Even asking him how he feels about her could lead him to think she has said something to them.” His flirting with Ellie seemed to come out of nowhere, so this setup would make perfect sense. Unfortunately, it was super embarrassing for Iain.
Ellie’s Disinterest In Iain Is Funny To Watch
His Flirting Looks Foolish
Even though his flirting was cringeworthy,Ellie’s disinterest in Iain was hilarious to watch. “She was daydreaming about Joe and then, AAHHHH,” wrote one fan in the Reddit comments, while another said, “This whole night out with him and her and that hideous jumpsuit was Karmadic gold. I was giggling my a** off the whole time.” The way that Iain thought Ellie was interested despite her feud with Bri over Joe makes no sense, meaning it had to be a producer’s idea. Unfortunately for Iain, it made him look like a fool.
Iain Can’t Seem To Get The Hint From Ellie
She Just Isn’t Into Him
While it’s easy to feel bad for Iain initially, it’s his fault for not taking the hint from Ellie. Her focus is flirting with Joe and getting Aesha to take her side on Bri’s potential “burn book,” not dealing with Iain’s advances. However, he’s far from the first man to not take the hint in theBelow Deckfranchise.
As another Reddit user pointed out in the thread, Gary King also missed the memo. “Reminds me of when Gary was called out for not listening to Mads about her just wanting friends with benefits. Then Gary in the confessional was like no she never said that…..then production called him out.”
Iain and Ellie both have bigger things to worry about than their awkward exchange, given both are on the brink of getting fired. However, amid the heavy drama, some lighthearted, cringeworthy flirting was necessary. While it may have been a producer’s idea, Iain’s flirting definitely had the desired effect onBelow Deck Mediterranean.
Below Deck Mediterraneanairs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Cast
Below Deck Mediterranean is a Bravo reality television series that follows a crew that works aboard a gigantic superyacht during the busy season. The show highlights the challenges of the crew as they serve their high-end clientele. Each season tackles new locations, such as Greece, Croatia, Italy, and France, with some repeating.
