Here’s the Reason Behind Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5’s Delay

The premiere date for Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 was seemingly pushed back a few times. It usually airs before Below Deck Mediterranean, but that wasn’t the case this year.

Bravo fans will finally return to Parsifal III and explore the next charter season for Captain Glenn Shephard and his crew. However, there have been some road bumps with the new season. Here’s the reason behind the Below Deck spinoff’s delay. 

Why Bravo Delayed the New Season of BDSY

Fans already got word that Bravo filmed Season 5 of BDSY last summer. A Reddit user recognized Captain Glenn’s Parsifal III in Ibiza. The last two seasons took place in Spain and Italy. The crew is expanding unfamiliar charters.

But this new season will be rocked with controversy. The reason why you haven’t heard much about BDSY Season 5 lately is that First Officer Gary King was accused of sexual assault. A makeup artist for the Below Deck franchise shared the allegations in August 2023. The incident occurred during the summer of 2022 at a hotel shortly after Season 4 wrapped up filming. 

Gary denied the allegations and blamed “cancel culture.” He was removed from the 2023 BravoCon lineup. Bravo released a statement saying they investigated the allegations.

Gary’s appearance on the show was filmed a month after the allegations surfaced. However, fans have already criticized him for his behavior with the female crew members, including Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher. 

Below Deck Airdates Rearranged

Bravo typically airs Below Deck Sailing Yacht in the spring. It follows the original series, Below Deck. Instead, Below Deck Mediterranean Season 9 aired in its place and just concluded. 

BDSY Season 5 was pushed back yet again. It won’t premiere for another week, even though Below Deck Med Season 9 didn’t have a reunion episode. This is likely due to the allegations involving Gary, according to Screen Rant. Producers are figuring out how to navigate this season. It’s unclear whether he will receive limited editing throughout the season. 

Season 5 has three familiar faces and several new crew members. Bravo quietly released the trailer on September 12 and has barely promoted the new season. Daisy gets most of the screen time, while Gary is barely seen. 

Daisy has to prove herself at her job. She received criticism in the past for not caring about her role. Gary could get a villain edit in Season 5. He was seen calling out a woman on his deck team. Meanwhile, Captain Glenn gets angry and wakes up the crew in the middle of the night. 

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 premieres on Monday, October 7, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. New episodes stream the following day on Peacock.