Below Deck season 8 returns Nov. 2 with many new faces. One of those new faces is Francesca Rubi. Francesca is the new chief stew of Captain Lee Rosbach’s crew. So, who is Francesca? Here’s what you need to know as season 8 sets sail.
1. Francesca is taking over for Kate Chastain as chief stew. Below Deck season 8 features many cast changes, starting at the top. Kate departed the show after 6 seasons, which meant Captain Lee Rosbach needed a new chief stew. Francesca is replacing Kate as chief stew this season. Other new crew members include chef Rachel Hargrove, stewardess Elizabeth Frankini, stewardess Isabelle “Izzy” Wouters, deckhand James Hough, and deckhand Shane Coopersmith.
2. She hails from Australia. Francesca loves her home country. Back in July 2020, Francesca posted a gorgeous sunset photo and wrote, “Home is a stunning place… surf on one side and calm sunsets on the other.”
3. She started out in event management. Francesca worked for celebrity clients and eventually transitioned into yachting as a hostess. She has a strong background in yachting as a purser, deckhand, and stewardess.
4. Francesca takes her job very seriously. Francesca is a “perfectionist who runs a tight ship,” according to Bravo. She’ll end up discovering her stews are not up to her standards, and her breaking point will send waves throughout the interior.
5. She’s a world traveler. Francesca may be in the Caribbean for Below Deck, but she’s been to one of the coldest places on earth. She traveled to the North Pole in 2019 and even jumped in the freezing cold waters! “Being without internet was refreshing one of highlights was our Polar Plunge,” she wrote on Instagram. “We swam in Arctic Water at 81 degrees north in about -1 temperature water.. a shock to the system but after a couple of jumps in I couldn’t feel the cold.”