Captain Jason Chambers teased what fans can expect from Below Deck Down Under season 3 — and it sounds like there will be some changes.
“Season 3 has been filmed. I just know it’s in edits at the moment, but it has been filmed and I can confirm that,” Jason exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his partnership with J&J Vision Acuvue Oasys Max. “The most information out so far is that it has been confirmed.”
The captain, speaking to Us from his home in Bali, couldn’t share too many details of what is to come after Below Deck Down Under’s renewal was announced at BravoCon. He did hint though that the season 2 scandal changed certain guidelines.
“There were changes for sure. I know that the policies and procedures were in place during the previous seasons, even when that happened. When production stepped in and stopped it, that showed that these policies and procedures were very understood,” Jason noted. “Now for the next season, the policies and procedures weren’t just controlled by the production team itself. They actually brought additional HR people to actually make sure that the black and white writing was understood by all.”
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Jason commended the production team for making sure everyone understood the guidelines before they started filming. (News broke in September 2023 that NBC Universal increased its requirements around anti-discrimination and harassment policies, making an inclusive workplace and channels to report concerns and violations.)
“It was just pushed down even further and showed to us true to form what it was,” he added before teasing the onscreen changes for season 3. “There seemed to be a lot less drinking and a lot more drama.”
Season 2 of Below Deck Down Under, which aired in 2023, made headlines when ship bosun Luke Jones was filmed getting into bed naked with stewardess Margot Sisson, who at the time was passed out after an alcohol-fueled crew night out. After a cameraman intervened, producers made Luke leave the boat and he was moved to a hotel for the night. Jason ultimately terminated Luke and let stewardess Laura Bileskaline go after she blamed Margot for his exit.
“The one thing I want that sticks in my mind is that I supported everyone afterward. Everyone involved with it had some learning to do. I’ve stayed in touch with every person that’s been involved and they’ve become a better person and that’s great,” Jason told Us. “I think the industry 15 or 20 years ago was totally different. A lot of these things were acceptable in many ways and in society as well. I’m glad that society is not like that anymore and we have got the ability to put our foot down on certain issues.”
Jason is glad he “stayed in contact” with the entire season 2 cast, adding, “I look back at the people that actually were involved in every aspect of that incident and I know that everyone’s become a better person. We have to give everyone the right to learn from their mistakes.”
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After working with chief stew Aesha Scott for the past two seasons, the duo have remained in on and off contact amid her return to Below Deck Mediterranean. (Aesha was on two seasons of Below Deck Med as a stew before leading the interior team during season 9.)
“She’s very busy at the moment. I know she’s got a lot going on. She is an entrepreneur and she’s got her new drink coming out; I haven’t contacted her for about six months now. I might have to send her a text very soon,” Jason shared. “But there’s always contact there for sure.”
Viewers notably fell in love with the friendship between the coworkers while watching Aesha put contacts in Jason’s eyes for him. Jason has partnered with J&J Vision Acuvue Oasys Max after watching himself struggle with his contacts. He has now been properly fit for a pair of contact lenses, been trained how to properly put in the lens and made this a part of his routine.
“It was a struggle. During season 1, I had my glasses for the first time. I’m 53 now and it was only in my late 40s that I started to wear glasses. I didn’t really think I needed them. I thought I was invincible there for a while,” he recalled. “Then I was doing season 1 and I just went, ‘I need glasses.’ So I started wearing glasses and I just couldn’t find them. I was leaving them on the bridge. I ended up buying three pairs of glasses for every boat that I worked on and the crew would just bring ’em back to the bridge.”
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Jason subsequently got tested for contact lessons.
“I went into a local shop and then they just did a little test for two seconds. That’s when I had these contacts. So I was never shown how to put them in and never really shown if they were the right contacts,” he continued. “I didn’t even know how to put them in and it was a struggle. After that, Acuvue reached out and I went for an eye exam. I actually learned about eye health and learned how to put them in properly.”
He added: “I’ve had so many people message me saying, ‘I have the same problem.’ Now not only have I got the right understanding of eye health but I had the right contacts for me too.”
With reporting by Justin Ravitz
