Below Deck Sailing Yacht: 8 Times Gary King Should Have Been Fired For His Bad Behavior

Oct. 15, 2024, 1 a.m.

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Below Deck Sailing Yacht: 8 Times Gary King Should Have Been Fired For His Bad Behavior

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Gary King is a troubled character on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, and he should have been fired a long time ago. As the First Officer, Gary is responsible for the deck crew and ensuring the safe operation of the yacht and managing the junior deckhands. However, he seems to be more focused on causing trouble and not taking accountability for his actions. When Chief Engineer Colin Macrae didn't return for Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5, it's fair to say Gary had a hand in it.

Before Gary became better known for his problematic moments on the show, he was a flirty but effective leader. Unfortunately, throughout his time on the show, Gary's been involved in several love triangles and hookups. He's too much of a liability for the industry and should have been fired a long time ago. Here's why.

8 Gary's Love Triangle With Sydney Zaruba & Alli Dore

He Didn't Take Ownership Of His Role

Gary's love triangle with Sydney Zaruba and Alli Dore was one of the first signs of trouble for the first officer on Below Deck Sailing Yacht. It all began when Gary hooked up with deckhand Sydney, which occurred spontaneously in the early part of the charter season. Gary made it clear to Sydney that he wasn’t looking for anything serious, but Sydney developed feelings for him.

Gary proved he was a red flag and a liability early on when he engaged in a love triangle with Sydney and Alli.

Not long after his hookup with Sydney, Gary began to show interest in deckhand Alli. Unlike his casual relationship with Sydney, Gary seemed genuinely into Alli. The tension between the three finally boiled over during a crew night out when Gary and Alli kissed in front of Sydney. Sydney stormed off. The situation caused a rift between Sydney and Alli as Sydney felt betrayed, even though Alli hadn’t meant to intentionally hurt her. Gary was emotionally dismissive of both women for the whole season, downplaying his role in the romantic mess he created.

7 Gary Treatment Towards Tom Pearson

Gary Didn't Adequately Prepare Him

Tom Pearson was rightfully fired in Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 3, but Gary never had to face real consequences for his role in the anchor dragging incident. During a night shift, Tom was on anchor watch. However, he failed to properly monitor the anchor, leading to a dangerous situation where the boat started drifting, and Tom didn't alert anyone until the situation was critical. The yacht had drifted dangerously close to shallow waters, putting everyone on board at risk.

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Gary was responsible for overseeing the deck crew, which included Tom. As the senior crew member on the deck team, Gary didn't properly train Tom, not just during the anchor dragging incident but over several instances leading up to it. Gary had expressed concerns earlier in the season about Tom's ability to keep up with the demands of the job, but he didn't do enough as a leader to ensure his competency. However, Gary refused to take any of the blame, just like his love triangle situation.

6 The Way Gary Spoke To Ashley Marti

He Treated Her Disrespectfully

While Gary pursued many coworkers during his time on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, there was a situation in Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 3 in which Gary was more of the victim than the perpetrator. The most controversial moment between them came when Ashley pursued Gary one night when he was super drunk. Third stew Ashley showed clear interest in Gary from early on in the charter season. However, Gary was way too drunk to consent, raising questions about the ethics of the situation.

Ashley's manipulation of Gary when he was too drunk to consent wasn't okay. Neither was his treatment of her afterward, which added to his unprofessional behavior throughout the show.

Gary was often reckless and unprofessional in his behavior towards crew members throughout the series, and his relationship with Ashley was a problem. Gary's actions in later episodes—where he continued flirting and leading her on—created a toxic work environment and complicated the situation. Even though Gary wasn’t the primary instigator on the infamous night, his role as a senior crew member meant that his conduct toward his subordinates should have been more professional. He continued to blur personal and professional boundaries.

5 Gary's Excessive Alcohol Consumption

It Was Unprofessional And Problematic

It became obvious over the years that Gary's alcohol consumption should've gotten him fired. While the incident with Ashley certainly wasn't Gary's fault as he wasn't able to consent to her advances, there were many scenarios on the show that would've never happened if not for his drunken state. His alcohol abuse should have been ground for firing due to safety risks, professional misconduct, and the negative impact it had on the rest of the crew.

Most of Gary's personal drama was fueled by alcohol on the show. When Gary was drunk, he overstepped boundaries with female crew members and caused friction with male cast members, especially his former friend, Chief Engineer Colin. He allegedly stopped drinking at certain points during the run of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, but he always eventually drinks again and gets himself into trouble. It should have been grounds for dismissal, especially because Gary was in a leadership role.

4 Gary's Lack Of Leadership During Season 4

He Was Too Focused On The Drama

Gary's leadership in Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4 was severely lacking, likely due to his personal issues with Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher and Chief Engineer Colin. Just like with Tom, Gary didn't provide adequate leadership to his deckhands, especially Chase Lemacks. He complained that Gary never properly trained the deck crew, leaving them to figure things out on their own. Gary expected the crew to already know everything, which led to mistakes that he would then criticize publicly, sometimes even in front of charter guests.

Gary's lack of leadership and professionalism combined with his penchant for drama made him a liability. He should've been fired long ago.

Additionally, Gary's personal drama with Daisy and Colin added unnecessary tension onboard. Gary acted like a child when Daisy and Colin started developing romantic feelings for each other because of his secret hookup with Daisy before the charter season began. His focus on the love triangle further strained his leadership abilities, and he should've been let go.

3 Gary Disrespected Daisy During Her Relationship With Colin

His Behavior Was Unprofessional

Gary's behavior towards his supposed friend during Below Deck Sailing Yacht was unprofessional and manipulative. Gary kept trying to flirt with Daisy throughout the season, even after it was clear she was trying to focus on her relationship with Colin. Despite the fact that their fling seemed to be in the past, Gary continued to make suggestive comments in front of Colin.

Gary King Fast Facts Below Deck Sailing Yacht Age 36 Job First Officer Hometown Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa

Gary and Daisy kissed in the hot tub, which happened before Daisy and Colin's relationship fully took off, but it was a sore point. As usual, Gary downplayed the kiss while also dangling his connection with Daisy over Colin. As Daisy and Colin's relationship progressed, Gary made it obvious that he was jealous of Colin with his backhanded and sarcastic comments. A drunken Gary confronted Daisy about her relationship with Colin, with Gary admitting that he had feelings for Daisy, but it was done in a way that put her in an uncomfortable position. His behavior was inappropriate.

2 Gary's Failure To Apologize For Misconduct

He Wouldn't Take Accountability For His Actions

Gary never apologized for the sexual misconduct incident that occurred behind-the-scenes filming Below Deck Sailing Yacht. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Gary never made a statement, and even responded to fan comments by doubling down. While commentary has largely been deleted, producers later pulled him from appearing at BravoCon in 2023.

Gary's lack of accountability undermines the seriousness of the incident, and producers proved they didn't care about the Below Deck cast. Failing to address the issue head-on raised questions about producers' commitment to creating a safe working environment, especially for female crew members. Gary had the chance to atone for his missteps, and he actively chose not to. This shouldn't be a surprise, because Gary never takes accountability for his actions, and even dismisses his behavior as inconsequential. A man like Gary doesn't deserve to have a place in the yachting community.

1 Gary's Sexual Misconduct Incident

Bravo Should Have Fired Him

Bravo should have fired Gary after his sexual misconduct incident came to light, but he's still a main cast member on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5. Gary was accused of misconduct by Samantha Suarez, a former production assistant for the show. The allegations came to light in August 2023, when, according to Samantha, the incident occurred at a hotel after a night out.

She alleged that Gary was drunk and made inappropriate advances when she escorted him back to his room after filming confessionals. Samantha claimed that when she declined, he followed her into her room and wouldn't leave until she threatened to yell for help. The situation didn't escalate into physical assault, but she was understandably uncomfortable. Production should've fired Gary for Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5, but they didn't. After years of inappropriate flirtation, disrespect, drunkenness, and lack of leadership, Gary needs to go.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.

Source: Bravo/YouTube