'Below Deck' Season 8 Reunion: Was Izzy Wouters's promotion a production plot? Rob Phillips reveals the truth
Reunions are a network's way of addressing the drama with more drama. It's not going to be any different when 'Below Deck' cast members convene again for an explosive session of blame-game.
From rage-quitting to a controversial hook-up in the guest bedroom - a lot has gone down in Season 8. But what left fans and Isabelle 'Izzy' Wouters puzzled was her promotion. Not that it was unexpected, just that it resulted in a string of uncomfortable conversations.
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Eddie Lucas was impressed with Izzy's skills and her ability to adapt to the ever-changing work environment. He decided to reward her hard work by promoting her to lead deckhand which didn't sit well with James Hough and Rob Phillips. She was happy to take up the role but soon found out that it was not being appreciated by her teammates. They were passive-aggressive and would often not respond to Izzy.
It bothered her for a while and on the final day, she decided to take it up with Rob. What followed was a conversation neither of us needed to hear because it came from a place of angst and even though Izzy was able to take a lot of load off her chest, Rob's "sincere" apology got lost somewhere. In a Reddit Q & A, he cleared the air about what really happened and what are his closing thoughts on his and Izzy's clash.
"That promotion was forced to drive narrative a couple of days before the season ended,” Rob posted and added that no "real boat" would throw a promotion last minute. “Why would any experienced Capt/Bosun create a situation when things are perfectly smooth when they are about to step off the boat?"
He defended his behavior towards Izzy when he wrote that it was all "BS." "My reference is real life, so I acted like it was BS. Not trying to throw shade at Izzy, she’s a cool cat, but it realllllly came off that way," the deckhand added.
Catch the two-part reunion special episodes of 'Below Deck' Season 8 on Bravo every Monday at 9/8c. For more information, check your local listings.
