Andy Cohen is responding to the Below Deck reunion criticism he has endured. The host has come under fire for the way he handled the show, especially his favoritism for the bros.
Fans are furious with Andy for going easy on Ashton Pienaar, Tanner Sterback, Brian de Saint Pern, and Kevin Dobson while coming down harder on the females, especially Kate Chastain and Rhylee Gerber.
They also felt Andy’s knowledge of Below Deck was lacking.
The past season was one of the most dramatic ever, and it was clear, Andy had not even watched an episode. He relied on fan questions, rather than his own understating of the Bravo show.
Andy breaks his silence amid Below Deck reunion backlash
Andy decided to break his silence amid the Below Deck reunion backlash on his SiriusXM radio show. The host chose to address several concerns over his behavior during the reunion show.
First up was his inappropriate joke asking Courtney Skippon if she was going to hang out with Brain after the show.
“We have had Below Deck reunions where people hated each other, horrible things, and then they all go out that night, and they get drunk and then they will. I come into work the next day, and they’re like ‘Guess who hooked up last night.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me. So that’s why I asked that question. Do I wish I had not have asked it? Of course, I understand how it came off,” Andy explained.
Andy Cohen ending the #BelowDeck reunion by asking @courtneyskippon if she will hang out and rekindle a relationship with an emotionally abusive ex is the perfect example of men ignoring and not believing women when they call out toxic male behavior pic.twitter.com/rnhCPNcBkl
— Catherine Sontag (@CTag115) February 18, 2020
Andy thought the entire Valor crew behaved badly
One of the most significant criticism’s against Andy as host during the Below Deck reunion was his favoritism towards the guys, who exhibited disgusting behavior this season.
Andy explained on his radio show that he felt there was enough bad behavior by all members of the Valor crew to go around.
“Everyone kind of behaved like a**holes at one point or another. And the point of the reunion is for both sides to say what they have to say,” she shared on his radio show.
Now that doesn’t mean Andy supports the way the men acted this season.
“So I just want to say do I think the guys behaved horribly? Yes, of course. You can’t kiss someone who doesn’t want to be kissed. Or talk about slapping someone with your d**k,” Andy revealed.
So two things we know for sure after this reunion. 1. @andy did not watch #belowdeck this season. 2. Ashton has moved into Andy’s penthouse and is his new houseboy. pic.twitter.com/LRutCJxHJ4
— sweeteandshade (@modbrod6) February 18, 2020
Taking Ashton’s side
Throughout the entire reunion, viewers felt Andy was siding with Ashton, especially after the now-infamous tearful apology. The host chimed in on that backlash too.
“He sat there and apologized in a four-minute soliloquy with tears in his eyes. Typically, what you look for at a reunion is some sort of apology or moving forward. So, after this guy sits there and apologizes for four minutes with tears in his eyes yeah, I didn’t beat him with a club after that as I think people would have liked for me to do,” Andy expressed.
Lack of Below Deck knowledge
It was apparent to anyone who tuned into the reunion show that Andy did not know as much about Below Deck as other Bravo shows.
“I am more of a hired hand as the host of the Below Deck reunion. I don’t have anything to do with Below Deck. I’m not a producer,” he said.
Andy is a producer on the Real Housewives franchises, so he has more insight on those shows going into the reunion. He is more knowledgeable of them, plain and simple.
What do you think of Andy’s response to backlash over the Below Deck reunion show?