Below Deck alum, Courtney Skippon is defending Jenna MacGillivray from Below Deck Sailing Yacht. The chief stew has taken a lot of heat during the premiere season of the new Bravo series.
Courtney only appeared on one season of the reality TV show, but she knows first-hand what it takes to be a successful stew on a yacht. Many fans don’t like Jenna’s tough as nails approach, and that is one reason Courtney is showing her sympathy for the chief stew.
Courtney has a message for fans
Although Courtney didn’t endure the anger and backlash, Jenna has from social media, and now, the former second stew is showing empathy for Jenna. Courtney used social media to reiterate that reality TV stars are people too. She even disagreed with a fan who called Jenna mean in one tweet.
“I know Jenna personally, so my opinion is based on that. I just think it’s important to practice making softer judgments about people, especially those we only see briefly on TV,” Courtney shared on social media.
The Below Deck beauty also stated that viewers who have not worked on a yacht might not understand the dynamic. Courtney explained there is zero time for nonsense because of the work that needs to be done. Plus, life as a yachtie is not as black and white as it may appear on television.
So much footage so little time
There is no question the Bravo series shoots so much footage that is then crammed into several hour-long episodes. The producers want to air the most interesting and exciting stuff onscreen.
Courtney expressed a majority of the work she did never made it on air because other parts were more interesting. For example, her relationship with deckhand Brian de Saint Pern was the storyline producers focused on most of the time, as opposed to Courtney’s work.
Jenna’s love life is one reason she has endured such backlash from social media. Her romance with chef Adam Glick is a significant plotline, but fans are not impressed with the duo. Jenna has repeatedly said the relationship did not interfere with her job, despite what has played out on the show.
Below Deck alum, Courtney Skippon is standing up for Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Jenna MacGillivray by reminding viewers to think before speaking in person and on social media.
Courtney is asking people to be open to other points of view while also using softer language when a disagreement occurs. She knows everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but Courtney feels people can be a bit nicer when expressing their thoughts.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.