DDU’s Charismatic Captain Jason Chambers Is Bravo’s Most Unsung Hero

The Big Picture

• Captain Chambers showed great empathy and leadership, firing crew members for inappropriate behavior.
• Captain Jason’s actions displayed a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct on the boat.
• Fans view Captain Jason as a fair, decisive leader on board and a loving father off the boat.

Bravo TV has a vast array of successful shows under its belt. Of course, Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules have been monopolizing the mainstream media, with salacious tales of scandal and titillation: #Scandoval anyone? And who doesn’t love Southern Charm and related shows Summer House and Winter House? But what about the other series that sometimes slip under the radar and very rarely make it to mainstream news? And whilst many of Bravo’s shows have quite obvious ‘villains’, what about those heroes that perhaps go unnoticed? One of those being the Below Deck franchise’s Captain Cutie aka Captain Jason Chambers.

Below Deck has been a Bravo staple for many years now. First, we had the original Below Deck, premiering in 2013, with iconic silver fox Captain Lee Rosbach, aka “The Stud of The Seas.” This was then followed in 2016 by Below Deck Mediterranean, with the inimitable Captain Sandy at the helm. We’ve also experienced a little overland drama with Below Deck Adventure in 2022, and let’s not forget Below Deck Sailing Yacht in 2020. But one show that seems to have slipped under the sonar a little and which is worth sounding the horn for is another of the BD spin-offs: Below Deck Down Under, and certainly for the man in charge of chartering the Australian waters and steering all crew on board in the right direction.

Dramatic Moments on ‘Below Deck Down Under

The show premiered in March 2022 and gave viewers an insight into the beautiful Australian coastal waters and marine life. Locations traveled to include the stunning Whitsunday Islands, a complete paradise! However, something else nice to look at caught the audience’s attention too, by way of the man in charge, Captain Jason Chambers. It’s not hard to see why–the captain is tall, handsome, charming, and diplomatic, a keen diver and devoted father to his young daughter Saskia, aka Sassy. Stewards on the boat were giddy in his presence too. Yet despite having model looks, Capt. Chambers showed himself to be extremely down to earth and with a great moral compass.

A memorably shocking moment on the show was when deckhand Luke Jones was actively pursuing stew Margot Sisson. One night off on board, after an evening of crew drinking, Margot headed to bed to rest as she was tired and wanted to sleep. Shocking footage showed Luke stripping naked and climbing into bed with a passed-out Margot, who was completely unaware of what was happening. Breaking the “fourth wall” as a matter of urgency, the crew intervened. Luke tried to shut the camera person and producers out of the room, but fortunately, he was not successful. Upon hearing about what happened the next morning, Margot was understandably distressed. Viewers came out in support of Margot (and appalled at Luke’s behavior) but also applauded Captain Jason’s handling of the situation, along with the chief stew, Aesha Scott. The incident was triggering for Aesha who had experienced sexual assault previously, and Captain Chambers and her crewmates also rallied around her.

Captain Jason Chambers showed great empathy and leadership, firing Luke and supporting Margot through a dark and difficult time. He made it clear in no uncertain terms that a crew member’s door was their boundary and should not be crossed without explicit consent. This was also the case when, unbelievably, another crew member received unwanted advances from one of their team, on the same episode. This time it was a female overstepping the boundaries with her male counterpart, making him decidedly uncomfortable. Stewardess Laura Bileskalne was seen entering the room of cast member Adam Kodra and attempting to massage and kiss him, without his consent. Not only that, but she also came out in support of Luke and his actions, expressing sympathy for him and sadness that he had been fired.

Upon discovering what had happened, Captain Jason wasted no time in dismissing Laura from the boat also, showing a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of sexual misconduct and her insensitive behavior towards Margot. Since the episode aired, Laura has publicly apologized for her actions on her social media, whilst Luke has been less forthcoming, with a vague apology at best, though as shown on the show he did reach out to Margot via text. Despite this, Captain Jason has encouraged fans of the show not to write either off completely, still following Luke on social media and commenting positively on his posts, with the message seeming to be that everyone can make mistakes, the key is to learn from them and move on.

Captain Jason Chambers Growing Fan Base

Whilst Chambers already had a fan base, his no-nonsense and sensitive approach to both incidents gained him many more and led fans to want to know more about him. Many flocked to his social media where he is pretty active on Instagram, posting updates about his travels, his outdoor pursuits, such as scuba diving, his paradise home/ rental in the Philippines, and time spent with his daughter. Wherever Chambers is in the world, he makes sure to Facetime or call his daughter and keep up to date with what is going on in her life. When he has time off, his first priority is traveling to see and spend time with her. He shows that you can travel the world and still be a devoted father and strong male role model. The two are not mutually exclusive.

On his social media, Jason also talks about men’s health, such as prevention of prostate cancer and is an ambassador for Classroom of Hope, a children’s education charity, and environmental causes such as the Mares Foundation, aiming to reverse the effects of pollution in the ocean.

The Captain is also a keen proponent of “wellness” and extols the virtues of meditation, yoga and breathwork, perhaps helping him to maintain his calm, zen-like approach when dealing with dramas on the boat. Nevertheless, despite his chilled demeanor, Captain Jason has shown on the show that he has a steadfast moral compass and that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated in any circumstances — and if it happens there will be serious consequences. It’s an important message for all to take on board, no pun intended.

Below Deck Down Under’s ‘Captain Charming’

Below Deck Down Under has many light-hearted, fun moments too, as well as plenty of crew and passenger-related drama! In one episode, the Captain gamely appeared in his ‘budgie smugglers’ as part of entertainment for the guests, and in another he had to navigate the boat into Cairns marina. Footage showed that back in 2019, due to a mechanical fault on the boat, Captain Jason had to crash full force into the very same marina. But, as ever, the captain handled the situation with grace. The same applied when it came to firing feisty chef Ryan McKeown who, despite creating top-class food for the guests, did not receive the same accolades when it came to his interpersonal skills, which created tension between him and other crew members, especially chief stew Aesha. The grace and charm of Captain Jason seemed to be lacking in Ryan when, after departing the boat and the show, he “mooned” at his former boss and the cameras.

Fans of the show have claimed that Jason is an example to follow in terms of his actions and behavior on and off the boat. A fair, level-headed, decisive and inclusive captain on board and a loving father and adventurer on land. A proponent of wellness, fairness and justice, belying his Libran astrological sign, the symbol of scales, or ‘balance.’

For an all-around entertaining show covering team dynamics, travel, ethics and morality, and many highs and lows all captured on camera, lead by a man with a great moral compass, pun intended, be sure to tune into Below Deck Down Under.

Below Deck Down Under is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.

Watch on Peacock