On this week’s episode of Below Deck, stew Camille Lamb continued to clash with fellow stew Alissa Humber. Making matters worse for Camille, she was caught drinking on the job in between charters by her boss, chief stew Fraser Olender.
That was the last straw for Fraser as he met with Captain Sandy Yawn to let her know that he would like to let Camille go. Captain Sandy supported (and even commended) Fraser’s decision, and at the end of the episode we see Captain Sandy letting Camille know she was fired.
However, Camille took to social media after the episode aired and argued that things didn’t really happen exactly the way they were shown on screen.
“I’m not going to allow this narrative to be the narrative,” Camille started a lengthy statement posted in multiple parts to her Instagram stories. She continued by pointing out the crew was in between charters on what is called a turn over day.
“That turn over day everyone is drinking. That day is designed to appear as if we are working all day.” Camille admitted that the crew members are “doing some things” but added that during the course of the day they were taken off one by one to record confessionals for the show.
Camille claimed in her posts that cast members are offered drinks (or “truth serum”) before and during their confessional interviews. “So I was already sauced from my interview,” she explained. “Went back to the boat, finished what I had left, and opened champagne.”
During the episode, viewers saw Camille popping open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
More from Camille about the Champagne:
Fraser said when we finish our jobs “champagne time” he said we could drink. So I open the champagne I saw Fraser use for tip meetings. Since he used it for us to drink I thought that was the one we used. I’m no champagne snob so I didn’t know it’s value.
On the show, Fraser criticized Camille’s on-the-job boozing during his own confessional. “Seeing Camille come out with a pint-sized glass of Champagne, it just goes to show that there truly is no care or willingness to do the job.”
Chef Rachel Hargrove also got in on the Camille bashing as she talked with Fraser on board during turn over day. “She’s been drinking pretty much all day. At least get your s**t done if you’re going to be f***ing cocked!” she said.
Later in the episode, Fraser “caught” Camille hanging out on the dock with members of the deck crew, and he confronted her with photos of some of the interior cabins that were not finished.
“Did I miss some things in cabins, yes,” Camille admitted in her Instagram posts. “I could have been more thorough in my drunken state, yes. Mind you, Hayley was also responsible for cabins, yet I took all the fall. When some of those photos were rooms I didn’t do…”
Camille also claimed that she was hanging on the dock with the deck crew after being asked to by a show producer. “When I was on the dock, a producer asked me to go talk to Katie on the dock about our crew night out,” Camille explained. “Then Fraser called me out about clocking off early. Not saying it was a set up, but it felt like it.”
Regardless of feeling set up, Camille is OK with the decisions by Fraser and Captain Sandy to fire her:
Ppl will say I’m making excuses. Whatever this is my experience. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been let go. I think it was time to go. There was going to be no resolution unless one of us went and it happened to be me. I am ok with that. I was fed up anyway.
Here is the rest of Camille’s statement:
Also this whole lazy thing. I’m not lazy.. maybe less enthusiastic. They choose not to show any clips of me working when I was doing exactly that 90% of the time. Do you ever hear about laundry being messed up. No because I always had clean underwear and uniforms ready for my team member. I did my job in the laundry room. Which was my main responsibility.
I forgot a few things here and there. I fully didn’t stock the fridge. I put glass in the trash. I swam right before the guest arrive at the beach yet my hair is dry when they show up?
Yea I’m just not going to accept and claim this narrative. My accomplishments thus far in life are not accomplishments of a lazy person. I will continue to be accountable for my actions with no shame because at the end of the day I grow from them I learn from them and from those lessons and failures I’m one step closer to success.
Meanwhile, Below Deck fans are divided pretty evenly between those who support Camille and those who support Alissa. Most of those who are on #TeamCamille are just like her in that they are willing to admit she could have done some things differently — and better — but they insist that Alissa was the true instigator by treating Camille disrespectfully from the beginning of the charter season.
Are you #TeamCamille or #TeamAlissa — and why? Join the discussion over on Instagram!
I feel pretty confident that the Camille versus Alissa debate will be the number one topic at the Below Deck Season 10 Reunion! (Assuming both ladies participate.)
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
