Daisy Kelliher on Leadership, Pressure, and Below Deck Down Under Season 4

In an industry where perfection is demanded, sleep is rationed, and pressure travels faster than tides, Daisy Kelliher has learned how to hold her ground. Returning to the Below Deck universe in Season 4 of Below Deck Down Under, Kelliher steps onto her largest superyacht yet, not just as chief stew, but as a woman deeply aware of the cost of excellence.

Known for her unfiltered honesty and commanding presence, she speaks candidly about leadership under scrutiny, the labor behind five-star service, and what longevity really requires in a glamorized but unforgiving industry. In this conversation, Daisy moves beyond TV tropes to unpack resilience, authority, and the discipline it takes to lead: on camera, at sea, and in life.

You’ve worked on a wide range of yachts, but Below Deck Down Under marks your biggest superyacht yet! What surprised you most about stepping into this scale of operation, something viewers might not immediately notice, but that fundamentally changed how you approach leadership on board?

I have worked on larger yachts in my earlier years in yachting, so luckily, it wasn’t too daunting! It was my largest yacht being chief stew on, though. I was nervous coming on, especially as it is being filmed, so every mistake is there to be scrutinized. I think one of my biggest challenges was the stairs — it sounds futile, but the galley was so far away from where we served our meals. This boat was built in an unusual way, so the timing between taking the plates and serving the guests was always a point of tension between Ben and I, and that was a difficult one to manage.

The other challenge I was facing was having a deck/stew. It was important that this was managed properly, as I really wanted Joao and me to get on, and I feel that this could have been an area where we possibly may have clashed. And of course, the obvious — a bigger boat means more crew; more crew means more problems. So there were always problems to manage and navigate!

You’re often praised for being direct, sharp, and unfiltered, which are traits that don’t always coexist easily in high-pressure luxury environments. Has your leadership style evolved this season, or have the circumstances forced you to refine how and when you show different sides of yourself?

I think this season I am even more direct! I think in the other seasons there was a soft side to me, but I think that allowed for discrepancies in my department, in the galley, and with the deck team. This season I wanted to come in even stronger and not allow people to take the piss out of me. I didn’t want to get blamed for other people’s mistakes, and I definitely didn’t want the guest experience to suffer.

I think you always have to be adaptable with your leadership style to who you are managing, so I am more lenient with some people than others, which you will see this season. I think some people respond better to tough love, and some people respond better to a more nurturing management style. I definitely don’t always get it right, and this season is no different to any other. I am still learning and changing, and it will be interesting to see if the viewers think I am very different or not this season!

The yachting lifestyle is often glamorized, but longevity in this industry requires resilience. Looking back, what has been the most underestimated challenge of building a long-term career at sea, especially as a woman in a senior role?

I definitely think being a strong, vocal woman helps you in your success in yachting. It is definitely a male-dominated industry, with often the interior team being female-led, but as you have seen, the interior role is extremely demanding. Resilience is definitely required, as well as thick skin.

As a chief stew, you need to advocate for your team to a captain who, the majority of the time, has never been in your department or been in your role. That in itself can be a hard position to be in, and you should feel confident in your decisions and display that confidence to your captain so he has trust in you.

It also can be very difficult to work with the galley, and this is where the thick skin is required. The galley is an extremely intense department, and as a stewardess, you are often in the firing line of the galley and its chaos. You are the communication link between the guests and the galley, and this can be a tricky spot to be in, as you often have to say things to the galley that they don’t want to hear. It’s important not to take their tempers personally, but this is often hard to do as you are working long, stressful hours!

I think I have always been a confident, strong woman, but being a chief stew has definitely helped me solidify those qualities. It’s given me opportunities to display my skills and have men in higher positions see my ability, and that has empowered me! I love being a female in a senior role — as far as I am concerned, women rule the world! (lol)

Having now seen both sides, traditional yachting and yachting under the lens of global television, what do you think the public still misunderstands most about the interior team and the emotional labor behind “five-star service”?

I think anyone who has worked in hospitality understands what the interior team goes through. We are the department that is linked to all the departments. We constantly have to be in communication with the galley, the exterior team, as well as the guests. It is so important we know what is happening everywhere at all times.

Our main purpose on the boat is to make sure the guests have the most memorable experience possible, and when this doesn’t happen, I think it’s easy to blame the interior team. I think this can be very emotionally tough, as we are pulling incredibly long hours (as a chief stew, I am averaging 18-hour days), and you are trying your best, and sometimes your best just isn’t good enough. I think this can have a serious toll on you mentally, coupled with the lack of sleep and physical requirements of the job. So things seem to trigger you a lot easier than they possibly would on land!

Season after season, guests change, but patterns don’t. From your experience, what separates truly exceptional charter guests from those who simply think they understand luxury?

There are two things that stand out to me that separate the guests who really have money from the guests who think they have money. The first is manners. Any guest who has manners and shows their appreciation, to me, just automatically has class.

The second is guests who are there to have a good time and enjoy the boat, not the guests who look to me to make them have a good time. The crew is there to look after the guests, ensure their safety, and provide their hospitality needs. We cannot ensure that you enjoy yourselves, entertain yourselves, or enjoy the company you have chosen to surround yourself with, and it is often obvious to me that the charter guests who understand high-end luxury understand this.

With the launch of your podcast, Yacht Mess, you’ve created space to unpack the chaos with humor and hindsight. Do you see storytelling as a form of processing for this lifestyle, and has hosting the podcast changed how you reflect on your own experiences?

I love to tell stories. I don’t know if it’s the Irish in me or if I get it from my dad, but I LOVE to talk. I have an opinion about EVERYTHING, and this is a great space for me to share my opinions and storytelling. I am Marmite — you are going to either love me or hate me, and I am okay with that. I am loving the journey with Marc. We laugh so much together, and it is so fun getting to know him better and better.

I think the most reflection I have done throughout the podcast is realizing that I change my mind a lot and that my opinions can change depending on my mood. I definitely feel it’s a space where I can be a bit more myself and relaxed. On Below Deck, my main position is to be a chief stew, so I feel quite a lot of pressure a lot of the time, and I am quite stressed, whereas on Yacht Mess, I feel I can be more humorous and silly, which is a really nice place to be!

For readers intrigued by yachting but unsure if it’s sustainable long-term, what practical advice would you give someone considering this path, beyond the Instagram version of the job?

I think if it’s something you are genuinely intrigued by and really want to give a go, my advice would be to go for it! I am very much a yes person and think you should take every opportunity that is given to you or passes you. If you don’t like it, that’s ok — you tried it, and you move on.

For lots of people, it’s very sustainable, and many have made long-life careers out of it, whether it be on the boat or something related to yachting, like shipbuilding or yacht brokering. I did yachting for 8 years full-time and 13 years in total, and I wouldn’t change a minute of it. I have seen the world, met some incredible people, and it has given me so many skills. Commitment, determination, flexibility, and a good work ethic are what you need to be a good yachtie, in my opinion — and understanding it is a TOUGH job, not for the faint-hearted, but the benefits are just amazing.

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Team Credits Photography: Sarah Krick

Hair/Makeup: Stephanie Amaro

Styling: Danielle Premone