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The Daily Dish Below Deck

Emile Kotze Says Watching His Relationship with Rocky Has Been "Painful" at Times

It hasn't been easy for the #BelowDeck star to relive his interaction with the stew all over again. 

By Laura Rosenfeld
Emile and Rocky's Painfully Awkward Date

If you think the interactions between Emile Kotze and Rocky Dakota have been a bit awkward this season of Below Deck, you're not the only one. It's been difficult for Emile to relive his interactions with Rocky aboard the Eros after she told him she just wanted to be friends earlier this season.

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Watch Below Deck on Bravo Mondays at 9/8c and next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo App.

"Rocky and I are still friends and I try to keep her spirits up while we relive the season, but she is a very passionate girl! It has been rather painful to watch the first half of the season, but this is life aboard the 'Eros' for better or for worse," Emile said in an interview with Talk Nerdy With Us. "The best of the season is yet to come, so I am a bit nervous to see how it all wraps up."

That's certainly intriguing, especially since Rocky's relationship with bosun Eddie Lucas has been heating up on the show as of late. However, things have cooled down between the two ever since they chose opposite sides of the Kate Chastain-Leon Walker feud. Emile somehow managed to stay out of the whole thing, but he said he now wishes he had supported Kate.

"I was never on 'a team' per se, I merely thought I was sticking up for a friend. In the meantime, I became friends with Kate and I do see her side of things," Emile said. "If I could do it all over again, I would have told Leon to relax and be more accommodating to Kate. She was just trying to make the charter an unforgettable experience for the guests. It’s a shame that they could not get along as I think that both of them are good at what they do, respectively!"

Chef Leon Walker Gets the Boot

Ben Robinson returned in Tuesday night's episode to take Leon's place as the chef of the ship, but Emile seemed to be one of the only crewmembers not so keen on his arrival. However, Emile said that he and Ben in particular now "have a really good friendship." 

While you wonder how Emile and Ben ended up as such tight mates, check out what life was like for the Below Deck crew before they boarded the Eros, below.

 

 

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