Producers Explain Why Dani and Jean-Luc's Romance Is Unlike Any Other Below Deck Relationship Before It

While some of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht crew members came in hot in Season 2 (we're looking at you, Gary King and Sydney Zaruba), others have taken their time in the romance department. Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux's boatmance has been a bit of a slower burn in comparison, with the two stealing kisses in between cleaning up after the charter guests and washing dishes while working lates.

When tasks weren't being completed overnight in the April 19 episode of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, first mate Gary wondered if Jean-Luc's flirtation with Dani was distracting the deckhand from his duties. That didn't seem to deter Dani and Jean-Luc, whose feelings for one another appeared to become even stronger in this episode, especially as the deckhand's mother gave her seal of approval for her son's new flame. Dani and Jean-Luc ended the crew's night off by heading into one of the guest cabins for some "grown-up cuddling."

Below Deck Sailing Yacht executive producer Jill Goslicky and Vice President, Current Production at Bravo Matt Reichman broke down Dani and Jean-Luc's journey up to this point and previewed what the rest of this season will bring for them during an exclusive interview with Bravo Insider.

Goslicky noted that it seemed like Dani and Jean-Luc were caught off guard by the intensity of their feelings for each other since they probably saw this more as just a "fling" at first. "I think they’re surprised that they connected more than they expected as well," Goslicky said.

Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux Dishes on Dani Soares

Their age gap (Dani was 32 while filming the charter season, and Jean-Luc was 24), not to mention their height difference (she's 5'3", he's 6'9"), may also not make them the obvious match on paper. "She’s of a certain age and looking for certain things in her life. And he’s of a certain age looking for different things in his life," Reichman explained. "But somehow in this crazy world, the chemistry was there and they hit it off, and it’s very, very surprising."

In fact, Dani and Jean-Luc's relationship this season will be unlike anything we've ever really seen before in the world of Below Deck, according to Reichman, making it that much more captivating to follow for both those in production and everyone watching at home. "It’s really fun to explore it because it’s not the type of relationship that you get often on Below Deck, if ever. You know, I think that there’s something maybe a little more expected about our handsome first mate chasing after the good-looking stewardess," he said. "But it kinda turns the relationship dynamic on its head in ways that we haven’t really been able to tell on Below Deck before. And it’s new territory for us. And we’re just really psyched about it."

So, prepare for your jaws to drop, Below Deck Sailing Yacht fans. "It’s gonna be a really fun story to watch unfold," Reichman teased of what we can expect to see of Dani and Jean-Luc's romance this season. "And a lot of juicy moments." 

Want more Below Deck Sailing Yacht? New episodes air every Monday at 9/8c or catch up on the Bravo app.