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Ben Robinson Says He "Really Leaned On" Anastasia Surmava After Returning to Below Deck Med
"Anastasia was in the kitchen, poor little thing, doing her best," the chef said of his first impressions of the third stew.
When Ben Robinson first joined the Below Deck Mediterranean crew this season, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Anastasia Surmava, who had left her original post of third stew to serve as chef following Mila Kolomeitseva's departure. "Anastasia was in the kitchen, poor little thing, doing her best," he told The Daily Dish during an interview over the phone in August. "I can't even imagine what she was up against."
She may not have the most experience as a yacht chef, but Anastasia was a logical choice to put in the galley on Captain Sandy Yawn's part, according to Ben. "I get it. You see, quite often, it's one of those, it's better the devil you know. I mean, look, she's hired Miele [Ben's nickname for Mila], who was obviously a f--king nightmare. And now they've got a very bright, energetic, enthusiastic stewardess stepping up to the plate," Ben said. "I think she deserved a chance."
Even after Anastasia stepped down as chef, she was still a rock star in the galley. "I really leaned on her in the beginning for support because she knew the kitchen by then. She's very, very intelligent, so she remembered where everything is. I would never have been able to find half the stuff that I was looking for. So she was a great asset," Ben said. "But obviously, there was a time where she had to leave my side, and I had to do it on my own, which I did. It was fine."
All in all, Ben said that Anastasia deserves all the applause for how she performed in the galley this season. "I'm really proud of her. I actually admired what she did. There's absolutely no resentment there," he shared. "I'm proud of her. She killed it."
Watch Anastasia open up about her time as chef in the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4 After Show, above.
Check out a preview of an all-new episode of Below Deck Med coming up on Monday at 9/8c, below.
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