Here's How Below Deck Sailing Yacht Producers Reacted to Dani Soares' Pregnancy
Executive producer Courtland Cox shares when he and the production team learned the stew was expecting.
The Below Deck community received some happy news last month. Below Deck Sailing Yacht stew Dani Soares announced that she is expecting her first child with a baby bump-baring photo on Instagram on April 24.
Dani previously explained during an interview with Daily Mail Australia last month why she waited to share the news of her pregnancy publicly. "I was just trying to hold onto it a little bit, it's such a personal thing," she said. "But I'm actually very relieved that it's out there and everybody knows about it."
Below Deck Sailing Yacht executive producer Courtland Cox shared a similar sentiment while opening up about when production learned of Dani's pregnancy during a recent interview with Vanity Fair. “Dani brought it to our attention when we were pretty far into the postproduction process,” he said. “Even once Dani found out, I think she kind of wanted to sit with [the news] herself. Then she let us know and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, I’m pregnant.’ We said, ‘Okay, great.’ I left that up to her and how much information she wanted to give us."
Of course, Cox couldn't have been happier for Dani. "My first reaction was, ‘That’s fantastic. Congratulations.’ Because she made it clear throughout the season that she wanted a family," he shared. "The rest of that is for Dani to figure out."
Dani shared her reaction to seeing herself wanting to start that next chapter this season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, as well as more details about her pregnancy, in an exclusive interview with Bravo Insider.
The stew has received lots of love and support from fans and her Below Deck family alike, including fellow Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 stew Alli Dore, who gushed about Dani's pregnancy during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on May 10. "I've known for a while, actually. Dani and I speak nearly every day, so I've known for quite a few months [that she's pregnant]," Alli said. "And I was absolutely elated for her. I mean, doing it on her own, she's the bravest woman in the world."
Following her pregnancy announcement, Dani opened up more becoming a mom in a post on Instagram on May 5. "From the moment I knew you were here, I've been making sure I'm doing everything I can to help you grow healthy inside of me and to make sure you'll have what you need when [you're] out," she wrote in the caption to a post that featured another gorgeous photo of her baby bump. "This is not how I dreamed, not how I planned, but you [are] not unwanted. Bringing a life to this world is a blessing and you are here to show me I have a reason to keep going and a purpose in this life. You [are] already so loved."
Earlier this week, Dani posted another glowing selfie in which she declared, "Final weeks of pregnancy ain't easy y'all!"
However, we can only imagine she is still riding high from the news that she will be welcoming a baby girl, which she announced on Instagram last week. "When [I found] out I was pregnant, all I really wanted was a healthy baby and didn't really care about anything else," Dani wrote. "But now, I'm looking forward to having my little girl and developing that mother and daughter relationship."
