Colin MacRae Reacts to Gary King and Daisy Kelliher's Makeout and If They'd Actually Make a Good Couple
"I guess one of the ways that they could stop all the fighting was to just make out," Below Deck Sailing Yacht's chief engineer said.
Out of all of the relationships we've seen develop on Below Deck over the years, few have stood the test of time like the friendship between Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary King and Colin MacRae.
Yes, Gary and Colin quickly went from crewmates to besties in Season 2 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, showing that they had each other's backs during the charter season and beyond. But according to Colin, their bond was rooted in something much deeper than work.
"So I’m from New Zealand and he’s from South Africa, and there’s a very similar culture that we grew up with, which is more similar than say, like, Americans or people from the U.K. Like, we play rugby and we surf and we have barbecues, and we have all of that in common. So when I met him on the show, we immediately had this bond where we had similar upbringings, you know, a lot of outdoor activities," Colin shared during an exclusive interview with Bravo Insider. "It was just a friendship that blossomed just so naturally and easily. Whether we were on the show or I met him outside the show, we still would've just became great friends, I think."
And when you have that strong connection, you can be honest with your friend about some potential areas of improvement, as Colin discussed with Gary a different approach to crew dynamics following the first mate's love triangle with Alli Dore and Sydney Zaruba last season.
"So Gary and I are really close, so we were talking leading up to the season. And he was saying, 'Colin, I can’t do what I did last season. I've just got to focus on my job more and da, da, da, da, da,'" Colin said. "And then of course, on the first night he just starts making out with one of the girls, so it’s like it went in one ear and out the other when I was trying to give him advice."
What Colin is referring to here is when third stew Ashley Marti kissed Gary during the first night of the charter season, which was very reminiscent of the first mate's hookup with Sydney at the start of Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2. Though Colin said that Parsifal III's first mate has "matured" since last season, he did note, "But he’s Gary."
"I genuinely thought he had learned his lesson, like I genuinely believed we’d see a different Gary and he changed in a lot of ways," Colin said. "He grew a lot in that year, but I don’t know. The women just flock to him, and he embraces it. He flourishes in those conditions [laughs]."
Now, you may be wondering why Colin never seems to find himself in these kind of situations on Below Deck Sailing Yacht. Well, that's because the chief engineer was taken both seasons with a girlfriend back home. "I had to keep myself out of trouble, so I was never gonna get involved romantically with anybody," Colin said. "So I was able to sit back and kind of watch it unfold with the other crew, and then particularly Gary, and I loved it. I love not being in the drama, but watching it unfold was pretty funny."
Yes, even Colin, who agrees that he is the so-called voice of reason on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, grabs the proverbial popcorn whenever conflict breaks out on board. "Well, you know what, [you've] got to find something to entertain yourself throughout the season; it can’t just be all about work, work, work, you know?" he said. "So as long as no one’s getting hurt, like no one’s feelings and no one’s emotions are getting messed with too much, it’s all in good humor."
Colin had a front-row seat to one of the most jaw-dropping sights on Below Deck Sailing Yacht in recent memory, when Gary and his frequent adversary in the interior, Daisy Kelliher, had a full-blown makeout session in the March 14 episode. As we saw on the show, the moment left Colin caught off guard and unaware of what to do when he happened upon Daisy and Gary locking lips in the hot tub. "Yeah, I couldn’t believe it. I think what it came down to is they fight quite a bit, and I guess one of the ways that they could stop all the fighting was to just make out [laughs]," Colin said. "It was fun, it was funny. I don’t think that there’s a, like, genuine romance there, but they’re both fun-loving people, and they made out a few times."
For anyone shipping Gary and Daisy, well, Colin is about to burst your bubble. The chief engineer said that he doesn't see anything serious developing from those smooches. "I know them both quite well, but that’s not to say that they couldn’t have sort of a fling or something," he said. "I think they’re too different to have a long-term relationship, and that’s just my opinion. I could be completely wrong about that."
However, Colin pointed out one similarity between Gary and Daisy, which, ironically, may be why they clash every once in a while. "They both take their jobs really seriously, and they’re both quite protective of their roles and the crew under them. So, you know, if Daisy feels like the deck department's not helping out enough, she’ll take it out on Gary or go to Gary about that. And if Gary feels like the interior team is slacking a little bit, he’ll take it up with with Daisy," Colin explained. "So I think they just take their jobs really seriously — which is a good thing — and are quite protective about their departments. So they butt heads now and then."
But outside of the stresses of a charter season, Colin said that he, Gary, and Daisy really are all good friends. "The friendship is genuine, and it continued after Season 2 right up until Season 3. So we all went into it, like, really excited and genuinely happy that we’re all gonna be together again and continue that friendship," Colin said. "People may be a little bit surprised to hear that, you know, even off the boat we’re really good friends. It’s not just an on the boat during the season thing; it’s a genuine friendship. So I really enjoy that part of it."
Colin said that he is even hoping to organize a little reunion for the trio in the near future. "[Gary] literally messaged me yesterday asking if there was a good time that he could come down onto the boat [Colin's catamaran, Parlay Revival]. He’s still on Parsifal, but he’s looking to at least get away for a holiday if not move on to something else," Colin shared. "So, yeah, I talk to him regularly, and it’d be cool to get him and Daisy down together, because they’re both wanting to come down. So if we can coordinate that where we’re all on the boat together, that’d be super fun. I love those guys."
