Here's Why Elizabeth Frankini's Departure Was a First for Below Deck

After being dissatisfied with Elizabeth Frankini's work as a stew for much of Season 8 of Below Deck, chief stew Francesca Rubi was finally given the go-ahead by Captain Lee Rosbach to let her go. 

Francesca delivered the news to Elizabeth at the very end of the February 8 episode of Below Deck. "Every charter, I've really had to work, and I'm continually putting in energy and checking up on you. We've had numerous chats about this, but sleeping in the guest cabin was sort of the final straw for me," the chief stew told Elizabeth in the wheelhouse. "I've come to sort of a decision. We're gonna have to let you go."

Elizabeth appeared to be shocked and saddened by Francesca's decision before the episode ended. We'll have to wait and see how Elizabeth really takes the news when the Below Deck Season 8 finale airs on Monday, February 15 at 9/8c.

The stew spoke a little bit about her reaction to hearing Francesca say she was being let go during her February 8 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "Yeah, I actually was totally shocked, if you couldn't tell. But I thought we were just gonna have a chat, because Captain Lee, Francesca, and I never actually all sat down, the three of us, to talk about what was going on," Elizabeth said. "So, I thought we were just gonna see where we were gonna go forward from there, but no."

Every Below Deck firing is jaw-dropping and momentous, but Elizabeth's was especially so because it was actually history-making for the franchise. Though we have seen Captain Lee hand many a deckhand a plane ticket home on Below Deck before, Elizabeth has the distinction of being the first stew to ever be fired on the show, which was first pointed out by Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

In fact, Francesca's desire to have Captain Lee let Elizabeth go this season made the chief stew's predecessor, Kate Chastain, wonder if she ever did the same during her six seasons on Below Deck. "Have I ever fired a stewardess?" Kate wondered out loud during the January 1 episode of Below Deck Galley Talk, which airs Fridays at 8/7c on Bravo. "I don't think so. I really wanted to."

Kate later revealed who she was referring to during an exclusive interview with Bravo Insider last month. Head over here to find out which stew she said she "definitely wanted to fire" and who she came "the closest" to firing.

Season 8 of Below Deck has been full of personnel changes. Following the departure of one of the deckhands early on in the season, Captain Lee granted Izzy Wouters' request to move from the interior to the deck team. Ashling Lorger was then brought in as the new stew. Deckhand Shane Coopersmith was later let go, and Rob Phillips joined the My Seanna crew as his replacement.

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

Get your first look at the Below Deck Season 8 finale, below.

Still to Come On the Season 8 Finale of Below Deck!