The Real Reason Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Natasha Gave Up Cooking In Restaurants

Reality TV shows focused such as Below Deck Sailing Yacht are such a treat to watch, right? They're guilty pleasures for many, to be sure, but it's hard to discount the amount of fun you can have while binge-watching episodes of a show where real people constantly clash and make connections. Here is a fascinating tidbit about Below Deck Sailing Yacht in particular. Every person who's a part of the show has previously worked on yachts in some form or is equipped to do so. 

Oh, and if you try to fake it with a dishonest resume, you're bound to get caught at some point. This is exactly what happened with ex-contestant Andrew Sturby, who obviously wasn't experienced and ended up making several major mistakes on the show, from fumbling basic knot-tying to letting corrosive saltwater get into his cabin.

One of the most interesting faces on the show has been chef Natasha de Bourg, who clearly does know what she's doing in the kitchen. De Bourg also knew what she was signing up for when she decided to enter the show. "As the show progresses you'll see that, despite my personality — I have a very strong personality — [cooking] food is what I'm good at," she explained (via Bravo). "I always love the next challenge." Yet, as much as she appears to be dedicated to her craft, you'd be hard-pressed to find de Bourg inside a restaurant kitchen anymore. What gives?

For Natasha de Bourg, it was important for her to continuously grow as a chef. In fact, as per Bravo, the Trinidad-born de Bourg worked hard to get comfortable in the kitchen early on, going to culinary school and working in restaurants to bring herself up to speed. Plus, she didn't let obstacles get in the way of her career. While de Bourg pursued her culinary education in Europe and spent a significant amount of time polishing her skills at Michelin-starred restaurants, she was far from home or familiar faces. She explained, "You know, it's really hard being from a third-world country and getting a visa to work in Europe and I did it all on my own" (via Bravo).

When it came to cooking on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, de Bourg explained that it was not a decision that she made lightly. She craved something different. As she told Bravo, "I was over, just like, living somebody else's dream... I was just tired [of] working under people. I don't like people being over me." For her, making the switch to yachts was perfect because she got a lot more flexibility to do things her way and allow her creativity to take over. As she said, "it just allows me to be me."