3 seasons of Below Deck have passed since we saw Superyacht stew Courtney Veale lighting up our screens. I had the pleasure of catching up with Courtney to find out about what she’s been up to:
Please can you tell us a bit about yourself:
I was born in a small town called Conwy in North Wales and that’s the place that I call home when I’m in the UK. I love living life to the fullest with a positive outlook. Fitness and being outdoors are both passions of mine, and many don’t realise that in my spare time, I’m a qualified personal trainer.
1. Are you still pursuing a career in yachting since finishing Season 6? If so, has staring on the show affected your career in any way?
Yes, I’m still yachting. In 2021, I switched from a Stewardess to Deckhand and have loved every moment!
Appearing on Below Deck didn’t affect my career in yachting – I think it all depends on how your work ethic comes across during the season. I went back to my past yachts one 136m in size as a service stewardess and then went into a 75m as a deckhand/personal trainer. I’ve now decided to enjoy Christmas at home with my family and friends.
2. What did your lifestyle look like before Below Deck and what jobs did you do?
I had been working in the yachting industry for just over 2.5 years before filming the Below Deck, so my life was pretty similar. Prior to getting into yachting, I worked a variety of jobs including something similar on boats around the Whitsundays in Australia, a performer in Disneyland Paris, and a resort representative for Crystal Ski in Kitzbühel, Austria.
3. Have you got any other reality tv series that you’d like to star on? If so, which ones?
I’m always open to new opportunities and coming from a performing background I would love to do something like Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing on Ice.
4 . We see your home town in Wales, in saying that Wales is far from the luxury lifestyle on board. Do you like having a diversity of lifestyles?
I think when people think of Wales, people think of hills, sheep, and farmers. North Wales is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Even after travelling so much, I love coming home to Conwy. The Snowdonia area has amazing scenery, walking routes, and wonderful experiences to offer. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it – you’re missing out!
5. Favourite things to do when you’re back in the UK?
When I’m back, I like to spend as much time as possible with my friends and family is a priority. I’m nearly always on a tight time frame so it’s so lovely being home at the moment. In my spare time, you can find me either in the gym, drinking coffee in my favourite place.
6. Do you feel the Below Deck production team reflected your true personality/character accurately?
Yes, I do think so. It’s a reality TV show designed for the viewer’s entertainment, so they will always chop and change some clips. But I feel very fortunate to have such a fantastic production team behind the scenes. I was myself and I came across quite well – apart from after too many tequila shots of course!
7. What opportunities have you been given since appearing on Below Deck?
People are always interested to see what you’re doing post-Below Deck, so my social media followers have grown. I’m very grateful for every opportunity that has come my way.
8. Top tips for keeping fit onboard:
Any job in yachting is extremely physically demanding and it’s very hard to find motivation when you’re working long shifts and all you want to do is sleep. However, I can’t stress enough how much a workout or yoga/stretch session in the morning can help you mentally and set you up for the day.
Working out can also be tough on smaller yachts so I make sure to have a resistance band with me so I can still do different workouts in my cabin.
9. If you could choose your dream yacht crew team, who would you choose?
Celebrity-wise, if Anthony Joshua had a career change then he would be at the top of my list haha! But I would also love to work with the crew from Below Deck Season 6 again and most people from one of my previous yachts. And of course my favourite, Captain Sandy.
10. Lastly, will we see you on the Below deck in the future?
We will have to wait and see! Fingers crossed.
For more information on the below-deck crew, keep up to date with – Superyacht Content Crewmess
