Jill Zarin Goes Off About 'Disaster' Experience on 'Below Deck,' Blames Chief Stew Fraser

It was a Bravo crossover when Real Housewives of New York alum Jill Zarin set sail on Below Deck's mega yacht this season.

Zarin, 60, and a group of friends appeared on the Monday, April 1, episode of Below Deck's season 11, during which she criticized the crew and made multiple demands (particularly about food service). This, Zarin claimed on the Tuesday, April 9, episode of Heather McDonald's Juicy Scoop podcast, was primarily the fault of Chief Stew Fraser Olender.

"One of the things he emphasized, which is ironic, is that there'd be snacks and food all of the time, everywhere. He actually emphasized that. And completely didn't deliver," she asserted. "And I have to tell you, when I think about the trip, it was the head stew's job to make sure things went seamlessly and I kind of blame him for the trip … being kind of a total disaster for my friends, who I felt terrible for."

Zarin noted that her pals "spent an enormous amount of money" and had never "been on a ship like this before."

"I wanted them to have an amazing experience because I've been on them and they are an amazing experience," she added. "You asked me, 'Why did I do this show?' I did it because because my friends wanted to go on television. I don't blame them; a lot of people do. And I didn't mind doing it with them because as long as I'm me, I'm good."

As for Fraser's point of view, Zarin is "very lovely and very funny — but demanding," he told Us Weekly in February, adding: "[But] all guests are demanding. They're charter guests and they've got their preferences and sometimes they can be frustrating."

Zarin got into the Diet Coke drama on the podcast — she needed her drinks ice-cold and demanded a specific type of ice — but said it was all just how she normally operates.

"I was me, I literally was me. … I was me the way I am in the real life — if I want another Diet Coke, I want another Diet Coke. If I don't like it, I'm gonna send it back. If don't like my food, I send it back. Most people do."

While Fraser — and the rest of the crew, including stew Barbie Pascual, chef Anthony Iracane, Captain Kerry Titheradge — were frustrated by Zarin's relentless demands, he downplayed the situation when reflecting on the drama.

"She didn't like any of the ice apart from a specific one. From a specific freezer. So we had to have a specific ice box that kind of followed wherever she went. I love it," he told Us Weekly in February. "If that's the biggest concern, then we should [be good]."