A recent episode of Bravo’sBelow Deck Mediterranean showed the culmination of a forbidden (at least while on charter) romance boiling between one of its stews, Kyle Viljoen, and a handsome guest, named Frank.
For those unfamiliar with the series, Below Deck Med takes place on a superyacht that hosts rich guests and caters to their every whim — while struggling with no shortage of drama, well, below deck. Now in its seventh season, it’s just as spicy as ever — and finally, it involves some queer joy.
The chemistry between Viljoen and Frank kicked off the moment the guest stepped aboard the yacht. Throughout their charter, the two flirted every chance they got while Viljoen privately shared that he was worried he wouldn’t be able to maintain the profesional boundary and put his job in jeopardy. Fortunately, he was able to resist temptation and the two planned to meet at a club after the charter ended.
The episode ended with their reunion and a passionate kiss between the two. It was honestly really sweet. However, the question remains, was it worth putting his job at risk? For Viljoen, the answer was yes.
“I’m in a situation where I could potentially have the love of my life—and this has never happened to me—do I want to explore it? Honestly, it’d be silly not to,” he told E! News. He added that he keeps his professional life separate from his personal, hence saving the kiss for a on a night off the boat.
“In the gay community, it’s so difficult to find a partner because we are such a small community compared to the rest of the population around the world,” the stew explained more about his reasoning for the kiss.
However, despite that separation, captain Sandy Yawn might not be happy. Yawn has appeared as captain on nearly all seasons of Below Deck Meditteranean, so it’s not her first time at sea or dealing with a situation like Kyle’s Kissgate.
“Let’s not forget seasons back when that happened with another crew member. You just never want to cross that line. In the corporate world, it doesn’t happen,” Yawn told Us Weekly back in July when the trailer first dropped. She is reportedly talking about Hannah Ferrier and Bobby Giancola‘s rendezvous with guests in Season 2.
However, she did also share that these rules only exist for crew members during work hours on the superyacht.
“What they do once they are off the vessel in their personal lives is their personal decision. So, if they want to hook up with clients after they’re signed off the vessel, go for it,” she said. “I’m all about love. I found love. I want everybody to have love, but you can’t do it in a professional setting.”
So Viljoen’s career is safe. Whether or not his heart is, remains to be seen.
