Kate Chastain

Kathryn Dorothy Chastain (born January 2, 1983) is an American chief stewardess, television personality, author and podcaster. She is best known for her role as Chief Stewardess on the Bravo reality series Below Deck, on which she appeared from 2014 to 2020, becoming one of the franchise's most prominent cast members. Following her success on Below Deck, Chastain competed on the first and second seasons of The Traitors in the United States, and the third season of House of Villains.

Early life and education Kathryn Dorothy Chastain was born on January 2, 1983 in Melbourne Beach, Florida, United States.

She grew up in Florida and later moved for her education, graduating from El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento, California, California. Chastain attended the University of Central Florida, where she studied communications and developed an interest in hospitality and customer service. After graduating, she began working in the yachting industry, starting as a laundry stewardess and rising through the ranks to become a chief stewardess on luxury yachts, experience that later led to her casting on the reality television series Below Deck.

Television Chastain first rose to prominence on the Bravo reality series Below Deck, which chronicles the professional and personal lives of crew members aboard luxury charter yachts. She joined the show in its second season in 2014 as the chief stewardess, becoming one of the franchise's most recognisable cast members due to her sharp wit, leadership role, and candid confessionals. Over six seasons on the series, Chastain worked closely with multiple crews and captains, solidifying her status as a fan favourite before departing the show after its seventh season in 2020 to pursue land-based projects and broader media opportunities.

Chastain expanded her reality television career by competing on the American version of Peacock's reality game show The Traitors, joining the show's first season in 2023. In the series, a group of contestants work together to complete challenges while a hidden subset of “traitors” secretly work against the rest. In Season 1, Chastain played as a Faithful and finished in fifth place, gaining attention for her strategic gameplay and outspoken personality. She returned for the second season as a mid-season intruder, where she was later recruited as a Traitor and remained in the game until being banished at the endgame. In 2026, Chastain joined the cast of House of Villains season 3, a reality competition series hosted by Joel McHale in which well-known reality TV personalities compete in a series of challenges for a cash prize and the title of “America’s Ultimate Supervillain”. Chastain placed third on the show.

In addition to her starring roles on reality competition series, Chastain has appeared in several other television programmes and projects, often as herself or as a host/commentator. Chastain served as the host and executive producer of the Bravo digital talk series Bravo's Chat Room in 2020, where she discussed Bravo franchise news and interviewed various personalities from the network's reality shows. She also appeared on Bravo's companion show Below Deck Galley Talk, providing commentary and analysis alongside other cast members. In 2023, Chastain co-hosted the series Couch Talk with Captain Lee and Kate with her former Below Deck costar Captain Lee Rosbach, where the duo broke down highlights and moments from Bravo programming. She has also been featured as herself on special programmes such as BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen! and made guest appearances on talk shows including Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Additionally, Chastain appeared on the television special The Traitors: Postmortem in 2024, a companion discussion series to The Traitors, where she offered insights on gameplay and behind-the-scenes moments.

Personal life Chastain previously resided in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during her time working in the yachting industry. In 2016, Chastain was in a relationship with Rocío Hernández.

Chastain has a son whom she is raising as a single mother. She has publicly shared aspects of her parenting journey, including milestones such as his first steps. In early 2025, she revealed that Sullivan had begun school.

Chastain has also been involved in philanthropic efforts, including founding the nonprofit organisation Genesis Boutique, which provides professional clothing to women re-entering the workforce.

Filmography

Television

Year(s) Title Role Notes 2014–2020 Below Deck Herself (Chief Stewardess) 96 episodes 2015–2024 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Guest 19 episodes 2020–2021 Bravo's Chat Room Host 28 episodes 2021–2023 Below Deck Galley Talk Herself 46 episodes 2021 For Real: The Story of Reality TV Herself 1 episode 2023 Couch Talk With Captain Lee and Kate Herself (Co-host) 10 episodes Project Runway Guest Judge Season 20, 1 episode; Below Decked Out 2023–2025 The Traitors Contestant / Guest 20 episode; season 1–2 2024 The Traitors: Postmortem Herself 5 episodes 2024 Below Deck Mediterranean Herself 1 episode 2025 The Real Housewives of Potomac Herself 1 episode 2026 House of Villains Contestant 3rd Place