Eddie Lucas Below Deck: who is the first officer on the super yacht series?

Over lockdown one in 2020 there was a definite theme of escapist TV. Selling Sunset? Binged it. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Completed, mate.

And after airing on Bravo since 2013, Below Deck finally got the UK recognition it deserved when it started streaming on Amazon and kicked off in a big way. The premise of the show is this: we follow an experienced crew of deckhands, bosuns (look it up, hun) and hospitality staff as they sail a luxury yacht around the Caribbean, often chartered by a hapless millionaire with far more money than sense; chaos ensues.

And amidst risky off-shore behaviour and foam party fails from the guests, we get to see the dynamics and relationships between the crew unfold.

Eddie Lucas was an original cast member from series one, rising through the ranks to First Officer in series eight. Here’s what we know about him.

Who is Eddie Lucas?

Eddie Lucas is an OG cast member from Below Deck and one of Captain Lee Rosbach’s most trusted staff. Since his debut in 2013 viewers have seen him rise through the ranks from deckhand to first officer. He returned to the show in 2020 after a five year hiatus.

What is Eddie Lucas’ job?

Like everyone on the show (except the guests, obv) Eddie is a real life sailor – we’d like to see anyone who isn’t actually trained in the job do what these guys do on board. He started off as a lowly deckhand, operating and maintaining equipment and assisting with general maintenance. But by series two he’d been promoted to bosun – which is a diminutive of boatswain, putting him more or less in charge of the deck department. Upon his return for series eight, he’s now been promoted to first officer on deck – which puts him one step beneath the captain.

Off screen, Eddie works docking tugboats in his home of Balitmore. "It was really right in line with what I was looking to be doing: Working on the water, but also giving me the freedom to start a life and kind of settle down a little bit," he said of his career change.

"It’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two weeks that we’re on, and it’s constant work. I’m up all night long almost every single night doing pretty inherently risky activities, docking massive ships into Baltimore Harbor. And it’s exciting, and it’s a challenge, and I love my work.

"There’s no stainless steel, there’s no teak decks, there’s no gel coat that needs to be polished. And so in that sense, it’s very different. While it still is a physical, physical job, it’s not as demanding in the sense of dealing with guests and constant upkeep of the boat."

Why did Eddie Lucas quit Below Deck?

Eddie quit the show under acrimonious circumstances when he mixed business and pleasure a little too effectively – but ultimately it came down to wanted to be close to his family.

In the same interview with Bravo Insider he said, "I was kind of tired of dealing with the guests and dealing with the constant upkeep of the boat and the cleaning and everything like that. But also most importantly, I wanted to find a job where I was home. I was near my dad and my stepmom, and I could kind of start creating a life at home rather than constantly moving around from port to port, away from home for months on end."

Is Eddie Lucas still on Below Deck?

Eddie opened up about his decision to return to the show in an interview with Vulture magazine last year, where he explained the departure of chief stewardess Kate Chastain, who’d been Captain Lee’s second in command for six seasons, playing a big part.

"I felt like now would be a good time to come back and have a little bit of a redemption," he added. "The way everything ended up the last season I was on left a really bad taste in my mouth. I wasn’t proud of how I acted and how everything kind of played out, and since then I’ve hopefully learned a lot, and I’ve hopefully grown.

"[With] Captain Lee also asking for me to come back, I just felt like it was a good opportunity."

Is Eddie Lucas married?

When Eddie first appeared on our screens way back in 2013 he had an off-screen girlfriend, but by the end of series three that relationship was in tatters after he had a fling with a colleague on board (more on that in a minute).

Returning for series eight, Eddie made it clear that his priority was doing his job to the best of his abilities and that everything else was "on the way, way, way back burner.

"Obviously, if something came around that really knocked me off my feet, I would go about it in a different way than I did in the past," Eddie continued. "But chances of that happening were slim. Very, very slim."

CHECK OUT: reality stars who dated A Listers

WATCH: Secret re-couplings in Casa Amor, Strange DMs and Group Sex! Lucinda, Lillie & Hugo are on FIRE!

And while he’s coy about details he did say, "I’ll say that I do have someone special in my life, but that’s about as far as I’m gonna go with it" – admitting that one of his main reasons for giving up yachting was to "have the freedom to settle down".

"I’ve realised now there’s things in my life that could be damaged from being too public. And because of that, it’s best if I just keep it close to my chest and I protect my private and personal life very adamantly, so that’s important."

What happened with Eddie Lucas and Rocky Dakota?

Viewers will remember that Eddie fell out of favour with his fans and colleagues after he rendezvoused with 3rd stewardess Raquel ‘Rocky’ Dakota in the laundry room, away from cameras – while he was still with his off-screen girlfriend back home.

He denied it at first but the truth later came out at a boozy beach party, with Captain Lee telling him he was "disappointed" in his "colossal f—k up".

Eddie told Vulture, "I screwed up season three. There’s no two ways about it, like, I screwed up. And it was appalling, my actions. I was thinking with the wrong head. So this season, I was going into it with a mindset of being way more professional and taking my job way more seriously."

He also apologised to former and future crew members for the tryst inspiring producers to put cameras in the laundry room, restricting their privacy even more.

"But to all the viewers: You’re welcome," he added.

Is Eddie Lucas friends with Captain Lee Rosbach?

Eddie has had nothing but the highest praise for his former (and now current) captain, previously saying, "I can always call him for advice, professionally or personally, for anything. It’s always really nice to be able to fall back on somebody like him, who lives a similar lifestyle to what I live in, working as a professional mariner."

Look! More news!

Brianna Adekeye: everything you need to know about the Below Deck star

Ben Robinson: everything you need to know about the Below Deck star and chef

Rhylee Gerber: so, who is the Below Deck star?

And Captain Lee himself said, "[Eddie and I] just picked up where we left off, and it’s a very comfortable relationship. We get along well, and I was so glad to have him there with me not being a hundred percent."

And a cursory glance over Eddie’s IG proves it’s far from just put on for the show, with the pair often featured looking smiley as they enjoy their home away from home together.

What is Eddie Lucas’ Instagram?

You can follow Eddie @eddielucas.