If you're a fan of the hit Netflix show Below Deck (and if you're not you probably just haven't watched it yet), you'll recognise Rachel Hargrove as one of the central cast members. Below Deck provides viewers with a little taste of luxury, bringing us on board a super-yacht and crucially (as the name suggests), below deck to see who's actually keeping the ship afloat. It is endlessly entertaining to watch the crew and captain deal with the often demanding guests.
Whilst the show as a whole has produced its fair share of iconic characters and situations, Rachel is definitely a standout crew member. Join us as we take a deep dive into Rachel's life and career, and learn everything there is to know about the seaborne star.
Who is Rachel Hargrove?
Rachel Hargrove is a cosmopolitan yacht chef from Tampa, Florida. She became famous through starring on the reality show Below Deck. She is primarily self taught but also attended the Culinary Institute of America and held an apprenticeship at the Michelin-starred restaurant Quatro Passi in Nerano, Italy.
Rachel also has experience cooking food from all over the world, making her the perfect addition to the crew of a super-yacht. She has lived in Italy, Thailand, Japan and India and they've all helped Rachel develop her culinary skills. Whilst she is a very experienced chef, she is also very demanding of the kitchen crew, resulting in her being a bit of a polarising crew member.
What is Rachel Hargrove's job?
Rachel Hargrove is a chef and ayurvedic practitioner. She works aboard My Seanna, the super-yacht the show takes place on. Through starring on Below Deck she has also achieved success as a reality star. In addition to this she is very active on social media, often engaging with fans directly.
How old is Rachel Hargrove?
Rachel Hargrove was born on February 17th 1982, meaning she is 39 years old.
Where is Rachel Hargrove from?
Rachel Hargrove is from Tampa, Florida, but through her work as a chef she has travelled extensively and worked in restaurants around the globe.
When did Rachel Hargrove join Below Deck?
Rachel Hargrove joined the show back in 2020 in series 8 and has since become a mainstay on the yacht.
Was Rachel Hargrove on America's Next Top Model?
Surprisingly Below Deck isn't Rachel Hargrove's first taste of reality TV. Rachel actually made her TV debut back in 2005 when she appeared in an episode of America's Next Top Model. She auditioned on the first episode of Season 4 and whilst she didn't make it through to the main show, Rachel didn't actually go into the audition with ambitions to be a supermodel. She was recruited while working at a bar and accepted the audition invitation.
Talking to Entertainment Tonight, Rachel said: "Oh, yeah! That happened. That was so much fun!"
She added: "I was bartending and the casting director came up to me and [said], you know, um, 'Excuse me, have you ever thought about being a model?' And I thought, are you f–ing high?"
Despite this initial reaction Rachel decided to audition. In the clip of her audition she tells the ANTM producers, "My competition is everybody, whether they're skinny and tall or voluptuous and larger than me.
As long as I'm not showing nipple, I'm good to go. My grandparents are dead. I have no one to disgrace."
In response to this clip she told ET, "I haven't changed."
Whilst this foray into reality TV wasn't meant to be, luckily for Rachel she had her second chance at fame when she joined the My Seanna crew 15 years later. This also meant she was able to stick with her culinary training and become the chef she is today.
Is Rachel Hargrove in a relationship?
Sadly Rachel Hargrove and her boyfriend Vincenzo recently broke up. Fans of the show will be familiar with Vincenzo, as he was often mentioned by Rachel, as were their struggles in maintaining a long distance relationship whilst Rachel was at sea.
Whilst they were able to make things work for a while, Rachel recently revealed that their relationship had come to an end. In the Below Deck After Show, she explained that the time apart had definitely been a factor.
However Rachel admitted she didn't want the split to get her down, saying she was looking at it as an opportunity for a "clean start."
Check out: 11 reality stars who dated A-list celebs
Reality stars who dated A-listers - slider
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1 of 11Chris Hughes and Jesy Nelson
Jesy and Chris began dating in secret back in November 2018 and soon moved in with each other. They both appeared on each others' documentaries and we hoped this relationship could last forever but sadly they split in March 2020. They are apparently still 'good friends' though... We'll see how long that lasts.
2 of 11Paige Turley and Lewis Capaldi
Before Paige shot to fame on Love Island with her current boyfriend Finn Tapp, and Lewis was yet to have a number one single, the pair actually dated for a year in their late teens after meeting at college.
3 of 11Sinitta and Brad Pitt
During his years in Hollywood, Brad Pitt has dated his fair share of high profile women including Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie but what you may not know is that he actually had a two year relationship with TV personality and singer Sinitta. When they first got together, Brad was nothing more than a jobbing actor in LA whilst she toured the world performing. Eventually however, long-distance broke them up.
4 of 11Charlie King and Sam Smith
Imagine counting both Gemma Collins and Sam Smith among your exes? ICONIC. Well, that's what former TOWIE star Charlie King can say. Charlie and Sam apparently met on social media back in 2015 in enjoyed a few secret dates together before they decided to just be friends.
5 of 11Calum Best and Lindsday Lohan
Back in 2007 Lindsay and Calum had a tumultuous relationship that often hit the headlines. They apparently broke up after Lindsay caught the reality star lothario in bed with another woman.
6 of 11Kate Wright and Rio Ferdinand
She may be Mrs Ferdinand now, but back when she met her footballer husband Kate Wright was best known for getting the run around from then-boyfriend Dan Edgar on TOWIE. Kate had just split from Dan when she met Rio and the rest, they say, is history. The genetically-blessed pair married in Turkey in 2018 and welcomed baby boy Cree in December 2020.
7 of 11Samira Mighty and Chris Pine
These two met at a GQ Man of the Year afterparty in 2018 when they swapped numbers and Chris asked Samira out on a date. WHAT? Chris seemed keen to continue the relationship but Samira had to turn him down because she was appearing on Love Island. Obsessed.
8 of 11Stephanie Davies and Zayn Malik
Hollyoaks and CBB star Stephanie actually dated for five months in 2010 before Zayn moved on with fellow X-Factor star Perrie Edwards. Incidentally Perrie and Zayn's relationship was plagued by cheating rumours including with Love Island's Lauren Richardson.
9 of 11Louise Thompson and Niall Horan
Made in Chelsea's Louise Thompson experienced her fair share of heartbreak during her tumultuous relationship with SW3's resident bad boy Spencer Matthews, but she ended up doing the dirty on her next boyfriend Andy Jordan. It was later reported that Louise's other man was none other than One Direction star Niall Horan.
10 of 11Kim Kardashian and Kayne West
In fairness we would definitely call Kim Kardashian an A-Lister as well but technically she is also a reality star. Kim and Kanye met in 2003 but, after her two failed marriages, they confirmed that they were finally an item in 2012. Unfortunately, after a six year marriage and four ADORABLE kids, the two decided to call it quits January 2021.
11 of 11Chad Johnson and Sarah Harding
Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding met The Bachelorette star Chad Johnson on Celebrity Big Brother back in 2017 but after a whirlwind three months together, long-distance and Chad's cheating ways broke them up.
WATCH: 'Hero is on his own journey' Ralph Fiennes is one proud Uncle.
Read more:
Ben Robinson: everything you need to know about the Below Deck star and chef
Does Rachel Hargrove have a cookbook?
Rachel Hargrove doesn't currently have a cookbook out but many of her recipes are available online, including her famous French Toast recipe.
Does Rachel Hargrove have Cameo?
Rachel Hargrove does have a Cameo account. You can find it here. You can use the platform to purchase meet and greet slots and personalised video recordings from Rachel.
Does Rachel Hargrove have Instagram?
She does - you can follow her @chefrachelhargrove.
Does Rachel Hargrove have Twitter?
She does - you can follow her @HargroveRachel.