Captain Sandy Yawn, Leah Shafer. Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Captain Sandy Yawn‘s onscreen proposal to Leah Shafer brought out a side to her that she’s excited for Below Deck Mediterranean fans to see.
“It’s pretty special. You never see me emotional on the show [except] maybe a few times with the crew,” Sandy, 59, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season 9 finale on Monday, September 23. “When you’re on TV you think, ‘Oh my God, just don’t lose it.’”
The captain didn’t hold back this time around, adding, “You might see me lose a little bit of it because it’s so emotional and it’s pure love. I was very nervous and I never get nervous. It was incredible. So I think when the viewers watch that, they might see a different Sandy.”
Earlier this season, Sandy confessed to chief stew Aesha Scott that she was going to ask Leah, 50, to marry her. Sandy told Us she didn’t have any doubts when it came to capturing the moment for the hit Bravo series.
“I never really thought of it. I discussed it with showrunner [Nadine Rajabi] just because I met Leah when I was on Below Deck,” she explained. “People followed the story of Leah and I and after talking to the show runner, we both agreed the show was the reason we met and why not share that with the viewers?”
The couple started dating in 2019 when Leah reached out to Sandy on social media.
“It’s because of Below Deck that Leah reached out to me because she watched the show and she wrote to me, ‘Congratulations on the show. Many blessings.’ And that caught my attention,” Sandy recalled. “So I clicked on a link and she was singing. I was like, ‘OK, I have to meet her.’”
Sandy said filming for Below Deck Med didn’t faze Leah, which leaves the door open for more appearances in the future. “I hope so. It would be great,” the reality star noted. “We’re happy and we’re in love. [Leah is] open and she’s not afraid of the camera. She respects the fourth wall. She’s been there, done that.”
The cast of Below Deck and its spinoff series will do just about anything for love … or at least to have a fun crew hookup. After seven seasons of the Bravo series — with more than 100 episodes — there have been plenty of romances to watch unfold. Add in the Below Deck Mediterranean flings and Below Deck Sailing […]
After getting engaged on the show, Sandy and Leah tied the knot in May with several Below Deck franchise stars in attendance. The pair spoke to Us about what was next for them shortly after their nuptials.
“At this stage of our lives … every moment we have together, we make it into a honeymoon,” Leah shared in May. “Like, it doesn’t have to be set days. Even yesterday, we’re walking around Tampa and we just saw this little green two-seater boat and we’re like, ‘Let’s take it out.’ You know, every second is a honeymoon for us.”
She continued, “We’re just so lucky to find this kind of love at this stage in our lives and to have the acceptance by our family and friends. It really is a beautiful love story and celebration, and that’s the truth.”
Below Deck has followed various relationships and flings throughout the franchise — but some stars found love with one another outside their seasons. Malia White‘s introduction to Below Deck Mediterranean in season 2 came with a love triangle between Adam Glick and Wesley Walton. Although Malia and Wes gave their romance another try offscreen — […]
Leah was also excited about her plans to change her last name, adding, “For me, [getting married] was so surreal. Sandy was telling everybody that she didn’t realize how marriage felt so amazing [and] to know that I’m actually going to take her name — and I’m in the midst of changing my name to Leah Rae Yawn — [and] to not be a girlfriend anymore, it just feels good to be like, ‘Wow, I’m her wife.’”
Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 airs on Bravo Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
