Deckhand Benny Crawley had a shaky start in Below Deck Down Under but ended up redeeming himself to the crew and fans by the end of the season. Benny often butted heads with his bosun Jamie Sayed, whom he thought was too critical and rigid. Jamie felt Benny didn’t take his work seriously and only joined the Thalassa crew to have a good time. The deckhand also had a freak-out while flaking the anchor chains and flat-out refused to do the task. After the first charter, Captain Jason Chambers awarded Benny the disco ball helmet, which meant he needed to step up. However, instead of wearing it, he refused to take part in the tradition.
During a later Below Deck Down Under episode, Jason and Benny talked during an off-charter night. Jason learned that Benny had recently lost both of his parents within a year of each other. After learning of his tragedy, Captain Jason was more understanding of Benny’s personality quirks. However, throughout the following charters, Benny kept making simple mistakes and undermining Jamie’s authority. Tired of being disrespected, the bosun went to Captain Jason and asked to have Benny fired. Jason did a full investigation of the deck crew before making any decisions, and in the end, he decided to keep Benny on board.
After almost being fired, Below Deck Down Under's Benny realized how important his job was to him and made the decision to take it more seriously. He started waking up early to make sure the deck was spotless and didn’t talk back to Jamie anymore. Although he didn’t agree with his bosun’s leadership style, Benny knew he had to still give him a level of respect as his boss. Benny, who had been reprimanded for being too flirty with one of the female guests, remained professional at all times.
Over time, Benny mastered the anchor chains and didn’t panic over the task. He also contributed his skills as a DJ during two of the Below Deck Down Under charters, which earned the crew a big tip. Jamie noticed the change in Benny’s attitude and commended him on his work ethic. However, he admitted during a confessional that he still would have fired Benny for insubordination during the first few charters. Captain Jason also saw how Benny had stepped up, and after the final charter, he presented him with the helmet again. This time, Benny took the helmet and happily put it on.
Many Below Deck Down Under fans thought Benny was not going to make it to the end of the season. When his cabin’s toilet overflowed, the deckhand was disgusted and threatened to walk off the boat. However, Captain Jason helped Benny clean up and he eventually calmed down. Viewers also thought Benny was going to get fired for his lack of work ethic, but unsurprisingly, stew Magda Ziomek and Chef Ryan McKeown were the ones to get the ax. Fans were glad to see Benny finish the season, and out of all the Below Deck Down Under cast members, he showed the most growth.