Below Deckvillain Ben Willoughby shared a boatmance-turned-relationship with Marie “Sunny” Marquis that surprisedBelow Deckviewers and their fellow yachties, butwhat happened to their connection after their time on screen? Throughout Ben’s first appearance onBelow Deckseason 10, many were curious about what they’d see from the yachtie in the future. While Ben was knowledgeable on deck, it was clear that his relationships would be consistently getting in the way of his work. Flirty and forward, Ben was always interested in the women of the crew, and in the first season set his sights on Camille Lamb.
Ben’s boatmance with Camille woreBelow Deckviewers thin, and they were happy to see it collapse in on itself before the season’s end, but when he returned forBelow Deckseason 11, things weren’t much different. Ben quickly became interested in a fellow deckhand, Sunny, who wasn’t sure if getting into a boatmance made much sense for her. Even so, the pair connected and viewers watched closely as their relationship developed throughout the charter season. Both dealing with professional issues outside of their boatmance,Ben and Sunny’s relationship has been fascinating to watch both on-screen and after the season.
Ben & Sunny Met On Below Deck Season 11
They Found A Quick Connection
AlthoughBen and Sunny were differentcoming intoBelow Deckseason 11, they found a connection quickly because of their responsibilities on the boat. As they moved through the season, Ben became one of the higher-ranked yachties on the exterior team, but he was quick to acknowledge Sunny’s abilities with his power. When Ben was promoted from Lead Deckhand to Bosun, he put Sunny into the position of Lead, even though other crew felt it showed questionable judgment. While the pair weren’t formally together at first,their flirtations began to grow into something more as they moved through the season.
Ben & Sunny Hooked Up While Filming
Their Relationship Was Rocky While Aboard St. David
Although their relationship on board had started as strictly professional,Ben and Sunny’s flirtation moved quicklyinto something more physical. ThroughoutBelow Deckseason 11, the pair had a tumultuous romantic relationship with many ups and even more downs. Though both were easygoing, the pair were quick to find each other during crew nights out when they’d both been drinking, which wasn’t an ideal situation for their relationship. Ben, who was hopeful that his time with Sunny would be more casual aboard St. David,tried to make it clear he wasn’t looking for anything serious despite sleeping in Sunny’s bed.
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Throughout the season, the pair went back and forth with a will they or won’t they style relationship, hooking up casually and then trying to backtrack away from an actual relationship. BothBen and Sunny swore they weren’t looking for anything more than a fling, but it became clear that Ben refusing to be a little more exclusive with Sunny was a problem. Throughout the early part of the charter,Ben consistently got caught trying to reconnectwith his ex Camille, though she didn’t seem interested in rekindling their relationship. Ben and Sunny had some serious miscommunication throughout the season.
Ben & Sunny Rekindled Their Romance Off-Screen
The Couple Spent Months Together In Secret
After choosing to leaveBelow Deckseason 11’s charter together,Ben and Sunny appeared they may be interestedin attempting a relationship once they were off the superyacht. Throughout the season, the pair were excited about the future and getting to know each other on land, but neither seemed confident that they were going to be able to keep their newfound relationship when they finally docked. Ben, who’s notoriously flirty,was consistently too touchy with otherBelow Deckyachties for Sunny’s liking, and Sunny’s moods were tough for Ben to follow, especially when she was drinking on crew nights out.
AfterBelow Deckseason 11’s finale,Ben and Sunny opened up about the fact that they’d been hiding somethingthroughout the season’s run. Sharing that they’d been dating since they departed St. David for the last time that season, the pair were clear that they were in a serious relationship despite the more casual nature of things during the season. Having gotten to know one another on land, Ben andSunnygrew closer and eventually found themselves in an actual relationship as time went on. The couple shared some sweet memories, as well as new insight into their steady relationship.
Once the season ended, the pair were thrilled to share some photos from their lives together in the last year, as they’d had to play coy about their romance while the season was airing. Sharing that they’d traveled all over the world together, spent the holidayswith Ben’s family in Australia, and gotten to know Sunny’s neck of the woods in Canada between charter seasons, the couple was clear that their relationship was a serious one. Happily together and continuing to get more serious as time went on,Ben and Sunny seemed to be an incredibly solid couplethroughout 2024.
Ben & Sunny Broke Up In December 2024
He Was Spotted With Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Danni Warren
AlthoughBen and Sunny opened up about their relationshipearlier in the year, the pair got quiet toward the end of 2024. They’d been sharing photos from their travels over time, but toward the holiday season, Ben and Sunny stopped sharing photos of each other on their social media pages. Ben went on to delete the majority of posts that had Sunny in them, despite the fact that he’d been trying to show off his travel photography with the majority of them.Below Deckviewers began to speculate about a breakup between the pair, wondering if their relationship had ended.
Late in 2024, Ben was spotted on the Instagram story ofBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5 villain DanniWarren, leaving many wondering if that was confirmation he was no longer with Sunny. Ben shared an Instagram story that didn’t entirely confirm the split, but all-but-confirmed he was no longer with Sunny. Sharing that things had been difficult in recent months, he asked for his privacy to be respected as he moved forward with the changes in his life. It became clear that theBelow Deckcouple had split up sometime before the holiday season, leaving Ben and Sunny alone.
Below Deck
Cast
Below Deck is a Reality television series and franchise that has seen many spinoffs since its creation in 2013. The original series follows the lives of a crew that lives on a Superyacht called Honor and chronicles their experiences during “charter season.”
