Are Below Deck's Nathan and Gael still together?

We're long overdue for a Nathan and Gael update.

Tis the season for reality TV to take over our entire lives. We’ve been firmly hooked on MAFS Australia, gasping at the relentless dinner party drama and female feuds. With Love Island season 13 on the horizon and Love Is Blind: UK also returning, our reality dating TV schedules are fully booked — and honestly, it’s enough to put us off the dating apps ourselves.

But not all reality TV is about finding love. Whether it’s The Traitors, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, or our favourite trip to the high seas, Below Deck, there’s plenty of chaos beyond the villa. And yes, Below Deck Mediterranean is officially returning for season 11, despite it feeling like the last season only just ended (it was actually January).

While Below Deck isn’t technically a dating show, romance does occasionally bloom onboard, and last season, viewers became invested in deckhands Gael and Nathan’s relationship.

So, are Below Deck’s Nathan and Gael still together? Here’s everything we know.

The couple first met on Below Deck: Mediterranean season 9, when they were both hired as deckhands. The Australia native and Ireland native hit it off almost immediately, even attempting to secretly meet up during Below Deck Med season 9, episode 2 after a night out.

“We got on like a house on fire straight away,” Gael said of her first impression of Nathan during a June 2024 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

“It was insane and it was straight away,” Nathan told The Daily Dish of his connection with Gael in July 2024. “Like what you see from the show, me and Gael’s connection was like that from the moment we met each other.”

However, Gael was in a relationship at the time, which quickly became a major point of tension throughout the season. Despite this, the pair continued their “friendship” and even shared a kiss. Ultimately, in episode 9, Gael breaks up with her boyfriend and fully shifts her attention to Nathan.

Gael and Nathan then went on their first official date during Below Deck Med season 9, episode 12, when they went rock climbing together. Although Gael admitted she was “internally” freaking out about their relationship moving too fast, she ultimately decided to lean into it.

“Right now I’m like, ‘Yeah, f*ck it. Screw it. I’m gonna do stuff that makes me happy. It’s nice, and I like him,” she said in a confessional during the episode.

Gael and Nathan ultimately left Mystique hand-in-hand during the Below Deck Med season 9 finale. However, their romance didn’t last long once filming wrapped. During the Below Deck After Show, which aired on September 23, 2024, the pair confirmed they had split after dating on land and travelling together for six weeks.

Gael admitted on the After Show that she began to “see a different side” to Nathan while they were dating, explaining that she noticed “a little bit of anger,” as well as “stubbornness” and “immaturity.”

“I think he just has a lot of emotional maturing to do,” she said.

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Nathan also acknowledged that the long distance between Australia and Ireland put pressure on the relationship. “I just started second guessing everything,” he recalled on the After Show.

Gael later revealed that Nathan had suddenly gone silent on her, leaving her feeling both confused and concerned. Despite the breakup, however, the pair remained in touch.

On Below Deck: Mediterranean season 10, Nathan stepped into the role of bosun for the very first time. He also got unexpectedly lucky when Gael happened to be travelling nearby and temporarily filled in as a deckhand while Victoria was off sick.

Although she clashed with Nathan’s friend Joe — who still held her past actions against her — her reunion with Nathan proved to be a much more emotional experience.

The pair shared several tearful moments together and ultimately decided to give their relationship another shot, with plans to travel together once Nathan finished the charter season.

“You hurt me so much,” Gael told him during one particularly emotional exchange. “And not only did you hurt me the first time, you hurt me again and again.”

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Despite their complicated history, Gael later confirmed in the finale that she wanted to give the relationship another chance, explaining that they would be taking “baby steps” moving forward. Oh, the irony given their news soon after…

After reconciling, Gael and Nathan began documenting more of their relationship on social media. The couple shared snippets of their travels to Majorca in September 2024, followed by more trips around Europe in October. They also embraced a taste of “domestic life” together in Ireland, cooking meals in Nathan’s hometown and attending a wedding together later that month.

The pair also appeared to still be going strong by February 2025, when they celebrated Valentine’s Day together, with Nathan referring to Gael as his “forever Valentine.”

In April 2025, Gael and Nathan exclusively revealed to The Daily Dish that they were expecting their first child together.

“We're beyond excited to share our adventures with our tiny travel buddy,” they said at the time, before confirming they were expecting a baby boy.

Gael later gave birth to their son, Kayden, on June 24, announcing his arrival on her Instagram Story that same day. “Welcome to the world, my love,” she wrote alongside the post.

The couple later celebrated their anniversary in September, with Gael sharing an adorable carousel of photos documenting their relationship.

“Through every high and low, we've stood side by side and I wouldn't want to walk this path with anyone else,” she wrote in the caption. “Life isn't always easy, but together we turn it into the most wild, fun, and beautiful adventure. Now, with the best part of both of us in our arms, the journey feels even more magical. Happy anniversary my love — here's to all the memories we've made and countless more to come.”

Nathan also shared his own heartfelt message in the comments section, writing: “You're the sweetest, I love you so much! Can't wait to do life's journey with you and our little best friend.”

Despite engagement rumours circulating online, the pair were not engaged at the time, though they were living together with their son.

Nathan has recently been announced as part of the cast for Below Deck: Mediterranean season 10, prompting renewed interest in whether he and Gael are still together. So far, there has been no official confirmation either way, and both have remained largely quiet on social media.

Interestingly, their joint TikTok account has been made private. The pair don't follow each other, but we're not certain if they did before.

One viewer speculated: “She hasn’t mentioned him in any of her posts since last year, and her feed used to be flooded with lovey-dovey posts of them. They definitely split.”

However, there are also signs that suggest they may still be on good terms. Nathan reportedly shared a story featuring Gael and their baby just two days before leaving for charter, despite previously saying he would be stepping away from social media until June. Adding to that, the pair were also seen attending co-star Aesha’s wedding together.

They were both featured in the trailer for the new season of Below Deck: Mediterranean, so it could be that they're under embargo until the show is out.

Around Lunar New Year in February, Gael posted about the Year of the Fire Horse bringing a “new chapter,” which some fans interpreted as a subtle hint that she may be single. She later received a wave of comments asking whether she and Nathan had split, and the post was subsequently deleted.

At this stage, there is still no confirmed evidence that they have broken up, so we're staying positive!

Below Deck: Mediterranean season 11 premieres June 8 on Bravo and will be available in the UK on Hayu.