Longtime yachtie Aesha Scott believes the South of France is the epicenter of the industry.
The “Below Deck Mediterranean” star, 31, tells Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast co-hosts Danny Murphy and Evan Real — who will be reporting from the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival starting next week — why the scenic region is the prime location for luxe charters.
“I was based in the South of France for years,” says the chief stew, who returned to the Bravo reality show after a two-season run on the network’s Australia-based spinoff, “Below Deck Down Under.”
Scott adds, “So, for me … it is the home of yachting and it’s my home of yachting in my heart. So going back, it was just a really beautiful thing for me.”
The New Zealand native remembers kicking off her nautical career in Antibes, just a short drive from nearby Cannes. On “Below Deck Med,” she’s back to her old stomping grounds.
“It’s the universe that’s bringing me back home to where I belong,” Scott says of coming back to the unscripted series — on which she originally starred in 2019’s Season 4 — with Captain Sandy Yawn.
“I’m honestly so insanely happy because when I first started yachting, I flew to France with my sister, we walked the docks of Antibe and fell in love with it.”
Through her French explorations, Scott has discovered Èze — a “hidden gem” tucked up the coast from Cannes. She encourages Cannes Lions goers to make the most of their downtime by booking a one-hour train ride to the seaside city for an “unforgettable” experience.
“Cannes itself, you do have some beautiful beaches around there and things. But I would hop on a train and one of my favorite things to do in the South of France is take a train, get off at the stop called Èze and you do this half-an-hour walk,” Scott advises.
“You find this path and you do a half-an-hour walk up this hill and you come to this super old village that’s just right on the top of this hill with all the jigsaw puzzle cobblestone pathways and stuff,” she elaborates. “And it’s just mind-blowingly beautiful.”
This year’s Cannes Lions festivities — which take place from June 17 through June 21 — are set to draw a starry crowd, including Queen Latifah, Yara Shahidi, Elon Musk, Jay Shetty, Andie MacDowell, Kenan Thompson, Hollywood power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, as well as NFL brother duo Jason and Travis Kelce.
Meanwhile, musicians such as Tyla, Arcade Fire, Diplo and Lenny Kravitz are expected to perform at big bashes along the Croisette.
“Below Deck Mediterranean” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
