Summary
Below Deck Mediterraneanseason 9 starJohnathan “Jono” Shillingford came under fire yet again, this time for the way he prepared a recent meal. Almost every season ofBelow Deck Medhas had a new chef, though Adam Glick appeared in two seasons, and Ben Robinson was a cast member for one-and-a-half seasons; Ben replaced a different chef who left partway through the charter season. The following season also saw two chefs being hired at different points in the year, and the same thing could happen again duringBelow Deck Medseason 9if Chef Jono doesn’t show major improvements.
Below Deck Medchef Johnathan Shillingford came under fire for cooking a steak that “looked really bad,” according to Reddit fans.
Amid all the speculation about what the future holds for Chef Jono inBelow Deck Medseason 9, fans took to Reddit to show their disgust for the way he cooked one of the meals for the charter guests.Ajmtz12created a Reddit thread and noticed that the steaks he plated “looked really bad,“adding that the meat appeared gray and possibly “pink inside.”
The Reddit thread was filled withBelow Deck Medfans criticizing the way Chef Jono prepared the steaks, which “didn’t look very appetizing” at all, according to Rob-b-362, who added that the meat looked like it might have been boiled. Valley_Squirrels is a vegetarian but couldn’t believe that the steaks had an odd appearance. Meanwhile, DeliciousMinute1966 claimedoriginalBelow Deckcaptain Lee Rosbach would have fired Jono for his lack of skills in the kitchen. Some fans wondered if the chef sneakily Googles recipes on the fly because he isn’t quite sure how to properly cook the food.
What Can Chef Johnathan Shillingford Do To Improve On Below Deck Med?
It Might Be Time For Chef Jono To Go
In a recentBelow Deck Medseason 9 episode,Captain Sandy Yawn sent a text asking for a backup chef to be ready in case she needs to fire Jono. Only five episodes have aired on Bravo so far, but enough charters have gone by that the captain and crew can clearly see major issues coming from the kitchen. Jono has already been called out for mistakes he’s made, and it might only take one more misstep for Captain Sandy to finally give him a pink slip and bring in a new chef to get the yacht back on track.
These problems come as theBelow Deck Medchef has come under intense scrutiny, not just over his skills but also over anallegation that Jono’s faking his performance. There have been numerous Reddit threads and discussions elsewhere online claiming that something’s not sitting quite right with this situation. Bosun Iain MacLean received the same type of accusation. In late June 2024,Jono seemingly reacted to the criticism by sticking his tongue out in a videothat featured a song with lyrics like “We should go and wake up, Tell them people we don’t give a f***, this my year.”
There may or may not be any substance behind the accusationsthat Chef Jono is faking his poor performance. However, Reddit user Iggyandgus, who didn’t believe in those allegations before, saw how the steaks turned out and is questioning the chef much more now. Even in lower end restaurants, food should not look like that, they said, adding, “For being an ‘artist,’ his plating looks” terrible.
Below Deck Chefs Need Extra Help In The Galley
Below Deck Yachts Don’t Have Room For Sous Chefs
Reality TV shows are always edited in a very particular way, so it doesn’t come as a surprise when accusations like this start floating around the Internet.Chef Jonois currently working on a non-Below Decksuper yacht, according to his Instagram page. He said in the comments section of a recent post thathe even has a sous chef, something that a lot ofBelow Deckchefs could benefit from. Unfortunately, the yachts that the Bravo reality show uses probably don’t have room for an extra person in the galley.
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If theBelow Deck Medseason 9 chef does end up being replaced, there aremultiple formerBelow Deckchefswho would be great options.Adam Glick, Ben Robinson, Jack Luby, Ileisha Dell and David White are just some of the alums who could easily step in and handle the pressure and stresson board theMustique. Ben, in particular, is aBelow Deckfan-favorite with a fun personality that’s made for reality TV. Captain Sandy’s text about having a chef on standby makes it seem like any replacement for Jono would be a newbie toBelow Deck, though.
Only time will tell if Captain Sandy ends up replacing Chef Jono. Based on that text message she sent in a recentBelow Deck Medepisode, presumably, there’s someone on standby waiting to get their moment in the Bravo spotlight and possibly come across as the hero who saves the day. Since it seems like the chef won’t be improving anytime soon, he’ll likely be fired soon. However,if he’s still on board theMustiquein a few episodes from now, it doesn’t seem like anything will cause Captain Sandy to finally put her foot down.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Cast
Below Deck Mediterranean is a Bravo reality television series that follows a crew that works aboard a gigantic superyacht during the busy season. The show highlights the challenges of the crew as they serve their high-end clientele. Each season tackles new locations, such as Greece, Croatia, Italy, and France, with some repeating.
