Table of Contents
Johnathan Shillingford, Captain Sandy Yawn.
Bravo (2)Below Deck MediterraneaN‘S Captain Sandy Yawn changed his mind about shooting Chef Johnathan Shillingford at the literal last second.
During the latest episode, which aired on Monday, August 26, Captain Sandy was at her wits’ end with the chef. The trouble started when Johnathan served one of the new guests tuna carpaccio without looking at her preference sheet.
“It looks beautiful. I would eat it if I could. I can’t eat raw seafood because it could kill me. On my preference form I said about fifteen times that I can’t have it,” the guest told chef Aesha Scott and Sandy. “I have an iron overload. If I eat it, it could kill me.”
Sandy was furious with Johnathan for this mistake and said, “What the f-k? This is unacceptable.”
Not always the perfect fit. Over the years, the Below Deck franchise has shocked viewers with dramatic exits, including layoffs and layoffs. Mathew Shea set a record for Below Deck Mediterranean when he made several departures during season 6. The chef initially left the boat when he suffered a knee injury that required medical attention. […]
The captain went straight to Johnathan to have him explain what led to the mistake. “Raw seafood can kill her and it’s in front of her plate. That’s a big mistake,” she continued. “I want you to know how serious this is.”
Johnathan tried to argue that some people say that applying “lots of lime” to uncooked fish actually “cooks” the fish with citric acid, but admitted he was wrong.
“I feel terrible, I don’t know how I let that slide. I guess I just have too many things on my mind,” he explained. “I still have to work through the rest of dinner, so I can’t let it bother me too much.” But I can’t help but feel s-tty.
That wasn’t enough for Sandy, who saw this as the final straw and told the cameras, “I’m really fucking pissed.” In my 35 years at sea, I have never had a chef feed a guest something that could actually kill him or her. This is a criminal offense, so now I just have to look for a replacement chef.”
Sandy was then seen asking for a new chef, in addition to a fourth stew. However, the charter wasn’t over yet and the next evening Johnathan received bad feedback after being served a cookie and ice cream for dessert.
Sandy was told that the guests were once again disappointed, which confirmed her decision to fire the chef. She called him on the radio, probably to discuss his departure from Mustique.
Below Deck and its spinoff series have never failed to bring the drama to Bravo fans everywhere since the franchise launched. The original series premiered in 2013 and documented the daily lives of crew members on luxury yachts during charter season. With each season, the crew members’ personal lives begin to transition into their own […]
‘I have to let Jono go. The fact that a cookie was served for a 25th anniversary dessert, on top of the fact that he served raw fish to the person who could die from raw fish,” she said in a confessional. “That’s why I should just fire him.”
As Johnathan walked toward Sandy, she received a message that read, “Sandy, I’m so sorry. I can’t find a chef available at the moment.” Sandy was forced to change her plans when Johnathan sat her down for their conversation.
“Serving raw fish to guests is a criminal offense. I’m not going to do that, but that can’t happen,” Sandy revealed. “Now, last night’s dessert, she was really upset. Not sure why a cookie would be served. Why not put a crème brûlée or something similar on their preference sheet? Ultimately you want to bring more than you have from now until the end of the season.”
Sandy confirmed that she planned to let Johnathan go – until she couldn’t anymore.
“I can’t let him go, there is no replacement chef. I can’t be left without a chef,” she noted while referring to season 6 of the series Below Deck Med when Chief Mathew Shea walked off the boat. “With Mathew we had no chef and the crew was cooking and it was the worst meal the customers ever had. For now, my best choice is to keep Jono.”
Johnathan was acutely aware that he was lucky to still be around, saying: ‘I feel devastated. I was ready to be fired. All the hard work I put in this season, I feel like I blew it. I’m so disappointed in myself.”
Earlier this month, Johnathan revealed he had no idea Sandy was looking for someone to replace him.
“How would someone feel if someone apparently wanted to get rid of you?” Johnathan spoke exclusively We weekly about learning new information while watching season 9. “I didn’t feel that during the show. I didn’t know that was her position. I didn’t know there was a backup chef.”
Below Deck and its spin-off series may be reality TV shows, but there can be real-life consequences for the crew’s actions, both on and off the ship. Over the years, stars like Hannah Ferrier, Peter Hunziker and Shane Coopersmith have been fired from their respective charters for various reasons. Below Deck Hannah from the Mediterranean […]
Johnathan didn’t let the new information affect the way he left the experience, adding, “I maintain that it was an honor to work with Captain Sandy. Because as a feminist – I grew up in a family of strong women who were groundbreaking in their careers – I have never worked with a female captain before. So regardless of what has been said, I still maintain that it was an honor to work with her.”
Johnathan Shillingford.
Fred Jagueneau/BravoAccording to Johnathan, he’s not sure how different things would have been if he knew his job was in jeopardy.
“I gave it my all, regardless of whether she had a standby chef or not. If I knew that information, I would be working hard anyway. I don’t know if I would have gone deeper. I think I was already pulling deep,” Johnathan shared. “That’s what I do. I want my guests to be happy. This is how I feel happy in my work. Not only for the guests, but also for my captain.”
He continued: “We have to make her proud. The whole season I was focused on making sure she had confidence in me. So I don’t know if I would have done things differently if I knew.”
Below deck Mediterranean Season 9 airs on Bravo Mondays at 9pm ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.