Below Deck Med Controversy: Star Allegedly Faked Poor Performance, More Red Flags Emerge
Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 star Johnathan “Jono” Shillingford came under fire yet again, this time for the way he prepared a recent meal. Almost every season of Below Deck Med has 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 during Below Deck Med season 9 if Chef Jono doesn’t show major improvements.
Below Deck Med chef 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 in Below Deck Med season 9, fans took to Reddit to show their disgust for the way he cooked one of the meals for the charter guests. Ajmtz12 created 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 with Below Deck Med fans 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 claimed original Below Deck captain 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 recent Below Deck Med season 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 the Below Deck Med chef has come under intense scrutiny, not just over his skills but also over an allegation 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 video that 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 accusations that 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 Jono is currently working on a non-Below Deck super yacht, according to his Instagram page. He said in the comments section of a recent post that he even has a sous chef, something that a lot of Below Deck chefs could benefit from. Unfortunately, the yachts that the Bravo reality show uses probably don’t have room for an extra person in the galley.
If the Below Deck Med season 9 chef does end up being replaced, there are multiple former Below Deck chefs who 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 stress on board the Mustique. Ben, in particular, is a Below Deck fan-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 to Below Deck, though.
Only time will tell if Captain Sandy ends up replacing Chef Jono. Based on that text message she sent in a recent Below Deck Med episode, 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 the Mustique in a few episodes from now, it doesn’t seem like anything will cause Captain Sandy to finally put her foot down.
