Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 Chef Johnathan Shillingford has been struggling so much in the first charters of the season that I’m convinced he’s a producer plant meant to make the journey more difficult. While Captain Sandy Yawn has gotten used to dealing with difficult crew members throughout her storied career as a superyacht captain, there are some signals Johnathan has been giving off that make it seem like he’s not just a troubled employee. Chef Jono has had an attitude since the very beginning of the charter season, which has puzzled viewers and made me certain he’ll be fired.
Even though Jono has shared he’s worked in galleys aboard superyachts in the past, his time on Mustique has been a confusing blend of poor performances and an inability to understand his many mistakes. Jono, who didn’t originally intend to be a chef, joined Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 knowing that working beneath Captain Sandy wouldn’t be easy, but he felt he was up for the challenge. Unfortunately, Johnathan has struggled to create an environment for himself to flourish and could be the first Mustique crew member to be fired. I believe Jono was brought into the cast for drama.
Chef Jono Has Shared Cooking Isn’t His Passion
While the chefs on Below Deck don’t always provide their backstories, they typically are open about the fact that cooking is their greatest passion. Even if they’ve pursued other avenues in the past, the chefs typically discuss their background in the kitchen, sharing the cuisine they feel most comfortable with and what sort of challenges they face, all while reassuring the viewers that they can handle the job of feeding the charter guests. During Below Deck Mediterranean season 9, Johnathan took a different approach to introducing himself and his cooking.
While Jono was serious about his craft, he shared that cooking wasn’t actually his first passion. Though he knew that he was good in the kitchen, Johnathan made it clear that he’d been more interested in fashion in the past, and that cooking had been more of a backup plan than his original goal in life. Even though he wasn’t the most passionate chef Captain Sandy had ever managed, he seemed capable of doing the job.
Captain Sandy Already Has Someone Waiting In The Wings
While Jono’s performances on the last few charters have been difficult, it’s been clear that Captain Sandy has noticed his performance and had a contingency plan in place. Though it may not be the nicest move, Captain Sandy has to understand the needs of the crew and anticipate them before the crew themselves do. In monitoring the way that Chef Jono has been performing from charter to charter, Captain Sandy has been working in the background to ensure that there’s another Chef ready and waiting in the wings, should she need to fire Jono and move on to another chef.
The Chef’s Performance Has Been Laughably Poor
Throughout Below Deck Mediterranean season 9, Chef Johnathan’s performance has ranged from mediocre to painful from charter to charter. While Jono has been struggling to keep the charter guests’ needs in mind, his cooking has continued to grow more concerning. During the first charter, Jono was lacking provisions aboard Mustique after a mixup with the provisioner left the crew without a majority of the food and alcohol that was ordered. While Chef Jono was able to prepare a decent meal for the guests, it still wasn’t up to the standard that Captain Sandy would’ve wanted for a standard Mustique charter.
During the second charter, there were no issues with provisions so Captain Sandy expected to see Chef Jono prove himself along with the rest of the Mustique crew. Though there were a few major issues with the crew, the meals were the most buzzed-about part of the charter. The primary guest, a former Olympian and a friend of Captain Sandy’s, struggled with how Jono was preparing the meals, and she complained a few times about the spices he was using on the meat. Though Jono knew that the majority of the charter guests weren’t happy, he didn’t change anything up.
Below Deck Has Been Accused Of Producer Planted Cast Members In The Past
I believe Jono is a cast member brought in by the producers of Below Deck Mediterranean to fail, causing drama throughout his time on the superyacht. While this may not be a popular opinion, I believe Jono was brought in so there would be some drama with Captain Sandy during the season, giving her something to do if no other crew drama popped up. While this may not be the easiest thing to accomplish, Below Deck Mediterranean has been accused of casting yachties for their shock value in the past, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it happening again.