Captain Sandy’s fate in the Below Deck franchise may be up in the air after the Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 crew, including Jonathan Shillingsford, was accused of faking poor performance. The newest installment of the Mediterranean-based Below Deck spin-off has gotten off to a better start than its predecessor. Below Deck Med season 8 was a letdown, and none of the crew members were invited to return for the next installment. Captain Sandy came back alongside former Below Deck Down Under Chief Stew Aesha Scott. She would oversee the deckhands and interior workers.

New yachties such as Bri Muller and Elena “Ellie” Dubaich kept the season interesting with their feud over deckhand Joe Bradley. Aside from the season’s love triangle, Gael Cameron and Nathan Gallagher’s flirtatious relationship added extra intrigue as Gael has entered the charter season with a boyfriend back home. While most of the crew members were well-received by the audience, some of them have been called out for seemingly performing badly during charter trips to boost the onscreen drama.

The Below Deck Med Season 9 Crew Isn’t Up To Par

Chef Jono & Iain Have Been Called Out On Multiple Occasions

Only some people from the Below Deck Med crew performed well this time around. Chef Johnathan “Jono” and Bosun Iain Maclean were called out for allegedly faking their negative performance on the show. The chef notably struggled during the beginning of the charter season but has made improvements as the season progressed. Chef Jono was reprimanded for serving the guests chicken for dinner and chocolate sponge cake. While he’s improved, Iain has not.

The Bosun wasn’t keen on feedback from Captain Sandy or the rest of his crew. He made several disappointing mistakes, including allowing Nathan and a guest to drift off to sea while paddleboarding, and communicating poorly when docking the Mustique. Captain Sandy pulled Iain aside on multiple occasions to encourage him to improve, though he’s taken her critique personally and hasn’t applied it to his work. He tried his best but didn’t impress the Captain and his deck team.

Captain Sandy Isn’t As Involved As She Used To Be

Captain Sandy Gave The Below Deck Med Season 9 Cast Grace

Captain Sandy appears to be less involved in this installment compared to prior seasons. Her approach is more laid-back now, as she’s allowing her crew to sort through their drama and mistakes. Captain Sandy is typically a more hands-on boss, and she’s known for her no-nonsense leadership style. She likely would have fired Chef Jono and Iain seasons ago, but she softened as the show went on. Captain Sandy will still let them go if it’s the best business decision. It’s just shocking that she hasn’t done so already.

Despite some poor performances from the Chef and Bosun of Below Deck Med season 9, Captain Sandy’s kept them on staff. It’s now the midway point of the charter season. She’s not micromanaging, and because she’s changed so much, it’s easy to wonder if she’ll return for the next installment. Captain Sandy’s the face of Below Deck Med and will likely stay with the franchise as long as she wants to.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo, then streams the following day on Peacock.