Below Deck Med Star Attempts To Improve Damaged Reputation After Allegedly Faking Poor Performance

Summary Chef Jono from Below Deck Med faces backlash for his poor performance, as he seeks redemption online.

Jono's cooking skills have come under scrutiny, with fans calling for his firing despite recent positive feedback from guests on the show.

Captain Sandy may consider firing Chef Jono if improvements aren't seen, but so far, she hasn't let go of anyone just yet.

Below Deck Mediterranean cast member Johnathan "Jono" Shillingford put a spotlight on a charter guest who praised him as he seeks to restore his reputation. Throughout Below Deck Med season 9, which is currently airing on Bravo, Chef Jono has come under fire for not living up to the high standards that are expected on expensive yachts like the Mustique. Along the way, Jono's been accused of faking his poor performance, with calls rising every week for the chef to be fired. Captain Sandy Yawn has a backup chef ready in case she ends up firing Jono.

Below Deck Med's Chef Johnathan Shillingford wants to put his cooking skills in the best possible light amid backlash over his poor performance.

Chef Jono is the complete opposite of a Below Deck fan-favorite right now. However, that doesn't mean he's not trying to put himself in as good a light as possible. The Below Deck Med star recently shared charter guest Dustin Plunkett's Instagram post that praised both him and Bosun Iain Maclean.

The guest posed for a photo with Iain and shared photos of two meals that Chef Jono made during their charter. In his caption, Dustin said, "What’s gunna happen?….Idk, but we loved our Chef @shillingfordj #belowdeck #belowdeckmed #bravo and our bosun @iain_twee_drie." Chef Jono then shared those meal photos on his Instagram Story in an attempt to prove to critics that the charter guests haven't had major issues with his meals.

Should Chef Johnathan Shillingford Stay On Below Deck Med?

Chef Jono Can't Afford To Make Any More Mistakes

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It doesn't seem like anything Chef Jono does will be able to put him in a better light. There are numerous Reddit threads, social media posts and comments sections filled with nonstop criticism of the chef's meals. Jono is already on Captain Sandy's radar as someone to possibly fire if he doesn't start showing improvements. Below Deck Med season 9 is almost halfway through the season, and nobody has been fired yet, which is very surprising, considering there are multiple cast members that are on the chopping block, including Iain.

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It's not quite clear why Captain Sandy has been so hesitant to actually fire anyone during Below Deck Med season 9. She's aware of major issues on the Mustique and has called out areas where her high standards aren't being met. Chef Jono, for example, has had many opportunities to improve, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. If Jono can satisfy the charter guests just enough with his meals, then maybe he can manage to hang on for the rest of the season.

If Chef Jono doesn't get fired during Below Deck Med season 9, then Bravo and the producers will have to decide whether to keep him around for Below Deck Med season 10. His personality is made for TV, and he brings drama via the underwhelming meals he cooks. That could be enough to rehire him next season. However, if that happens, there will be even more backlash until a new chef is brought in that can make a course correction and improve upon Jono's mistakes.

Below Deck Med's Chef Jono Claims He's Shown A Lot Of Improvements

The Below Deck Chef Doesn't Seem To Care What Others Think

Below Deck Med Season 9 Cast Position Sandy Yawn Captain Johnathan Shillingford Chef Iain Maclean Bosun Joe Bradley Lead Deckhand Nathan Gallager Deckhand Gael Cameron Deckhand Aesha Scott Chief Stew Elena Dubaich 2nd Stew Bri Muller 3rd Stew

In Chef Jono's most recent Instagram post, the Below Deck Med star claimed that he's come so far since his first charter. While the caption doesn't specifically acknowledge Below Deck, it appears he's referring to the first charter he ever took part in before joining the Bravo reality show. Jono said that his skills then versus now are "night and day," and he's "grateful" to see how his journey has unfolded over the years. He then praised himself for being able to evolve over time and make improvements. "Cheers to evolution," he concluded, and added a clinking glasses emoji.

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Chef Jono's Instagram account is filled with a lot of positivity and showing off various dishes that he's made on yachts. He rarely speaks out about specific drama occurring on Below Deck Med. However, he did recently post an Instagram Story that showed him sticking his tongue out at the camera, which happened right after he started coming under fire for allegedly faking his poor performance on Below Deck Med. Overall, his social media presence proves that he's not letting the backlash get to him and he's trying to focus on the positive parts of his life.

The Below Deck Med star has a lot of talent in the kitchen, or else he wouldn't have gotten as far in his career as he has. It's possible the criticism he's received online is brand-new to him and, as a result, he might not realize why his Below Deck Med meals have been called out for not meeting high expectations. Either way, there are still plenty of episodes left in Below Deck Med season 9 for Chef Jono to show improvements. Pretty soon, though, he'll either have to step up or face the music from Captain Sandy.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo.

Sources: Johnathan Shillingford/Instagram, Dustin Plunkett/Instagram, Johnathan Shillingford/Instagram