Below Deck Mediterranean season 6 star Katie Flood opened up about some of her first impressions of Chef Mathew Shea and her other crewmates. The viewers were introduced to Katie during the premiere episode on June 28 as the new chief stew of the series. Before Katie, Hannah Ferrier was the only chief stew to appear on Below Deck Med until she was fired halfway through the season. Bugsy Drake did replace Hannah for the last few charters of the season following her departure.
During the first episode of Below Deck Med season 6, Chef Mathew had to leave the boat temporarily after hurting his knee in the galley. The pain was so excruciating for him he was unable to perform up to his standards. He asked Captain Sandy if there was any way he could get his knee checked out and get an MRI so that he could feel comfortable working again. She obviously allowed him to do that, but it left the crew with no chef with a boat full of guests. Overall, the crew wasn't too happy with Mathew.
During an interview with Us Weekly, the chief stew spoke about her first impressions of the crew, including Chef Mathew. While Katie Flood bonded fairly quickly with everyone on the boat, it took her a bit of time to warm up to the chef. "He’s the kind of guy who grows on you. Mathew grows on you," she said, noting, "He is so weird and quirky in his own way, but the thing I love about Mathew is he is who he is, and he will not change for anybody." It's not a surprise that it took Katie, who once dated BDM alum Jack Stirrup, a while to warm up to him, as Mathew left the crew to prepare dinner for the guests on their own.
Nonetheless, Katie easily got along with the rest of the crew, including Captain Sandy. She said Sandy is "very empathetic and she’s very easy to talk to." Katie also found her to be "pretty understanding, and a good support system." The newbie spoke highly of the deck team as well, calling deckhand David Pascoe "the cutest little person ever" and "such a caring soul." She added that Malia White and Mzi "Zee" Dempers made her laugh the most out of everyone in the crew. Katie also praised her third stew Courtney Veale, who she affectionately calls Coco. "She is, like, the hardest little worker I think I’ve ever come across," she said. "She has such common sense, but you know deep down she’s such a soft little soul."
Even though it took Katie some time to warm up to Chef Mathew, the two eventually got on the right track. The new chief stew appreciates Mathew for who he is and loves that about him. Now that Katie has warmed up to Mathew, there is a possibility they could be asked on Below Deck Mediterranean season 7.
Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9 pm EST on Bravo.
Sources: Us Weekly