Tom Checkett's diva behavior on Below Deck Mediterranean may have hurt Malia White and Captain Sandy Yawn's relationship. Fans are also wondering if his attitude was the reason he and Malia broke up after filming ended.
This season of Below Deck has been one for the record books. First, Hannah Ferrier was fired from the ship after she brought illegal drugs on board. Then, Pete Hunziker was cut from the film for sharing racist and offensive posts online. Lastly, Chef Kiko couldn’t stand the heat of the kitchen, so he left, taking with him any Zen left on the mega-yacht. Kiko was replaced by bosun Malia's boyfriend, Tom. Malia White has been working hard this season as the bosun, but with the arrival of boyfriend Tom, the galley and her love life have gotten a bit out of hand.
On the September 21 episode, Captain Sandy Yawn had to forbid favorite crew member Malia from going into the galley to help her boyfriend, leaving the two in murky waters. One thing is sure, Tom is a bit of a drama queen when it comes to cooking. Previously, Tom had to make amends with Aesha Scott after he yelled at her about slicing a cucumber. The mostly-positive stew was not ready for the barrage of hate flung her way. Tom’s attitude is more than a reflection of his passion for cooking, and is almost akin to a childhood tantrum. Fans watched as Tom radioed Malia about the provisions delivery while throwing his radio on the counter in a huff. The chef told his girlfriend, "I’m done, I’m done, I’m f—ing done, I cannot do it. Guests arrive in an hour. Look at this, how is that fair?" Honestly, viewers thought he might have a little meltdown in the freezer.
Malia ran to Captain Sandy, only to be told Tom needed to make the effort and speak with her. The Captain tried to calm him down, but Tom was even rude to her! Captain Sandy was forced to lay down the law as she ushered Malia out of the galley, telling her to, "Stop saving him. Stop." Malia was so frazzled that she couldn’t even see the Captain was leading her away from the danger. The bosun tried to help her boyfriend, but was shut down by the Captain telling her, "Let him walk."
Captain Sandy had to take a hard stance because it was obvious Tom was going to drag down the ship with his bad attitude. While it was the first time Bravo fans saw Captain Sandy reprimand Malia, it was necessary. The two are close, and should be able to work through any work disagreement.
Below Deck Med airs Monday at 9 pm ET on Bravo.