Malia White claims having boyfriend Tom Checketts join Below Deck Mediterranean was a “personal nightmare” for her.
The notion of Malia not enjoying having her man on The Wellington is hard for fans to believe. After all, many fans think it was Malia and Captain Sandy Yawn’s plan all along to get rid of chef Kiko and have Tom replace him.
However, the bosun insists there was no master plan or conspiracy. She and the captain both insist it was nothing more than timing that led Tom to becoming the new chef on Below Deck Med.
To further prove her point, Malia recently got candid during the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5 After Show regarding how she genuinely felt about mixing business with pleasure.
Changing the focus of the season
Since Malia did meet Tom while working on a yacht, it is surprising for fans to hear having him on the Bravo show was a nightmare.
The reason for her harsh words has to do with her job as bosun. It was her focus for Season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean.
“Tom coming on board as chef was a nightmare. On a selfish level I wanted this to be about me becoming bosun, and I think Tom coming on board, it’s now Malia and Tom. We’re like a team,” she shared.
It didn’t take long for Malia to get in team mode. Fans will recall Malia threw a fit to get to share a cabin with Tom. She ran to Captain Sandy when Hannah Ferrier wouldn’t agree to bunk with Bugsy Drake.
Worried about their relationship
Another reason is that Malia was worried it would harm their relationship. It wasn’t the working together part but the being on reality television that concerned her.
“That’s tough. It’s a whole other dynamic you have to worry about,” Malia shared.
The bosun was part of one of the most talked-about love triangles in the franchise history during her first stint on the show. Malia knows exactly what can happen when your relationship is thrust into the spotlight and plays out in front of the camera.
It was a real fear of hers that the show would change her relationship with Tom. As much as Malia loves Below Deck Med, she wasn’t about to let it cost her Tom or their relationship.
Although Tom has an established career in yachting, this was his first forte into reality television. Malia feels like, in a way, she set him up for failure because the chef is such a high-profile job on the show.
“You know if I messed up doing a line, no one’s going notice. Or if don’t blade the windows very well, no one’s really going to notice. But if you’re a head chef, and no one likes your food, then people are going to notice,” she explained.
There is still a lot more drama to play out on Below Deck Med, and Tom is a pivotal part of what is to come. Viewers have to keep watching to see how being on the Bravo show impacts Malia Whtie and Tom Checketts’ romance.
Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.
Have to admit, NOT a big Malia fan this season…..just saying