Who is chef Mathew Shea on 'Below Deck Mediterranean'? Here's why he may be replaced

The 'Below Deck Mediterranean' charter depends on Mathew Shea's performance as a chef, but will he be able to deliver?
UPDATED JUN 29, 2021
Chef Mathew Shea from 'Below Deck Mediterranean' (Mathew/ Instagram)
Chef Mathew Shea from 'Below Deck Mediterranean' (Mathew/ Instagram)

The team working on the Lady Michelle yacht on 'Below Deck Mediterranean' is in soup even before the charter could begin. Chef Mathew Shea started off well but by the time day one hit, he was a bundle of nerves. The night before, he couldn't sleep. Using that time, he decided to prep for the meals for guests the next day but his knee got in the way. Captain Sandy Yawn was taken aback when she first heard of the news but arranged for a medical check-up for him. This meant, that the crew was down a member, an important one. 

Will they finish the charter or have to cancel it? Only time will tell. A bigger question to ask would be: Will Shea's journey on the luxury yacht end soon? Let's get to know him a bit better but before that, you can catch reruns of 'Below Deck' Season 8, 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' Season 2, and 'Below Deck Mediterranean' Season 5

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Who is chef Mathew Shea?

Shea prides himself on a high-end clientele that includes Hugh Jackman and Rupert Murdoch. For 'Below Deck Mediterranean' to lose someone of that stature would really hurt Yawn's chances of pulling off a good season. But desperate times require desperate measures. You wouldn't see the deck and interior team crowding the galley chopping up lobster meat and dressing salads on a regular day. But it's an all-hands-on-deck kind of a situation and guests cannot go hungry. 



 

As a temporary replacement, Yawn managed an assistant chef, Duska, from a nearby boat, who helped but not enough. She was called to assist the novices in the kitchen only last minute. Yawn thanked her for the services and so did everyone else. At least they got something out on the plates. The guests hated the steak and oysters, but that's beside the point.



 

Will Yawn consider a new chef if Shea's results don't come in time for the charter? She'll have to. The only question is how. As a precautionary measure, one must quarantine for seven days before boarding the vessel. If Yawn isn't able to sort out the chef situation, she may have to cancel the current group of guests and reschedule the next one.   

Shea's official bio reads: "Born and raised in the sailing hub of Rhode Island, Mathew knew he wanted to be a Chef by the age of 12. His mother ran a macrobiotic cooking school in the '80s, which nurtured his passion for cuisine and food preparation from an early age. Mathew’s first experience in the galley began when he went on tour with Greenpeace, where he was hired as an assistant to a classically-trained French Chef who became his mentor. While crossing the ocean from port to port, he realized he could pursue a career in the yachting industry and continue to cook and travel."

Catch all the new episodes of 'Below Deck Mediterranean' Season 6 on Bravo every Monday at 9/8c. For more information, check your local listings. If you don't have access to cable TV, the network's channels are available on streaming platforms such as Hulu, Sling TV, FuboTV, YouTube TV and AT&T TV. For those who are not in the United States, using a VPN will help their case. For more information, check your local listings.

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