The interior department is imploding on Season 8 of Below Deck Mediterranean, and so early in the season. It was bound to happen between two people, potentially even a third, vying for the same rank and trying to establish dominance. Factor in a little interference from Kyle Viljoen and you’ve got the perfect recipe for drama.
None of the higher ranking stews are blameless. But chief stew Tumi Mhlongo and third stew Natalya Scudder ultimately lost their tempers and started fighting while charter guests were on board. Captain Sandy Yawn broke it up, and last we saw, asked both parties to the bridge. Never a good sign.
The sneak peak suggests that Sandy is considering terminating both parties
In the sneak peak for the upcoming episode of Below Deck Med, Captain Sandy told the stews that she was “ready to put you both off the boat.” So who should be the one to leave? Or perhaps Captain Sandy will fire both stews?
As previously suggested, neither one is blameless in this matter. Tumi seemed wary of Natalya even before they met after Kyle spoke ill of her behind the scenes. Tumi could have made her own judgement call.
Natalya questioned authority, as she did in the previous season. Bad-mouthing your chief stew and calling her “a f*cking bitch,” to other crew members is never a good look.
“You haven’t given her a fair chance. I can’t tolerate this,” Sandy told Natalya.
To Tumi, Captain suggested, “You’re in a leadership role and you need to rise above.”
Of course, cast confessionals were very enlightening. Anyone could have guessed this situation wasn’t going to end well.
It’s all going wrong
“Clearly she did a great job on the charter and I would be excited to work with someone like that. But also, how would she like it if someone started going off the way she did in the beginning? I am sure she wouldn’t like it at all,” Tumi said in a confessional. She also shared her mother’s motto of, “Be kind but don’t let them walk all over you.”
For her part, Natalya felt there was an attitude problem. She told cameras that Tumi, “needs to appreciate the fact that I set up the flow and the boat is in a good place. There is a correct way to step into this role and it is to have a respectful hand over and come in with good energy.”
Once the verbal outburst started, Tumi and Natalya told the other some derivative of what said to producers.
“Stop talking back to me. You have been attacking me since day one,” Tumi addressed her third stew. “I am a first time chief stew but I do know what I am doing. She has no respect — she reminds me of a chihuahua. Territorial, combative and speaks all the time. I’ve had it with this, we are done.”
“You stepped on board with the worst attitude. There was no appreciation,” Natalya responded. “So you can come handle it [with me but] don’t talk to Kyle about it. Talk to me about it.”
All of this before Sandy even knew what was going on.
Kyle laid the groundwork for chaos
Of course, Natalya is referring to the text message Tumi sent to Kyle after her initial meeting with Natalya. It read, “giving you a heads up b/w us. I know you’re mates with her, but Nat needs to stay in her lane bc Tumi losing her sh*t will end up in her walking off bc she had a diva moment.”
Kyle responded, “I’m sorry to hear this — I did tell you she’s something that came for all of us.”
Yikes. It seems there is a third party involved here. But in this situation, he is playing the long game by not engaging in visible outbursts.
Catch Below Deck Mediterranean on Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TUMI AND NATALYA’S FIGHT? WILL SANDY FIRE ONE OF THEM, OR BOTH? WHO DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE?
