Tumi Mhlongo’s arrival on the M/Y Mustique is definitely rocking the boat.
After being absent from Below Deck Mediterranean’s season eight premiere due to visa issues, the Chief Stew finally arrived on the Bravo series’ Oct. 2 episode. However, the South Africa native immediately clashed with interim Chief Stew Natalya Scudder upon boarding the super-yacht.
“I’ve been in the industry for a really short amount of time,” Tumi admitted in a confessional. “One thing that scares me is will the crew respect me? It’s really important to set boundaries at the beginning because that’s something I’ve always had to do in yachting anyway. Like, ‘You’re not capable,’ or there’s not a lot of people like me or it’s like, ‘How the hell is she here?'”
In addition to her insecurities about taking on the role of Chief Stew for her very first time, Tumi was also nervous to work with Natalya after hearing some stories from fellow Stew Kyle Viljoen.
“Kyle told me he had his ups and down with Natalya and I don’t want to disrespect her, but I don’t want to demand respect,” the Below Deck Down Under alum explained. “That’s where my struggle comes in. So, yeah, of course I’m worried.”
