Tumi’s Departure from ‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ Explained
Now in its ninth season, Below Deck Mediterranean has seen its fair share of chief stewards, but Season 8’s chief stew, Tumi Mhlongo, left quite the impression with her crew and with viewers. She was embroiled in a conflict with Natalya Scudder and Kyle Viljoen and had issues with a few other crew members. She was in a tough position for numerous reasons in Season 8 and subsequently didn’t return for Season 9. So what happened to Tumi from Below Deck Mediterranean?
Tumi’s Background and Conflict with Natalya Scudder
Below Deck Mediterranean wasn’t Tumi’s first super yacht experience. She appeared in 2022 on Below Deck Down Under as the second steward under Aesha Scott, who is the chief steward in Season 9. Tumi had the opportunity to learn from Aesha and brought those skills to her experience as chief stew on Below Deck Med. Unfortunately, a rough start to Season 8 led to more conflict than she likely anticipated. Later, she discovered who was truly behind the messy situation.
The Feud between Tumi, Natalya Scudder, and Kyle Viljeon
Season 8 started on a rough note when Tumi and second steward Kyle Viljoen both had immigration issues that meant they’d have to miss the first charter of the season. Because of this, Natalya had to step up and fill in as chief stew until Tumi and Kyle arrived. When they did arrive, things went south fairly quickly. Tumi didn’t like the way Natalya did things in her absence, leading them to butt heads immediately. However, there was someone else who helped fuel the flames of their fight.
Race and Representation in the ‘Below Deck’ Franchise
Since leaving the series, Tumi has spoken out about being the first Black woman to become chief steward in the franchise. She shared more about her Below Deck experience during an interview with Essence, where she highlighted the racism she faced when Season 8 aired. “‘I sometimes do have imposter syndrome from time to time,’ she confessed, ‘but I have recognized what fuels it. It’s from people’s perceptions and opinions, and those should never matter, so it is a work in progress.'”