‘Below Deck Med’: Malia White’s Boyfriend Tom Checketts Is the Yacht Chef Captain Sandy Always Wanted
In an expected move, chef Tom Checketts joined the Below Deck Mediterranean team during his visit with girlfriend, bosun Malia White.
Following chef Hindrigo “Kiko” Lorran’s exit, the crew was without a chef and Checketts happened to be visiting White just as Lorran was leaving the boat. Yawn marveled at Checketts’ resume. “It’s amazing,” she says as she gazes at Checketts’ qualifications. Once Yawn gets Checketts alone she shares that he is the chef she’d hoped for all along.
“Your resume to me is what I’ve always wanted,” Yawn says to Checketts. “You worked your way up. You were a sous-chef and then you were formerly trained, you did Michelin star. The part that sticks out for me because obviously you’re a head chef on an 80 meter. Huge difference than on this boat.”
Tom Checketts comes from a family of chefs
“You were a sole chef on a 50 meter,” Yawn continued. “And you’re able to cook for 12 guests …” Checketts adds that he also cooked for 11 crew members. At this point, Yawn begs Checketts to help out the crew this season. Checketts was on his way to see a sick relative in England. He agrees to stay but if the situation changes in England he may have to leave. Once Checketts is finally hired Yawn says, “I can sleep now!”
Later in the episode, Checketts describes his culinary background and shares it is a family affair. During dinner with the crew, deckhand Alex Radcliffe says he heard Checketts had worked with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. “Oh yeah, I worked for him in London,” Checketts casually replies adding that it “was cool” to work for Ramsay.
“I’ve had like very classical training,” Checketts shares in a confessional. “My mum was disappointed that I wanted to be a chef. [My mother] ended up cooking for the Queen Mother but she hated it. My dad was a chef lecturer. He was like a raging alcoholic. I have not seen him since I was young. I think that’s what my mum saw my future as and she essentially said like if you’re gonna be a chef you have to do it properly. And so I did it properly.”
Bugsy Drake’s sister introduced Checketts and Malia White
Earlier in the episode Christine “Bugsy” Drake revealed that her sister was the one who introduced White and Checketts. Drake told third stew Jessica More that her sister worked with Checketts and was the matchmaker.
“My sister actually hooked Malia and Tom up,” Drake revealed in a confessional. “So they were all working together on a boat and Tom was like really interested in Malia. So I spoke to my sister about it and my sister was cabin mates with Malia and hooked the two of them up. I don’t actually know Tom but its a very incestuous small world.”
When Checketts arrives on the yacht he has a warm introduction to the crew. But he insists on hugging Drake even though it was their first time meeting in person.
