You remember the first time we saw him. It was Season 3 of Below Deck Mediterranean. João Franco stepped onto the Sirocco, and honestly, the collective groan from the audience was almost audible. He was the guy everyone loved to hate. A Zimbabwean deckhand with a chip on his shoulder the size of a superyacht and an alter ego—Jezabob—that made even the most seasoned yachties cringe.
People still talk about those early days like they happened yesterday.
But if you haven't kept up with him since his time under Captain Sandy’s wing, you’re missing the actual story. It isn't just about a reality star who behaved badly and then apologized. It's about a guy who used the "villain" edit as a mirror and decided he didn't like the reflection. Now, in 2026, he’s back in the spotlight in a way most fans didn't see coming: as a seasoned captain and a returning force on Below Deck Down Under.
Why Joao Below Deck Mediterranean Still Matters in 2026
Reality TV is full of people who come on for fifteen minutes of fame and then fade into a sea of Instagram sponsorships for hair vitamins. João didn't do that. He stuck to the industry. He actually did the work.
He went from being a deckhand to a bosun, and then he went out and got his Master’s license. We’re talking about a ticket that lets him captain vessels over 43 meters. That’s not just a "TV captain" title. That’s the real deal. In 2023, he was even helping build a 140-foot superyacht he was set to command.
The fascinating part about Joao Below Deck Mediterranean isn't just the career ladder, though. It’s the messy, human stuff.
Remember the love triangles? Brooke Laughton? Kasey Cohen? He was a disaster. He admits it. Looking back at Season 3, his behavior was, in his own words, "primitive." He was caught between two women, lying to both, and fighting with Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier in a way that felt deeply personal. Hannah famously called him out for his misogyny, and at the time, she wasn't wrong.
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But then Season 4 happened.
Captain Sandy saw something in him. She saw a worker. Someone who understood the mechanics of a boat better than almost anyone else on the deck. She promoted him to bosun, and we started to see a shift. He was still intense. He was still "Joao." But the "Jezabob" outbursts started to fade. He became a mentor to Colin Macy-O’Toole—a friendship that, surprisingly, has lasted long after the cameras stopped rolling.
The Redemption Arc and the Down Under Comeback
Fast forward to the present day. If you’ve seen the trailer for Below Deck Down Under Season 4, you know João is back. And because it's Below Deck, there’s drama.
The teaser shows him getting very, very close with Daisy Kelliher. Yes, that Daisy. Fans are already losing their minds over the "many, many makeouts" teased in the footage. It's vintage João in some ways, but with a massive twist.
He recently opened up about how "tough" this upcoming season will be to watch. Why? Because while he was filming, he and his current girlfriend had briefly broken up. They’ve since reconciled, but now he has to watch his "boatmance" with Daisy play out on international television. He’s been surprisingly candid, saying it's "not fair" for the people he’s close to to have to endure it.
That’s a level of self-awareness we didn't see from the guy who was smashing wine glasses on the Sirocco.
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What Most People Miss About His Background
To understand João, you kind of have to understand where he came from. He grew up in Zimbabwe during a period of intense political and economic strife. He’s talked about being held at gunpoint. He’s talked about leaving home with nothing but a backpack and some spare change.
When you grow up in survival mode, you develop a hard shell.
That doesn't excuse the way he treated Aesha Scott or his early-season toxicity, but it provides context. For him, yachting wasn't a way to travel the world and party; it was a literal lifeline. It was the only way to build a life from scratch.
The Career Leap: From Deckie to Captain
A lot of people think the Below Deck stars go back to being bartenders after their seasons air. Not João. He leaned into the professional side of the maritime world.
- 2019: Promoted to Bosun and began captaining smaller 30-meter vessels.
- 2021-2022: Focused on rigorous "Officer of the Watch" courses.
- 2023: Earned his Master’s license, allowing him to command major superyachts.
- 2025-2026: Returning to the franchise not just as a face, but as a legitimate industry expert.
He even started "Superyacht Sunday School," a platform where he helps "green" deckhands get into the industry. He’s teaching them how to avoid the mistakes he made. It’s a bit full circle, isn't it? The guy who was the "villain" is now the one writing the manual on how to be a professional.
Is He Still the Same Guy?
The internet is divided. On Reddit, you'll still find threads calling him a "misogynist" and an "asshat." Some people will never forgive him for how he spoke to Aesha or Hannah. And that’s fair. Reputation is hard to rebuild once it's been scorched on national TV.
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But then there’s the other side. The side that sees a man who stopped drinking, finished his education, and stayed loyal to his friends.
His relationship history is still a bit of a rollercoaster. There was the engagement to Michelle Dicu that ended in 2021. Then there was the brief, messy fling with Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph on Below Deck Down Under Season 2, which ended with Tzarina calling him "manipulative" and "narcissistic."
It seems João is always going to be a lightning rod for controversy. He’s a "strong" personality, which is code for "he takes up a lot of space in a room." Whether he’s actually changed or just gotten better at managing his image is the question fans are still debating.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Yachties
If you’re following João’s journey or thinking about a career in yachting yourself, there are a few real-world takeaways here.
First, the industry is small. João’s ability to stay employed and move up to Captain despite his "villain" status on TV is a testament to his actual skill on deck. In yachting, if you can’t dock a boat or manage a crew, no amount of charisma will save you.
Second, the "Jezabob" era is a cautionary tale about alcohol in a high-pressure environment. Most of the Below Deck stars who have successfully transitioned into long-term careers—like João and Malia White—eventually had to cool it with the partying to be taken seriously by owners.
If you want to keep up with what's happening now:
- Watch the new season of Below Deck Down Under to see how he handles the Daisy situation.
- Check out his yachting courses if you're actually looking to get a job on a boat; his technical knowledge is legitimately high-tier.
- Follow his social media for the "real-life" updates on his captaincy, which usually offer a more grounded look than the edited episodes.
João Franco is proof that in the world of Joao Below Deck Mediterranean, you’re never truly stuck in one role. You can be the deckhand, the villain, the bosun, and eventually, the captain of your own ship—even if you have to weather a few storms of your own making to get there.