Below Deck Med: What Happened To João Franco After Season Four

João Franco has been busy since his days on Below Deck Mediterranean. While he was on the show, João was the lead deckhand during season 3  and was promoted to bosun during season 4. Captain Sandy was more than impressed his first season and saw his potential as a bosun. João was honored by the praise and considered Sandy to be someone he looks up to. They developed a close friendship throughout his two seasons, one that seemed unbreakable.

While he may have excelled in his yachting skills, João did not get along with many of his crewmates. In season 3, he and chief stew Hannah Ferrier often butted heads after he began dating Brooke. Hannah called him on several occasions a “misogynist,” as he would often flirt with third stewardess Kasey right in front of Brooke. However, the two were able to make amends the following season and were in a great place throughout the season. João made a better impression his final season, however, he didn’t return to the Med for season 5.

What has João been up to since he left the French Rivera in season 4? After leaving Sirroco when the last charter of season four came to an end, João was ready to move on from the exterior team to a captain. According to BravoTV, João did an Instagram Live chat with Below Deck Sailing Yacht‘s Captain Glenn Shephard in March, where he spoke about finishing his officer of the watch courses and how he was a captain on a 30-meter yacht for about a year-and-a-half. Now he is looking forward to passing his officer of the watch exam. “I’m gonna do my exam in a month, and then I’m gonna most likely head back to Europe and look for a job on a sailboat,” he said. João went on talk more about his first job as a captain. “I think the hardest part of being a captain is the responsibility of dealing with people’s lives on board,” he said.

“My first job was extremely difficult. I’m not exaggerating. I lost going into port, I lost port side engine, […] and I had to dock this boat with guests on board.” Now that João has finished his course, he doesn’t think he would take the position again. First, he wants to make sure he is ready before he gets to take on any bigger boats. Besides beginning his career as a captain, João also found love. In March 2020, he prosed to his long-time girlfriend Michelle Dicu. The pair recently welcomed an adorable puppy to their family and now live in South Africa together. As for his friendships with his former Below Deck crew, João revealed in an episode of the “Behind The Velvet Rope” podcast, he is no longer close with Captain Sandy.  João said she would often send mixed messages about their friendship and often questioned her motivations when it came to helping him in the industry.

Now that João is a licensed captain, it is less than likely he will be appearing on another season of Below Deck Med. Although, he may return to show in the future as a captain. However, Captain Sandy would not be too pleased if she was replaced by her former bosun.

Sources: BravoTV, Behind The Velvet Rope, João Franco/Instagram

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