‘Below Deck Down Under’: João Franco Regrets Return of ‘Jezabob’ – and Kissing Margot Sisson
Below Deck Down Under second officer João Franco hoped Jezabob wouldn’t make an appearance this season, but his alter ego ended up rearing his ugly head.
Franco referred to Jezabob early this season and told the crew that when he got drunk, his alter ego Jezabob took over and he (and other crew members) wasn’t a fan. Jezabob has no filter and makes harsh remarks. Jezabob is also a bit of a womanizer.
Franco may have kept the Genie in the bottle, but unleashed Jezabob during the final crew night on the town – and it wasn’t pretty.
Why did João turn into Jezabob on ‘Below Deck Down Under’?
Franco had quit drinking after watching how his alter ego insulted and hurt crew members when he was bosun on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4. He didn’t like who he was when he drank so he curbed a lot of his partying.
When he returned to Below Deck Down Under, he would have a few drinks with the crew but kept any extreme behavior under wraps. He had started a fun boatmance with chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and seemed to be pretty happy. Unfortunately, during their date, she told him she thought he was fake, which crushed Franco.
He didn’t lash out but instead was distant toward Mace-Ralph during the final charter. However, while in the van headed to dinner, he started drinking and told the crew that Mace-Ralph thinks he’s a “right a**hole.” He then laughed about what he was like “four years ago” when he drank heavily.
“I was really hoping for this charter season to end on a high,” he said in a confessional. “Ending it on a low with Tzarina wasn’t really in the cards.” He added, “I feel disheartened because I felt that we were in a good place and I was wrong.”
Chef Tzarina could tell that Jezabob was making an appearance
Franco’s heartbreak turned into a full-blown Jezabob transformation. He started by making spicy comments at dinner about Culver Bradbury and Jaimee Neale’s relationship. Franco then went after Bradbury’s deckwork.
“João is one of those guys, he loves to stir up trouble here and there,” Bradbury said in a confessional. “Maybe you should stay in your lane.”
Chief stew Aesha Scott knew what was happening and cameras captured her expressions as Franco continued to talk. Later in the van, she told some of the crew, “The João, who I’m used to, I’m like here we go,” she dished.
Meanwhile, in another van, Mace-Ralph asked Franco if his “alter-ego was coming out this evening.” Franco said no, but clearly Jezabob was in the van.
How does João feel about Jezabob appearing on ‘Below Deck Down Under’?
Franco/Jezabob continued to hammer away at Bradbury, giving him unsolicited advice. Finally, Bradbury slammed Franco and Mace-Ralph said to Franco, “You’re not you.”
So Franco said, “If I can’t do anything right I may as well go out with a bang.” And going out with a bang he did. At one point at the club, clearly very drunk, he asked stew Margot Sisson to kiss him. She obliged but immediately regretted it.
Mace-Ralph sat back and watched everything happen, feeling hurt. Franco ended the night, clearly smashed and passed out in his bunk.
How did Mace-Ralph and Franco end the season? Franco woke up feeling regret. “I’ve not been that drunk in years mate,” he said.
Franco met up with Mace-Ralph on the dock and he apologized. “I thought we were friends, friends don’t do that,” she said to Franco.
In a confessional, Mace-Ralph said Franco has a lot of demons he needs to work on, but she would be his friend and help him along the way.
They both walked away in tears. “I haven’t been like that in years and it’s so stupid,” he said in a confessional. “But I just lose my s***. I don’t wanna be that person.”
Ultimately Franco and Mace-Ralph hugged it out.
