Get To Know ‘Below Deck Down Under’ Stews Tumi Mhlongo & Magda Ziomek

Led by Below Deck alum Aesha Scott, the interior crew of Below Deck Down Under has had its ups (beautiful table décor!) and downs (a messy laundry room) this inaugural season. Hailing from South Africa, Second Stew Tumi Mhlongo might have her differences with stubborn bosun Jamie Sayed, but she brings expertise and steadiness to her interior duties. Fresh from a modeling career, Polish Third Stew Magda Ziomek may be more inexperienced than her fellow Stews, but her joyful enthusiasm and willingness to learn are refreshing, even if she doesn’t always see eye to eye with her Chief Stew.

Both women are marking their mark on the franchise. Capable and collaborative, Tumi and Magda support each other, whether it’s trading off on dinner service and cleaning cabins or having each other’s backs on a wild night out. From Magda’s performance as Marilyn Monroe as after-dinner entertainment to Tumi’s delicious mixed drinks, these two are going above and beyond to entertain their guests even with Magda’s rookie mistakes.

We got a chance to speak to the two Stews over Zoom (both looking as gorgeous as ever) about how they got started in yachting, their favorite part about working with Captain Jason Chambers and what their personal preference sheets would look like.

Decider: Tumi, you weren’t always a yachtie. Magda, you used to work as model. Can you talk about making your career transition?

Magda Ziomek: I’ve always been interested in traveling. Since I was in high school, I’ve known that I didn’t want to stay in my country forever. I didn’t want to have the same life routine as my parents and their friends. A career in modeling gave me the opportunity to travel that I had been craving. But at some point, I just lost interest in modeling. My ex-boyfriend was a captain on a small catamaran, and I became really interested in the lifestyle. I was like, “Whoa, you’re traveling, you’re surrounded by so many cool people!” He’s the one who encouraged me to get into the yachting industry. I completed all my certificates, and since then, I feel like I belong here better than in the modeling industry.

Tumi Mhlongo: Before I got into yachting, I was working at a photographic agency and earning peanuts. It might have only been $100 a month. The girl who worked next to me had a cousin in yachting, and I would hear about her incredible lifestyle. She would travel, she would do all these things in Cape Town, and she could afford things. I was like, “I want that in my life.” Money brought me to a career in yachting. I’m not going to lie.

MZ: Yes, the money! Yachting money is way better than modeling money.

Your reactions to meeting Captain Jason (aka Captain Cutie) were priceless. What were your favorite parts about working with him?

TM: That he was our fourth stew. He would always help out. That was my favorite part.

MZ: Yes. He was. I remember being so grateful to him after our first night out. The next morning, the jacuzzi was such a mess. I was doing yoga, and he helped to clean the whole jacuzzi.

Your Chief Stew Aesha Scott is a fan favorite for good reason! How did you like working with her? What’s her management style like?

TM: I really enjoyed working with Aesha. I’ve worked with pretty difficult and hardheaded Chief Stews before. It was really nice to have like a leader like Aesha who was super relaxed. She makes work fun and lighthearted. Sometimes, we take our jobs too seriously and Aesha really just doesn’t. However, she made sure that we always got the job done.

Magda, I know your relationship with Aesha was a bit different…

MZ: Yeah. I agree about the chill vibe that Aesha brought into the crew. Right after our season of Below Deck Down Under, I joined another boat that was bigger size—77 meters. The Chief Stewardess I worked for on the larger yacht was very, very strict. Now I appreciate Aesha more because of that.

When I joined the Thalassa for Below Deck Down Under, I thought I knew what I was doing, but that was not the case. I needed support and instructions. That’s why I’m so grateful to Tumi as my boat sister, as my toilet queen, because she helped me to grow as a Stew. Because of Tumi, I was able to believe in myself.

So Tumi, what did you learn from Magda?

TM: Magda fascinates me with her confidence and her twerking [laughs]. She’s so lighthearted! I come from a country that is super proper, and Magda just doesn’t give a shit. It’s really nice to see people like Magda just step into who they really are. I really appreciate that about her.

Speaking about people who are who they are, let’s talk a little bit about Chef Ryan McKeown. You two seemed to be the only people from the interior crew to get along with him. Tumi, you call yourself a fixer, and you definitely try to understand where he’s coming from. Can you talk about working with him a little bit?

TM: Looking back at the show now, there are certain things that I didn’t see. The way Ryan responded to me was completely different from the way that he was responding to Aesha. I was one of the only crew members that would give Ryan shit and stand up to him. I think he learned to not try stuff with me, and we got along well.

MZ: Tumi, Aesha and I all had different experiences with Ryan in the show. Maybe if we could have more time to work together, we would understand him better. It was just a busy charter boat and everything was on fire all the time. Ryan was just Ryan.

So who do you prefer working with: Culver Bradbury or his alternative persona, Keith Stone?

MZ: As Marilyn Monroe, I would say Keith Stone [laughs]. However, Culver and Keith Stone for me, personally, are just one person. Culver is a wonderful performer. He’s a total legend.

TM: I agree with that. I really enjoyed working with both personalities. He’s just bloody hilarious. I’ve spent time with Culver outside of the show, and I promise you he’s the same person.

Brittini Burton is also a standout for me on the deck team. Tumi, what was it like rooming with her?

TM: Brittini is literally my soul sister. For the past couple of months, every roommate of mine has been seeking different kinds of spiritual inspiration like Brittini. It’s fascinating that I get paid to be with these people who are so vastly different but are all thoughtful and inspiring. I feel like Brittini grounded me, and I got so much out of rooming with her.

Magda, how did you feel about working with Brittini?

MZ: She inspired me. Brittini showed me how to be powerful and strong as a woman working primarily in a man’s world. Because of her, I decided to jump from the interior team to exterior team. I’m actually a Stew Deck on the boat I’m on now. Working with Brittini totally changed how I see the yachting world. I’m so grateful to her.

Lastly, I have to ask: If you were two were charter guests, what would your preference sheets look like?

MZ: I would love to have Benny as a DJ on my charter. I would definitely organize a Tulum vibe of a trip with lots of spicy margaritas. Tumi, you make the best ones [laughs]. Also, I’d love to have Ryan as a chef making some spicy tacos.

TM: I’m really chill. All I want is leche martinis all day. If you can do that, you’ve won. You get my tip.

New episodes of Below Deck Down Under premiere Thursdays on Peacock