Joe Bradley knows his history on Below Deck Mediterranean is tumultuous — to say the least — but that didn’t stop him from trying to redeem himself this season despite personal struggles and a falling out with friend Nathan Gallagher.
“I’m in this industry to win. I know what I’m capable of in terms of professional capabilities. At this point, I’m absolutely thriving,” Joe exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of Below Deck Med‘s return on Monday, June 8. “Captain Sandy gave me the call — and regardless of who the bosun was going to be — I didn’t mind.”
Joe’s main focus was making Captain Sandy proud. “I can take it on the chin,” he added. “I need to do a job at the end of the day — and I know I do it well. So I wasn’t scared. I was ready with everything. Every inch of effort and motivation, I was ready to join that boat.”
In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Joe’s once close friend Nathan was once again his bosun. But while their first season together in 2024 sparked a friendship, they ultimately were at odds by the time they reunited one year later.
“I’m a very passive person. So if you put me in any situation, at the end of the day, I’m here to do a job — regardless of any relationship on board,” he explained. “I’m going to make sure Captain Sandy is happy with me and happy with my capabilities.”
Joe revealed to Us that he was navigating personal issues before joining Akira One, saying, “My mom got diagnosed [with a health issue] and I went to look after [her], so I didn’t go back into work after season 10. She’s OK now. She had four tumors and it has been a battle. … But the beauty of this life is that this is my only financial income. The yachting industry has not only saved my life, but it’s quite literally [saved] my mom’s life financially. It’s a blessing.”
The deckhand used that positive perspective when choosing to return to Below Deck Med — despite the possible backlash from viewers.
“You will see a level of growth [this season] because I felt it. You will see that I’m comfortable in my own skin on board. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a bit boisterous at times,” he continued. “That’s where Nathan [and I differ]. I can actually be social, but I have a good time as well and do my job well. You will see growth and you will see a level of change because I’m fed up with all these [love] triangles now.”
As Below Deck Med viewers know quite well, Joe was entangled in a love triangle in season 9 with Elena Dubaich and Bri Muller. He later found himself in trouble during season 10 due to his connections with both Kizzi Kitchener and Victoria SanJuan, with the latter leading to Nathan cutting ties with Joe because of how he handled the situation.
“I’ve learned my lesson and I really do hope that you see it on this season. My job is my main priority,” he told Us before addressing the strong offscreen reaction to his presence in the franchise. “I’m going to say my [biggest] regret right now was the situation with Victoria, I could have handled that very differently. I could have handled that in a mature manner.”
He continued: “I was just boisterous. Obviously, we haven’t had any contact yet. But if I could sit down with her today, I would apologize. If she allows me one day to actually get all around and say I’m sorry for what I’ve done, I will do that.”
Joe wasn’t as surprised by the strong reaction from viewers.
“I understand it’s not a comfortable position — even just being a viewer. Watching myself back, I have learned from the situation. I’m really focused [on] my job right now,” he shared. “I am taming it down [in my romantic life on board] to just being one person. I don’t need to be greedy anymore. I’ve had my and I’m just ready to get the job done.”
In addition to his romantic life, Joe had to face Nathan after they fell out of touch. Joe clarified that he tried to get in contact with Nathan beforehand when seeing that he was about to welcome a baby with their former coworker Gael Cameron. Joe didn’t hear back from Nathan before they reunited in season 11.
“It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. At the end of the day, I can’t say too much, but I know who Nathan is. He’s a horrible little man, so his words don’t affect me,” Joe said. “So going into the season, what I am going to say is I went in with chest high — regardless [of] who was there. … I work my absolute [hardest]. I work my hardest every single day.”
Looking ahead, Joe is hopeful that the work he put into season 11 could lead to another return — maybe this time as a bosun. “I have never been so ready in my life,” he told Us.
Below Deck Med airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
