João Franco Biography
João Franco is a Zimbabwean yacht captain, deckhand, bosun, second officer, and TV personality who gained fame for starring in several series in the Below Deck franchise, including Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Down Under. He returns to Below Deck Down Under Season 4 in the position of a second officer. Below Deck Down Under Season 4 premiered on February 2, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
João Franco Age
Franco was born on April 30, 1990, in Harare, Zimbabwe, and is a Taurus. He is 35 years old as of 2025. Franco celebrates his birthday on April 30th.
João Franco Height
Franco stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 7 inches.
João Franco Family
Franco was born to Cheryl Franco and João Franco Sr. He grew up with his brother, Karlos, and sister, Shae Talbert. Karlos works in yachting in Dubai while his father lives in Mozambique. His mother and sister live in South Africa.
João Franco Wife
Franco is in a relationship with Domi Tiesi, who now works on yachts with him. He met Tiesi on Tinder in Mallorca. So far, they have traveled to 33 countries. He went out with Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph after his engagement was called off in 2023. However, they decided to go their separate ways to focus on their respective careers rather than their relationship with one another.
Franco was previously engaged to Michelle Dicu, a dental hygienist. They got engaged at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe in March 2020. He shared news of their separation on June 10, 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, career paths, and distance.
Before being engaged to Michelle, Franco was in a relationship with Brooke Laughton and flirted with Kasey Cohen during Below Deck Mediterranean Season 3. He and Brooke split after dating for 6 months.
João Franco Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph
Franco went out with Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph after his engagement was called off in 2023. However, they decided to go their separate ways to focus on their respective careers rather than their relationship with one another.
João Franco Net Worth
Franco has an estimated net worth of between $100K-$3 million, which he has earned through his successful career as a yacht captain, deckhand, bosun, second officer, and TV personality.
João Franco Career
Franco has been active in the yachting industry for more than 5 years. He gained fame for starring in several series in the Below Deck franchise, including Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Down Under. He started his journey on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 3 in 2018 as a lead deckhand. Captain Sandy Yawn then promoted him to bosun during the fourth season.
Franco joined Below Deck Down Under Season 2 as a bosun, replacing Luke Jones after he was dismissed. He now returns to Below Deck Down Under Season 4 in the position of a second officer. Below Deck Down Under Season 4 premiered on February 2, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
Franco initially worked as a captain on a 30-meter (100-foot) vessel after filming Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4. He passed his Officer of the Watch (OOW) exam, permitting him to be a deck officer on much larger commercial vessels, in 2021. He obtained his Master’s license (Yachtmaster) in 2023 and worked as a captain of a 43-meter superyacht, which he helped make.
João Franco Below Deck Down Under
Franco joined the show in 2023 during its second season as a replacement for Luke Jones after he was dismissed for sexual misconduct. He now returns to Below Deck Down Under Season 4 in the position of a second officer. Below Deck Down Under Season 4 premiered on February 2, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
Below Deck Down Under centers on the professional and personal lives of the crew members who work and live aboard a superyacht for 6 weeks. They filmed Season 1 aboard “Thalassa” in the Whitsunday Islands, Australia, Season 2 on Northern Sun in Cairns, Australia, and Season 3 on Katina in the Seychelles, Africa.
Season 4 is filmed aboard Katina in Canouan, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, in the Caribbean. It also features the full cast from “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” including Heather Gay, Whitney Rose, Lisa Barlow, and Angie Katsanevas. Franco stars opposite
- Daisy Kelliher
- Betul Yazici
- Mike Durrant
- Joe Caron
- Alesia Harris
- Eddy Hounsell
- Jenna Woudberg
João Franco Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and often posts on his Instagram, Facebook, and X(formerly known as Twitter). He has over 295K followers on Instagram, over 60K on Facebook, and over 35K on X.