"I'm losing my cool" — Below Deck Down Under's Chef Tzarina on the infestation in Katina’s galley

In season 3 episode 1 of Below Deck Down Under, which aired on February 3, 2025, Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph was preparing for the first charter aboard the motor yacht Katina in Seychelles. However, just before guests were set to board, Tzarina encountered an unexpected and unsettling issue in the galley. As she discovered an infestation, she said:

“It’s always f**king something, right?...I’m losing my cool.”

The discovery of weevils and maggots forced Tzarina and her team to act quickly, testing the super yacht’s cleanliness standards and setting the tone for the challenges ahead of the Below Deck Down Under season.

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An unexpected challenge in Katina's galley ahead of the first charter on Below Deck Down Under

The infestation discovery

While preparing for the first charter on Below Deck Down Under, Chef Tzarina and her sous chef, Anthony Bird, began cleaning the galley. As they inspected the dry food storage area, they found a problem. Tzarina was the first to spot the infestation, reacting with disbelief:

“S**t. Oh no. You’ve got to be kidding me. Oh god, that’s horrible!”

She and Anthony discovered weevils crawling among the rice, noodles, and flour. Tzarina emphasized the gravity of the situation, describing it as "gross", highlighting the scale of the problem as it was quickly spreading across the shelves.

The discovery of maggots, which are the second stage in a fly's life cycle, added to the situation’s severity. Anthony pointed out the need for immediate action, stating:

“There’s no excuse for this…oh, there’s f**king loads of them.”

Both chefs understood the potential impact on the quality of the charter and took swift steps to contain the issue.

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Immediate response to the infestation

Once the infestation was confirmed, Tzarina and Anthony took immediate action to clean and sanitize the galley. Tzarina explained her next steps, saying:

“I have to chuck everything away only to make sure there’s no eggs laid everywhere.”

Her focus was to prevent any further contamination and to ensure the galley met the high standards expected on a luxury yacht. She also mentioned the need to bleach everything, stating:

“Super yacht standard means that charter guests won’t get a little bug in their pasta salad.”

As part of their response, the team threw out all affected dry goods. The situation was made even more urgent by the timing, as guests were scheduled to arrive in just hours. Tzarina acknowledged the impact of the issue, saying:

“The guests come in 12 hours. Now we got a whole full clean to do. Not a good start.”

With time running out, the chefs worked tirelessly to resolve the situation and prepare the galley for service.

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Team effort to clean and restore the galley

Chef Tzarina wasn’t alone in tackling the infestation. Deckhand Harry Van Vliet joined the effort, helping to clear out the infested food and containers from the galley. As he worked, Harry lightened the mood with a joke:

“Join yachting, they say! Pick up boxes full of maggots, eh?”

Despite the challenging task on Below Deck Down Under, he remained focused on helping the team get the galley back in shape. Although Anthony was disappointed by the condition of the galley, he worked hard to ensure it was cleaned thoroughly. He stayed up late into the night, commenting:

“In the environment’s I’ve worked on in yachting, the galley’s absolutely spotless. So yeah, I’m a little bit like, ‘What have I got myself in for?’”

His dedication to the task did not go unnoticed. Tzarina expressed her appreciation, stating:

“So much better in here, mate! You are a legend with a capital L.”

Their teamwork paid off as the galley was restored to a clean, functional state just in time for the guests’ arrival.

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New episodes of Below Deck Down Under will air weekly on Mondays at 8 pm ET on Bravo. Don’t miss a moment—stream episodes of Below Deck Down Under the next day on Peacock!