"We do have bumps and hiccups" - Below Deck Down Under chef Tzarina opens up on her working relationship with stew Lara

Below Deck Down Under season 3 premiered on February 3, 2025, bringing back fan favorites and introducing fresh faces. The core cast returned, including Captain Jason Chambers, Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph, and deckhand Harry Van Vliet. This season also saw Lara Rigby step into the Chief Stew role, replacing Aesha Scott from the previous season.

In an interview with Collider, published on March 20, Tzarina reflected on working with Lara and shared that she was excited to share the yacht with the new Chief Stew.

They had worked together before outside the show, and Tzarina revealed that she was the one who convinced Lara to be part of the show.

The Below Deck Down Under head chef further admitted that she and Lara did have "bumps and hiccups" while working together on the show.

However, she noted that such rough incidents are bound to happen between the crew members when they are placed in a big boat surrounded by immense heat.

"I was so excited. I very much convinced her that she absolutely has to do it. Unfortunately, we do have bumps and hiccups, but I think it's bound to happen when you're working on a boat that size and that many stairs, and in that heat," she said.

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Below Deck Down Under head chef Tzarina draws a comparison between Lara Rigby and Aesha Scott

Below Deck Down Under head chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph made her debut in season 2. At the time, Aesha Scott was handling the Chief Stew duties before it was taken over by Lara Rigby in season 3.

In her interview with Collider, Below Deck Down Under season 3 star Tzarina shared that she was the one who convinced Lara to join the show in season 3.

She further commented on working with her and admitted that the two had several rough clashing moments, which she explained was bound to happen on such a big boat.

"That heat's going to come out in the crew. It's just very normal that it's going to happen. So it begins to get a little bit heated at times. But I'm just so glad that she actually went ahead and did it, and I just really hope that she doesn't regret her experience," she added.

During the interview, the interviewer pointed out that fans had come to know Aesha, the previous Chief Stew on Below Deck Down Under, for her sweet, kind, and loving attitude.

In contrast, Lara's persona had a bit more of a tougher exterior. Based on this observation, the interviewer asked Tzarina which working style she preferred between the two Chief Stews.

Tzarina responded by expressing that she felt "honored" to have worked with Aesha. She praised Aesha’s professionalism and her ability to get the job done, adding that Aesha's approach made her life on the yacht much easier.

"I don't understand how, with the amount of stress that she has on these boats, she's always smiling. And she never shouts, and she never loses her cool. And I actually really admire that woman," she added.

After listing the qualities she admired about the previous Chief Stew, the Below Deck Down Under star noted that Aesha had done the show before and had the experience for the role.

That's why she believes that Aesha excels every time she is hired for the Chief Stew role.

In comparison, Tzarina pointed out that when Lara was hired for the role in season 3, she was stepping into something alien to her, and with the amount of pressure that she had with that boat, she was faced with a lot of challenges.

Given that comparison, Tzarina shared that she preferred the positive attitude board and also "someone to be weird with", because she felt like she couldn't be weird this season.

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Below Deck Down Under season 3 episodes air every Monday on Bravo and are available to stream the next day on Peacock.