Below Deck Down Underseason 3 premiered on February 3, andAesha Scott’s replacement, Lara Rigby, already seems like she could get fired. Luckily, there are plenty ofBelow Deckfranchise alums who would be perfect to replace her. Chief Stew Lara knewChef Tzarina Mace-Ralphfrom a previous charter, and they chose to room together despite not getting along well professionally. They’re already feuding, with Lara undermining Chef Tzarina’s service standards.
In theBelow Deck Down Underseason 3 trailer, Captain Jason Chambers was having a serious conversation with Chef Tzarina, Lara, and Bosun Wihun Du Toit, alluding to one of their firings. Given Lara’s dismal first episode, she could be the one to go later in the charter season. Here are eight possible replacements for Lara onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3.
8Faye Clarke
Below Deck Adventure
Faye Clarke starred as the Chief Stew inBelow Deck Adventureseason 1, and it would be great to see her return to theBelow Deckfranchise in a completely different environment. WhileBelow Deck Adventurehad a different vibe from the main franchise—taking place in the challenging fjords of Norway—Faye proved she could handle the pressure of luxury yachting while navigating some pretty wild conditions.
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Unlike many Chief Stews in theBelow Deckfranchise who ruled with an iron fist (Kate Chastain and Hannah Ferrier come to mind),Faye had a more collaborative approach evocative of Aesha. She always maintained a bubbly and cheerful demeanor, even when faced with stress and difficult guests. Lara seems stereotypically stressed and mean already, and a fresh face like Faye could brighten up the Seychelles.
7Natalya Scudder
Below Deck Mediterranean
Natalya Scudder may not have served as Chief Stew onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 7 or 8, but her skills onboard suggest she could be up for a promotion.Natalya was a perfectionist when it came to her duties, often ensuring that everything, from tables to laundry, was done to the highest standard. She had a go-getter attitude and prioritized professionalism over personal drama, of which there was plenty aboard Captain Sandy Yawn’s luxury yacht.
Natalya clashed with Natasha Webb in season 7 and Tumi Mhlongo in season 8, giving the impression that she was difficult to work with. However, given her skill set and prioritization of guests, she needs to be in charge of the interior. She butted heads with both Chief Stews because she knew she could do a better job as a leader than them. Natalya deserves the chance to showcase her skills onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3.
6Elena Dubaich
Elena “Ellie” Dubaich was a controversial characterinBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9, but she could still make a better Chief Stew than Lara inBelow Deck Down Underseason 3. The power-hungry Second Stew was overly concerned with rank aboard the Mustique and got quite upset when Aesha brought Stew Carrie O’Neill on as a floater. Carrie had more experience than Ellie or Third Stew Bri Muller, threatening Ellie’s place onboard.Underneath Ellie’s villainous demeanor, however, is just an eager Chief Stewin the making who wants to shine.
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Ellie was detail-oriented, perfectionistic, and hard-working onBelow Deck Mediterraneandespite her personality flaws. In fact, most of her irritation stemmed from Bri being an incompetent Third Stew, unable to execute the simplest tasks like laundry and table setting. While she would likely rule more traditionally like Kate, she could get the job done onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3.
5Fraser Olender
Below Deck
Fraser Olender has been a divisive Chief Stew onBelow Deck, but replacing Lara could be enough of an emergency to bring him in. It’s likely that filming forBelow Deckseason 12 andBelow Deck Down Underseason 3 didn’t happen at the same time, given the timing ofCaptain Kerry Titheradge and Fraser being spotted filmingthe upcoming season. Lara probably won’t get fired right away, meaning Fraser would only have to fill in for part of the season.
Fraser isn’t the top choice for Lara’s replacement, but Captain Jason might have a hard time replacing Lara mid-season.
Fraser can sometimes be petty and inconsistent as a Chief Stew, but ultimately, he gets the job done. Additionally, it would’ve been difficult as Chief Stew to manage someone as out of touch as Barbie Pascual, the trust fund baby who starred as Third Stew onBelow Deckseason 11. It was understandable at times that he and Second Stew Xandi Olivier ganged up on Barbie, but he should be held to a higher standard of professionalism as the leader of the interior. Hopefully, he won’t have any problems onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3.
4Aesha Scott
The news that Aesha wouldn’t be returning forBelow Deck Down Underseason 3 hit fans hard. As a fun-loving, skilled, and entertaining Chief Stew, she was the bright, shining face of the franchise. Aesha’s connection with Captain Jason would also be difficult to replicate.
The filming schedules forBelow Deck MediterraneanandBelow Deck Down Underlikely conflicted, and for whatever reason, Aesha chose to go with the former.Below Deck Mediterraneanis a more established franchise, and Aesha might prefer a change of pace after spending the majority of her childhood and some of her adult life in Australia and New Zealand.
Cast members don’t usually appear in two Below Deck franchises at the same time.
Despite the overlap,Aesha would probably be the first call if Lara needed to be replacedin the latest season in the Seychelles. Given her relationship with Captain Jason and dedication to the franchise, she’d try to make it work if she could. Aesha will be the first call, but the chances of her replacing Lara are, unfortunately, slim.
3Daisy Kelliher
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
The argument for Daisy Kelliher’s appearance onBelow Deck Down Underis pretty compelling. Daisy is known as a no-nonsense, highly competent Chief Stew. However, the yachtie needs a change of pace in the franchise. Her on-again-off-again relationship with Gary King is exhausting and unhealthy, which she acknowledged duringBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5. While she got distracted by Deckhand Keith Allen, a much more worthy suitor, she’ll always come back to Gary because of their previous relationship.
Daisy can’t keep letting Gary get in the way of her career and personal life, but he will always bring her down if they work on the same yacht.
Daisy and Gary need to be separated, and a mid-season introduction of Daisy into theBelow Deck Down Undercast would be a perfect way for her to switch things up. She’s a yachtie through and through and belongs on the high seas. However, Gary is holding Daisy back. She needs a new franchise with different crew members.
2Kyle Viljoen
Kyle Viljoen could be a wild choice for Chief Stew, given his pot-stirring behavior onBelow Deck Mediterranean, but in a pinch, he really wouldn’t be the worst replacement for Lara. While his time onBelow Deck Mediterraneanwasn’t without controversy, especially his issues with Tumi and Natalya, and sometimes prioritized drama over professionalism, he also demonstrated qualities that could make him a good Chief Stew. Importantly,Kyle also expressed regret over his behavior, and it seemed genuine.
Kyle had an uncanny ability to connect with guests, and while this almost got him into trouble due to a romantic interest, he kept it mostly professional, and it didn’t lead to his firing. If Kyle can prove he won’t get emotionally entangled with his coworkers and manage them with ease, he could step in for Lara. He’d probably like the chance to redeem himself.
1Tumi Mhlongo
Tumi Mhlongo would be the best choice to replace Lara onBelow Deck Down Underif it doesn’t work out. First, she’s familiar with the franchise; she first appeared onBelow Deck Down Underseason 1 as a Stew before getting the promotion toBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 8, becoming the first Black Chief Stew in the Bravo franchise. Tumi’s tenure as Chief Stew, unfortunately, was marred with drama.
Her issues onboard were primarily due to conflicts with Natalya, who felt undermined by Tumi’s leadership style. Despite the drama, Tumi proved she’s an efficient Chief Stew, balancing high service standards with a strong work ethic. She rose above the issues with Natalya and Kyle, trying to remain professional amid the drama. Tumi hasn’t been in the franchise sinceBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 8 and is due for a return. Lara’s days could be numbered, but at least there are reasonable replacements.
Below Deck Down Underairs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
