Below Deck Down Under’s Lara Rigby Is A Better Chief Stew Than Daisy Kelliher And Hannah Ferrier (Lara Is More Professional)
Below Deck Down Under's new chief stewardess, Lara Rigby, is proving herself to be one of the best we've seen on the adventure reality series. Lara had big shoes to fill as chief stew, considering others like Kate Chastain, Hannah Ferrier, Aesha Scott, and Daisy Kelliher were all beloved crew members throughout the Below Deck franchise. Below Deck Down Under season 3 is Lara's first appearance as a chief stew, and she's held her crew together beautifully amid some of the chaos on board.
Lara, who hails from Cornwall, United Kingdom, has 14 years of yachting experience, six of which were as chief stew. This made her a desirable candidate to join the Katina crew. She has an approachable but stern management style, and she's always looking out for the women on her team, like stewardesses Brianna "Bri" Duffield and Marina Marcondes de Barros. Lara also manages chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and deck stew Adair Werley.
Lara is a perfectionist who likes things, including her appearance, to be "neat and tidy." Her old friend Tzarina described her initially as "the cool girl" that Tzarina wanted to room with.
"I want to room with Lara because Lara's the cool girl. I've never been cool."
Lara then described the dynamic between she and Tzarina as Lara being like "Barbie," while Tzarina was "Weird Barbie." Even though that seems somewhat harsh, Lara knows how to handle Tzarina's personality, so she agreed to room with her. Lara is always on the ball, and while she initially seemed to balk at rooming with Tzarina, she understood that her insight into Tzarina would probably be a benefit to the ship. This is just one way Lara proved her mettle as a chief stew before guests even boarded.
Lara Made Marina’s Birthday Celebration Special
It Made Marina's Day Special
Marina, a stew member, has had a rough season. She hit on Bosun Wihan du Toit, and even though they made out on a date onshore, he broke up with her because he was falling for Adair. Marina has also been feeling unappreciated professionally, since she's been relegated to laundry and cleaning during most dinner services.
Lara tried to make up for it on Marina's birthday. Marina was turning 26, and Lara made sure to stay up late the night prior to decorate the galley for Marina's big day. Marina seemed surprised and touched by Lara's efforts, and it made Marina feel more appreciated as part of the team. Lara and the rest of the crew also went all out for a special birthday dinner on the boat for Marina after the guests had disembarked.
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Lara's thoughtful actions smoothed things over for Marina, and it was a smart move on Lara's part. Lara is trying to keep everyone happy and feeling like they're part of the team, so her quick-thinking before Marina's birthday made Marina's day. Part of being a good leader is celebrating team members, so Lara's efforts for Marina were beneficial for the entire crew.
Lara Stays Up Late To Get The Job Done
Lara Is A True Leader
Lara is a hard worker, and she doesn't get involved in any of the crew shenanigans. She hasn't had any romantic entanglements, which allows her to keep the focus on work. It's hard enough to keep everyone else's focus on the tasks at hand, especially since many of them are preoccupied with their personal lives.
Lara runs a tight ship. She's always the one who will stay up late to ensure that her team gets enough rest. Lara even sometimes has to grab a quick power nap throughout the day, since she isn't getting a full night's sleep. Her team's well-being is her top priority.
On a crew like the one on Below Deck Down Under season 3, someone needs to be in charge. Since Wihan is dropping the ball on his responsibilities, Lara is picking up the slack for him, because his actions on his team impact her team. Everything needs to run like clockwork on a super yacht, so if one department is slacking, they all feel it.
Lara Tried To Warn Wihan
Wihan Got Defensive
A lot of the drama on this season of Below Deck Down Under concerns Wihan and his inappropriate leadership style. Wihan is too busy flirting with all the women, and it seems like his job is taking a backseat to having fun. Because all the teams need to work together, Wihan's slacking is impacting Lara and Tzarina's ability to do their jobs.
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There are so many reasons why Below Deck Down Under's deckhand Harry Van Vliet should be bosun instead of the problematic Wihan du Toit.
Wihan has been messing around with a few of the women on board, and Lara immediately called him out for it. She warned him not to get too close to her female staff members, because internal fighting over Wihan isn't something Lara wants to deal with. She doesn't want Wihan's sloppy actions to impact her interior team. Therefore, she tries to stop it from the jump.
At one point, Lara took Wihan aside and told him he needed to get control of his team.
Lara straight up told Wihan that his crew doesn't respect him.
She tried to offer pointers, like disciplining the team when they screw up, but Wihan said he's not that kind of manager. She tried to tell him that he needs to shape up and add some structure to the deck crew. However, Wihan is too defensive to hear her.
Lara Takes Control Of The Wihan Situation
Lara Saw She Needed To Lead
As Wihan's deck crew began to unravel, Lara decided she was tired of trying to reason with Wihan in order to motivate him to do his job. Instead, she decided to create the structure that the deck crew so desperately needed. She went above Wihan for the greater good.
"Wihan had every opportunity to change, and he didn't take it. If he's going to sit on his a** and not do anything, then I'm taking control and running it like I do my other yachts and everyone can live happily ever after."
It's not an easy position to be in when you're leading a team that's part of a larger crew. All the moving pieces need to work together to give the guests the best experience. Lara isn't going to let Wihan's laziness ruin the charter season. As a real leader, Lara's willingness to step up to the plate shines through.
Lara isn't distracted by the partying and romance like Wihan appears to be. She knows the job at hand, and she's there to work, even if she's on a reality show. Lara probably intends to have a career in yachting long after the cameras stop rolling, so she's not going to let anything derail her ambitions.
Below Deck Down Under airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on Bravo.
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