Below Deck Down Under Season 3: 6 Signs Lara Rigby's Leadership Is Slipping (Will She Get Fired Soon?)

Chief Stew Lara Rigby has been running a tight ship on Below Deck Down Under, but there are signs that her leadership is slipping, and she could get the boot. It was tough to replace former Chief Stew Aesha Scott after she took over the position in Below Deck Mediterranean, but Lara seemed like she might be the appropriate woman for the job. While she isn't as fun as Aesha, she has ample experience and a distinct leadership style that would allow her to shine.

Unfortunately, drama throughout the season has brought Lara's leadership into question. She's clashing with Bosun Wihan Du Toit, whose relaxed style and focus on romance grinds her gears. Captain Jason Chambers and Lara also don't have as close of a relationship as he and Aesha once did. Here are some signs that she could be slipping on Below Deck Down Under season 3.

6 Marina Is Unhappy With Her Position

She Lashed Out At Lara And Captain Jason

Stew Marina Marcondes de Barros didn't hold back when it came to her issues with Lara. From the moment Lara laid out the plan for the interior team, she claimed that stews would rotate between service and housekeeping. However, as the charter season progressed, Marina noticed a concerning trend. She was stuck on housekeeping duty, while Brianna was able to stay on service. Essentially, Marina was being punished for doing a good job.

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Marina eventually confronted Lara, making it clear she felt overlooked and underutilized. Lara, for her part, tried to justify the imbalance, explaining that Brianna’s experience with cocktails made her the natural pick for service. While Lara insisted her decisions were rooted in logic and guest satisfaction, Marina wasn’t buying it. She and Brianna had plenty of respect for Lara at first, but it could be crumbling.

5 Captain Jason Is Annoyed With Lara And Wihan's Feud

He Wants Them To Work It Out

Captain Jason has gotten annoyed with Lara and Wihan's feud, leading to Lara's potentially precarious position on the boat. What started as a routine miscommunication spiraled into a major feud, threatening both Lara and Wihan's positions onboard. The drama reached a fever pitch after a foam party left the deck in a chaotic state.

Captain Jason's patience with Lara and Wihan is wearing thin.

While guests slept peacefully, deckhand Johnny Arvanitis was left to deal with the aftermath solo, scrubbing up foam until 3 a.m. Meanwhile, Wihan decided to raid the fridge and call it a night, leaving the mess untouched. By breakfast time, the deck was still a disaster, and Lara was quick to call Wihan out. In his typical fashion, Wihan deflected responsibility and blamed Johnny and Harry Van Vilet for the botched cleanup. Lara didn’t hold back, calling his attitude unprofessional and frustrating. However, her reaction could come back to bite her.

4 Captain Jason Seems Poised To Side With Wihan

Wihan Was Quick To Approach The Captain

While Captain Jason has tried to stay neutral, Lara's luck aboard the Katina could run out if he chooses to side with Wihan, which seems increasingly possible. While both crew members have been butting heads since day one, or close to it, it seems like Captain Jason is purposefully holding Wihan to a lower standard.

Captain Jason probably wants to avoid another firing after the situation with Anthony Bird.

Captain Jason did warn Wihan that he was unimpressed with his inability to take accountability, warning that passing the buck wasn’t going to cut it in this situation. Despite his clear disappointment in both Wihan’s leadership and Lara’s ongoing clashes with him, Captain Jason is trying to steer the ship forward without losing control. He's treating Wihan with tough love rather than immediate consequences. That could spell bad news for Lara, who doesn't have a close relationship yet with Captain Jason.

3 Lara And Chef Tzarina's Relationship Will Boil Over

They Could Be Feuding Soon

Lara and Chef Tzarina's fragile relationship teeters on the edge of a full-blown feud, and that would threaten Lara's standing on the Katina if she had two feuds going. What started as a seemingly friendly alliance could quickly unravel due to differences in leadership styles. Making the situation even more precarious is the fact that Chef Tzarina and Lara bunk together.

Chef Tzarina and Lara had met on a previous charter before working together on Below Deck Down Under.

While Lara and Chef Tzarina seemed poised to work together, the Chef didn't seem to like it when Lara called her "Weird Barbie." Though Chef Tzarina took it in stride and laughed it off, the comment set the tone for a series of subtle jabs. As the demands of the charter season mount, the pressure in the galley has only intensified, and Chef Tzarina seems ready to blow her top. She thinks Lara is a control freak, and Lara doesn't appreciate that Chef Tzarina just gets to hide in the galley when she's the one dealing with guests.

2 Adair Is Undermining Lara

She Doesn't Respect Her Leadership

Lara clearly can't stand Deckhand/Stew Adair Werley on Below Deck Down Under season 3, and the yachtie has been consistently undermining her boss, only making their relationship worse. Adair’s blurred responsibilities have been creating more chaos than cohesion. Her undefined role leaves both departments scrambling, and Lara is clearly fed up with the lack of structure that’s hampering her ability to lead effectively. Unfortunately, it's sowing discord in her crew.

Below Deck Down Under	Lara Rigby
Age	36
Job	Chief Stew
Hometown	Cornwall, UK

Making matters worse, Wihan has a crush on Adair. His infatuation with Adair appears to be affecting his judgment, especially when it comes to assigning her duties. The favoritism is palpable, and Lara is caught in the crosshairs, struggling to assert her authority while watching a crew member skirt responsibilities with little consequence. She shows resistance when asked to assist the interior, occasionally disappearing without notice and pushing back when held accountable. Her passive-aggressive attitude and refusal to take direction aren’t helping Adair's case, but it could backfire on Lara.

1 Lara Is Immovable In Her Style

She's Not Flexible Enough For This Crew

Lara's strict leadership style is admirable, but her lack of flexibility could be her comeuppance as the season continues. From the jump, Lara made it clear that she expected nothing short of perfection, especially from her fellow department heads. However, her rigid approach to managing both the interior crew and her tenuous relationships with both Chef Tzarina and Wihan spell trouble.

Marina vocalized her frustration with being stuck in housekeeping instead of rotating into service, and when Lara dismissed her, she unintentionally started breaking down her interior crew. Adair saw the opening and ran with it. Lara always prioritizes guests over her crew, but she needs to take their perspective into account before she loses control over the group. Lara is a capable and strong leader, and hopefully, she can balance her onboard relationships with guest enjoyment on Below Deck Down Under.

Below Deck Down Under airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.