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When Below Deck Down Under season 3 premiered, fans were eager to catch up with returning crew members like Tzarina Mace-Ralph, the fiery British chef who cemented her place on the show with her humor and vulnerability, but this season, Tzarina’s become more of a villain. Last season, Tzarina was slowly becoming a fan-favorite crew member, even though she was a bit of an underdog. Her chaotic charm, moments of self-doubt, and genuine friendships with cast members like stew Margot Sisson gave her depth and relatability. She struggled but always seemed to bounce back, but this season, things have changed.
Throughout Below Deck Down Under season 3, viewers are witnessing a very different version of Tzarina, as she seems to be stepping into villain territory, and not subtly. While she’s still dishing out impressive meals, the chef has become a major source of tension on board Katina. The lighthearted, emotionally open Tzarina appears to be gone, and in her place stands someone who’s more rigid, more isolated, and significantly more combative. The chef isn’t just butting heads with her newly minted kitchen team, she’s rubbing almost the entire crew the wrong way, and has been consistently difficult throughout the season.
One of the biggest shifts in momentum for Tzarina seems to be from the strained relationships she has with chief stew Lara Rigby and her second sous chef of the season, Alesia Harris. The interpersonal dynamics between Tzarina and the other women aboard have turned the galley into a tense space rather than a hub of flavor and creativity. With Tzarina often accused of poor communication and micromanagement, things have been tough on board for the once-loved chef. Despite still having Captain Jason Chambers’ support, Tzarina has struggled in her professional life aboard Katina as well as her personal one.
Her concerning romantic entanglement with former bosun Wihan Du Toit, who wasn’t exactly interested in her romantically, has only added to the tension of her time aboard Katina. As Tzarina struggles to remain professional and appears to be unraveling emotionally, her reactions to situations have become more hostile. As she continues to refuse to accept criticism or constructive feedback, Tzarina is also laying into the production’s portrayal of her behavior, suggesting she’s not the villain but rather a victim of the edit. With cast members refuting that idea, it’s clear that while chef Tzarina has skills, she’s become a problem.
Despite knowing that her actions aboard Katina may have been difficult, the Below Deck Down Under chef still doesn’t want to take responsibility.
6
Tzarina’s Not Getting Along With The Crew
She Says She Feels Isolated
Although Tzarina tends to be more of a loner than some of the other crew members on Below Deck in general, she was fairly social with the crew during her first season of Below Deck Down Under. Throughout Below Deck Down Under season 2, Tzarina appeared to get along with the rest of the crew, especially stew Margot, and made it clear that she was excited to be with a team she enjoyed working with and socializing with. Things have changed considerably within the show’s current season, as Tzarina now has issues getting along with the majority of Katina’s crew.
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In recent episodes, Tzarina has shared that though she has been doing her best to keep up with the rest of the crew, she’s felt isolated by the other women aboard Katina. Specifically citing Lara and Alesia as issues, Tzarina made it clear that she doesn’t agree with or align with the other women on the crew, and while she’s not really trying to get along with them, she’s not happy they won’t make an effort. Tzarina’s loneliness appears to be an issue she’s having isolated from the rest of the crew, but it’s a mess of her own making.
5
Tzarina’s Become Hyper-Specific About Her Service
She’s Not Making Room For The Uncontrollable Elements
As Tzarina has moved through her time on Below Deck Down Under, she’s learned more about what kind of service is expected by the charter guests aboard any given superyacht. After the last season of the series, where Tzarina was praised for her ability to move through the season with ease and found that her hard work paid off for even the most difficult of guests, it’s been clear that she’s felt the need to stay atop her game. Tzarina’s service, however, has changed with the addition of having a sous chef in the galley to help her with meal service.
While Tzarina’s first sous chef, Anthony Bird, was difficult to deal with as he was consistently subordinate and didn’t follow her simple directions, the work Tzarina was doling out to her second-in-command wasn’t exactly the most riveting. After Anthony was fired for defying orders too many times, Tzarina’s second sous chef came in to help ease her burdens. Although Alesia is facing the same sort of work that Anthony was dealing with, it’s clear that Tzarina is the issue regarding trust in her crew. Being hyperspecific with her meal service, Tzarina feels the need to be in control, too.
4
Tzarina Fell Into A One-Sided Boatmance
Her Romance With Wihan Was Strange
Chefs on Below Deck charters rarely have boatmances anymore, though this was something that happened frequently in the early days of the franchise. Female chefs are far less likely to find themselves in a boatmance, as well, but Tzarina has shown that while she’s one of the most skilled chefs to ever appear in the franchise, she’s also one who’s willing to break the stereotypes. Throughout Below Deck Down Under season 3, however, Tzarina’s attachment to former bosun Wihan has been odd to watch. Sometimes bordering on concerning, it’s been clear Tzarina and Wihan weren’t remotely on the same page.
While Wihan did appear to like Tzarina early on in the season, it quickly became clear that his romantic interests were elsewhere on the crew. After he got to know Adair Werley, Wihan seemed focused on her rather than any of the other women he’d flirted with earlier in the season. Knowing that Tzarina was available and interested didn’t seem to work for Wihan, but it was clear that she wasn’t taking the hints as the charter season moved along. Even revealing information that could’ve threatened Wihan’s chances with Adair, Tzarina’s one-sided boatmance was a tough piece of the season.
3
Tzarina Is A Micromanager With Alesia Harris
She’s Not Giving Alesia Space To Work
Tzarina’s dynamic with sous chef Alesia was strange from the beginning, and has become one of the biggest issues the chef has faced throughout Below Deck Down Under season 3. While Tzarina was happy to see Alesia join the crew after Anthony was fired, she’s been struggling to give Alesia enough to do on her own without having to come in to micromanage her sous chef. Tzarina has had a problem letting go of control of her meal services throughout the season, but delegating her workload hasn’t been helping the chef because she won’t delegate to Alesia clearly or concisely.
Throughout her time aboard Katina this the charter season, Alesia has expressed frustration with the way Tzarina manages her, as well as the fact that the chef won’t allow her to collaborate or contribute in the kitchen. Tzarina has hovered, second-guessed, and nitpicked Alesia’s work consistently, which has created a sense of tension between the duo. While there have been moments where Alesia and Tzarina can work together, Alesia has confided in her fellow crew members that Tzarina’s leadership has been alienating, which hasn’t made her feel like a valued member of the Katina crew at all.
2
Tzarina Is Resistant To Feedback From Others
She’s Not Accepting Criticism
One of Tzarina’s biggest red flags this season has been her inability to accept feedback in any form, even if it’s coming from a place of wanting to improve rather than simply shutting down. Tzarina has been having a tough time making it through each charter unscathed, but the majority of the issues she’s been facing have come from the way she perceives getting feedback from the interior team, especially Lara. While Lara has had her own issues on Below Deck Down Under season 3, she’s been one of the more dedicated yachties this season and clearly wants to improve.
Lara has gone to Tzarina with feedback on more than one occasion, which is common for a chief stew who’s working with a chef throughout a charter season. While Lara’s delivery may not have always been the smoothest, she’s been upfront that Tzarina’s service is good and that her suggestions aren’t meant to come off as criticisms. While Lara has tried to be upfront about communication between departments and suggested change, Tzarina has also struggled with suggestions and input from Alesia, dismissing it all as she’s moved through the charter season. Tzarina’s resistance to criticism or change is a problem.
1
Tzarina Is Criticizing Production For Villainizing Her
The Crew Says It’s All Real
Although Tzarina has been aware of the way that Below Deck operates in the past, the fact that she seems genuinely surprised to find her storylines being edited on the show is strange. Tzarina has shared that she’s not enjoying the way she’s being edited on the show, explaining that she feels she may have been given a villain edit that isn’t totally showing the truth about what happened on Katina. The other crew members that were aboard, however, have been vocal that Tzarina’s behavior is actually not being shown in full, and things were even worse during the season.
While Below Deck Down Under season 3 may not have been entirely fair to either Alesia, Lara, or Tzarina in terms of editing, the fact that Tzarina is the only one calling out production about the way they’re coming across is telling. Tzarina’s inability to deal with the way she’s being edited may be a personal issue, but the fact that her behavior has appeared villainous to both the crew and the viewers is likely quite telling. Despite knowing that her actions aboard Katina may have been difficult, the Below Deck Down Under chef still doesn’t want to take responsibility.
Below Deck Down Under airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on Bravo.
Sources: Below Deck/Instagram, Below Deck/Instagram
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