Deckhand Lara Du Preez was one of the breakout stars of Below Deck Mediterranean season 8, and the Bravolebrity has a serious girlfriend that may hold her back from future seasons. She joined the boat under figurehead Captain Sandy Yawn, and stood out as a productive and capable deck team member. The 26-year-old Hermanus, South Africa, native was a Deckhand on the largest vessel in the Below Deck fleet, as the superyacht had to have four exterior crew to man the yacht.
Below Deck Mediterranean season 8 was largely praised as a success, although it showcased a ton of drama among the interior crew. It was Tumi Mhlongo’s first time as Chief Stew, and she and returning Stewardess Natalya Scudder butted heads throughout the season in a power struggle. The exterior team was much more cohesive, and they shared a tight bond despite some setbacks and tense situations. Lara contributed greatly to the positive perception of the season, but will she return to the franchise now that she has a significant other?
Lara Was A Huge Hit On Below Deck Med Season 8
She Delivered Comedic Relief
Bravo‘s Lara was unafraid to showcase her vibrant, jovial, and comical personality. She wanted to stand out as a capable female deck team member, and Captain Sandy took her under her wing a little bit to boost her morale to continue in the industry. With English as Lara’s second language, there were funny moments about her vocabulary and delivery that made her all that more lovable.
Moreover, she didn’t stand for mistakes or lackluster work ethic from Deckhand Max Salvador, highlighting her drive for the job.
Lara & Her Girlfriend Have History
They Met In High School
Lara hard-launched her girlfriend while Below Deck Med season 8 was in the middle of airing, in November 2023. In a later post, Lara spoke more about how her and her girlfriend, Arusha Marlene (@arushamarlene) met.
“We started off as high school friends not knowing what life had in store for us. And then after one kiss it was like “love at first kiss” there was no turning back. Being by your side as your partner for over 4 years now has been the biggest blessing anyone can ask for. We had our ups and downs for sure, and a short period of separation but made us stronger than ever before.”
It seems Lara and her Yacht Stew/Beauty Therapist girlfriend were together for a long time before taking a break. Lara did not speak about Arusha during her time on Below Deck Med, so their split could have coincided with her filming of the show. Despite that, Lara and her girlfriend are all over each other’s Instagram accounts, and seem to be happy in love and traveling a lot.
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Will Lara Return To The Below Deck Franchise?
It’s Possible
Since Lara was a huge hit with Below Deck Med fans, Bravo network would be smart to bring her back on any of the shows under the Below Deck umbrella. However, Lara is likely the dictator of her future in her franchise. She seems to be content with her relationship and time spent with her girlfriend, and that might hinder her return. Since Lara and her girlfriend are both in the yachting industry, it’s possible they could join a season together. In any case, Lara’s Below Deck future is unclear, but her feelings about her relationship are not.
Below Deck Mediterranean seasons 1-9 are available to stream on Peacock.
Source: Bravo/YouTube, Lara Du Preez/Instagram, @arushamarlene/Instagram
Below Deck Mediterranean is a Bravo reality television series that follows a crew that works aboard a gigantic superyacht during the busy season. The show highlights the challenges of the crew as they serve their high-end clientele. Each season tackles new locations, such as Greece, Croatia, Italy, and France, with some repeating.
- Cast
- Sandy Yawn , Hannah Ferrier , Malia White , Mzi Dempers , João Franco , Colin Macy-O’Toole , Kyle Viljoen , Christine Drake
- Release Date
- May 3, 2016
- Seasons
- 7
- Network
- Bravo
- Showrunner
- Mark Cronin , Courtland Cox , Nadine Rajabi
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Creator(s)
- Mark Cronin , Doug Henning , Rebecca Taylor Henning
