Margot and Tzarina Discuss the “Unique and Special Bond” the Cast Formed Amid “Heavy” Season

Now that Below Deck Down Under Season 2 has officially wrapped, Margot Sisson and Tzarina Mace-Ralph are reflecting on their time aboard the Northern Sun. 

The stew and the chef opened up to BravoTV.com in a joint interview. Read on to hear what they had to say about the season, the bond they formed with each other as well as the rest of the crew and Captain Jason Chambers, and what they’ve been up to since filming wrapped. 

Margot’s Decision to Speak Out

Following Luke Jones’ actions in Episodes 6 and 7 and his subsequent firing, Margot took to social media to open up about her experience and share a supportive message for “all the women who have been affected by sexual assault in any way, shape, or form.” 

The decision to do so wasn’t one Margot took lightly, though. “I was given a voice — and I’m still kind of trying to find it — but you know, what happened was so awful, and it was really hard to relive and it was scary to share it with the rest of the world, but the way I see it is I’ve been given an opportunity to bring attention to a very serious and problematic topic, and if I can empower and inspire other people by sharing my experience with the world, then hell yes, obviously, I’m gonna do it,” she told BravoTV.com. “So, in my mind, it’s the only way that I can turn something awful into something slightly positive.”

“And, you know, I was very lucky in my situation where, yes, boundaries were definitely crossed, but thankfully, I was surrounded by people who were there to step in and stop it from going any further,” Margot continued. “But I know it happens so often where boundaries are not clear and consent is not given and not everyone has someone there to save them.”

As a result, Margot said she just wants people to remember the “important message” that  “Flirting is not consent, and being friendly and being polite is not consent. Laughing and dancing and kissing is not consent. You need to have a clear ‘yes,’ and if it’s not a clear ‘yes,’ it’s a ‘no.’ And if you can’t say ‘no,’ it’s still a ‘no.’”

Margot went on to note that she was inspired to share said message after Tzarina expressed a similar sentiment on Below Deck Down Under.

“Women should be able to be blackout drunk if they want to be,” Tzarina told Margot at the time. “We should be able to stand naked in a room and not have anyone do anything to us. You know, you were allowed to be drunk, you were allowed to be. It’s the other person’s problem.”

Hearing this, Margot said, was “eye-opening” and “groundbreaking” for her.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, she’s right.’ And I had never thought that before, and it was really eye-opening for a lot of people [too],” Margot added. “And even if you do get drunk and someone takes advantage of you… it’s important that you know that it is not your fault.”  

Tzarina on the Importance of Speaking Up

In reflecting on Margot’s experience, Tzarina shared that she’s a “survivor of sexual assault” herself. “It was years ago, and I hid for years and I feel like I lost a part of me. I lost a part of my voice. And when something like that happened to my Margot, I never wanted her to feel how I felt 10 years ago,” Tzarina explained. “So, I just said what any person should say to her in that moment.”

Her words resonated with far more people than just Margot, though. “Overnight, I felt like I became a voice for all these women and these people who have had it happen to them and lost their voice,” Tzarina said, adding that after the episodes aired, she started to receive a flurry of messages on social media from fellow survivors, “which is beautiful, but it’s also so sad and heartbreaking that [there are] still so many people out there who can’t speak up about it.”

“Because when someone takes something like that from you, you just — you disappear,” she continued. “And you blame yourself so much. ‘What if I did this different? What if I did that? Did I look at them in the wrong way? Was my skirt too short?’ No. Never.”

In light of Laura Bileskalne’s actions toward Adam Kodra and Laura’s subsequent firing, Tzarina and Margot both made a point to advocate for male survivors too. “It’s not just women,” Margot said. “I had a lot of men reaching out to me, too, saying, ‘It’s happened to me,’ so I think it’s important that, you know, [we acknowledge] men and women.”

The Below Deck Down Under Crew’s Bond

Following the events of Episodes 6 and 7, Margot and Tzarina said that the crew’s bond became stronger than ever. As the latter put it, “When Luke and Laura left, for me — I even felt it in the moment — that’s when this season began and I felt like we had a proper crew.” 

Added Margot, “I put walls up and I have a really hard time letting people in and it takes me a while to feel comfortable with people, but on that boat, it was a bond and a friendship and a family that I’ve never [had]. It was just so unique and special, and it was just something I’ve never been a part of, and I’m just so glad that I was a part of it. It was really beautiful.”

The two also expressed their gratitude for Captain Jason, who they said was “giving pep talks left and right all season long.” 

“He’s so good to go to when you need a boost or if you’re feeling down on yourself,” Margot noted, while Tzarina described him as “a huge father figure for everyone on board.” 

They also sang the praises of chief stew Aesha Scott. As Margot put it, “People are like, ‘Is she really that happy and friendly and goofy in real life?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, and all the time.’ She’s wonderful. You’ll never meet anyone like her.”

“She’s just such a joy,” Margot added. “I feel so honored to have been able to work by her side for six weeks straight.” 

There’s also, of course, the friendship that Margot and Tzarina formed themselves. 

“I think Tzarina and I connected right away,” Margot said. “And we’ve seen the audience say, like, ‘Oh, it’s so sad that such a traumatic thing is the thing that brought them together,’ but we were close before that and then it just made us even stronger. And then beyond everything that happened, she was just kind of my rock throughout the season and she still is. And we’ve maintained an amazing friendship.” 

Added Tzarina, “I was just so happy with most of the crew that it was this instant bond, but with Margot, I just felt like, ‘Well, you’ve got me for life now!’”

What Margot and Tzarina Have Been up to Since Filming Wrapped

Margot revealed that once filming on Below Deck Down Under Season 2 wrapped, she worked on “a couple boats.” 

“I stayed in yachting for a bit, and now I’m just taking time off while the show airs,” she shared. “And I was just visiting with Tzarina in Fort Lauderdale, and then Harry [van Vliet]’s coming to Wisconsin to visit me. So [I’m] just taking time off right now and kind of hanging with the crew.”

Tzarina, meanwhile, has “been on loads of temporary yachts.” At one point, she even reunited with former charter guest Josh, as she went to work for him in Australia and Bali. “I was with him for about three, four months, so I got to hang out with all the charter guests and actually be with their families and kids, which was just incredible,” Tzarina said.

Since then, she’s been situated in West Palm Beach, and like Margot, she’s just ”hanging out” with the Below Deck Down Under crew. 

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.