Luka Brunton Reveals the *Real* Reason Why He Promoted Lara Du Preez to Lead Deckhand
Below Deck Med's Lara and Luka also opened up about their personal lives off of the boat during an appearance on WWHL.
Shortly after Luka Brunton became the Bosun Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, he decided to make Lara Du Preez the lead deckhand.
On Season 8, Episode 5, Luka admitted that, though he knew that Lara "deserved" to be the lead deckhand, part of the reason why he did so was to help motivate deckhand Max Salvador.
"Hopefully promoting [Lara] kind of motivates Max to also see what he should be like," Luka shared in an interview on the episode.
Fast-forward to the November 13 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, and Luka elaborated further on his promotion decision, and how he works with Lara on deck. Plus, both he and Lara revealed where things stand in their respective dating lives.
Luka Brunton Shares Why He Really Promoted Lara Du Preez
Though Luka did want Lara's higher rank to bring some order to the deck team, the Bosun also worked in perfect harmony with his lead deckhand.
"I think having Lara to help me definitely helped motivate [Max]," Luka revealed on WWHL, before sharing how much he clicked with her.
"Yeah, me and Lara, we were in sync. I didn't even have to tell her what to do; she just knows exactly what I'm thinking," he added. "She helped me out a lot."
Lara Du Preez Reveals Where She Stands with Max Salvador
Max, who joined the crew after the first charter on Episode 3, didn't initially see eye to eye with Lara.
On WWHL, the lead deckhand discussed how she earned Max's respect on deck.
"I think what made him respect me was that he saw that I respected him," she said, before noting that she "gave him compliments" on deck when he performed well.
"I took Luka's advice and gave him compliments, and it really went well from there on," she concluded. "He really respected me [after] that."
Lara Du Preez and Luka Brunton Share Updates on Their Dating Lives
Lara revealed that there's been a major change to her relationship status since the season ended. "I'm in a committed relationship right now; I'm calmed down," Lara shared on WWHL.
Luka is also taken, and he opened up about what he looks for in a partner during a round of "Pillow Talk!"
He shared that the "first quality" he looks for in a woman is her "smile." He also described himself as "passionate, intimate, and loving."
Find out what other details Luka revealed by watching the video at the top of this post.
