'Below Deck' Fan Favorite Forced to Leave Show
Below Deck's Captain Lee Rosbach is taking an early leave from this yachting season. The beloved Bravo personality announced he would have to bow out of Season 10 early during Monday's episode, calling the moment one of the "most humbling experiences" of his life. The captain, who was struggling with nerve issues when he boarded the St. David at the start of the season, admitted his symptoms weren't getting any better with time.
"My injury, it's getting worse. The left side of my body, I don't feel anything," he admitted in Monday's episode. "I expected a lot more progress than I'm experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can't do a goddamn thing about it, and it's hard." As the episode went on, Rosbach realized his health concerns might be affecting people other than himself.
"The pain's getting worse, not better. I owe it to my crew to do right by them. They expect that out of me," he said. "There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first because that's your primary responsibility. As soon as you step on board, check your f-ing ego at the dock. That's where you leave it."
Calling an all-hands meeting, he told his devastated crew members, "As you guys know, I've been struggling with my mobility, and it's been hard. And I've let you guys down, and for that I apologize. So I've made a decision to leave the boat." The Bravo show left fans hanging when it comes to who will step into the wheelhouse to replace Rosbach in a cliffhanger ending during the meeting, but it did tease the captain calling an unnamed colleague as he prepared to find someone to take over for him for the rest of the season.
Rosbach's health previously caused him to take a step away from the ship to take care of himself. In Season 9, the crew set sail under the leadership of Captain Sean Meagher while Rosbach recovered for part of the charter season from an injury, but after a few episodes, Rosbach was able to return to My Seanna for the rest of the season. Below Deck airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.