Bravo Captain Lee Rosbach
The 10th season of “Below Deck” saw Captain Lee Rosbach return to the boat after having to leave for several charters due to a medical issue, but fans who were hoping for a more permanent return to the show are in for a disappointment.
The beloved captain, who’s been at the helm since the show kicked off 10 seasons ago, confirmed that he won’t be on season 11 but said it wasn’t his choice. “I did not quit, I did not retire,” he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I was just not invited back. I guess I can see their point of view. They really couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone on how my health was.”
However, the publication wrote that Rosbach appeared “miffed” that he was only informed of the decision by a producer he didn’t know over a phone call. He shared that he still has a contract with Bravo so fans may see him yet, either on “Below Deck” season 12 or in another capacity. “We came to an agreement, and I’m going to be doing some things for them in the next year,” he said.
“Then, Season 12? I imagine they are going to see what happens with Season 11, with somebody new trying to take over for me, see how they do,” he continued. “If it’s too expensive for them, we’ll see what happens. If the numbers take a tank, would I go back? Yeah.”
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Captain Lee Rosbach Had to Step Away From the Yacht for a Big Part of Season 10 Due to a Health Issue
Rosbach was forced to leave motor yacht St. David early in season 10 of “Below Deck” after experiencing intense pain in his leg and having difficulty walking around, something he said doctors still haven’t been able to diagnose apart from a “nerve issue.”
He told the Sun-Sentinel that he first felt the pain the day before he had to leave for St. Lucia to start filming season 10. He compared the feeling to the shock a person gets after hitting their funny bone but constant and more intense. “It felt like someone had plugged my a** into a 220-volt outlet and left it there,” he told the publication. After a short delay and aided by some pain medication, he joined the rest of his crew.
He said “Below Deck” producers were really supportive and he had a physical therapist, massage therapist and medic who looked after him and helped him get through the season. Eventually, the pain and numbness got to be too much and Rosbach said he had to admit he was “more of a liability to the crew and to the show than I am an asset,” which he said was incredibly difficult to do. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” he shared. “It broke my heart.”
Captain Kerry Titheradge Is Reported to Be the Captain for ‘Below Deck’ Season 11
In early February 2023, Us Weekly reported that sources shared that Captain Lee was being replaced by Captain Kerry Titheradge for season 11. Titheradge, who was the captain in the latest spinoff “Below Deck Adventure,” was said to be heading to Grenada for the filming of the 11th season.
That report has yet to be confirmed by Bravo or by any “Below Deck” stars and it’s unclear if the change will be temporary or permanent.
Titheradge seemed to be well-liked by fans during his debut season on Bravo and he shared with Us Weekly some of the advice Rosbach gave him ahead of filming. “‘Be yourself,'” he said Rosbach told him as they golfed together. “‘Be that same guy I was playing golf with.’ And then I asked him about social media and how to do that. I said, ‘I heard I should get someone to do it, so I don’t get caught up in it.’ He goes, ‘No, do your own social media. Don’t let anyone do that.’”
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