We got our first taste of the original Below Deck without Captain Lee Rosbach this season, and now, it’s becoming permanent.
Us Weekly reported this week that Rosbach will not return for Below Deck Season 11 on Bravo.
Below Deck Adventure’s Captain Kerry Titheradge has reportedly been drafted to replace him.
The news is a shocker because it will completely change the series’ dynamic.
Lee exited Below Deck Season 10 early due to a health concern, with Below Deck Mediterranean’s Captain Sandy Yawn taking over temporarily.
However, it was recently revealed that Rosbach would return at some point during Season 10 to finish out his time on the series on his own terms.
“I’m gonna go back to the [United] States, get this straightened out — and as soon as I do — I’ll be on the first plane back here and tell whoever’s on board to get the f—k off my boat,” Rosbach said in an episode earlier this season.
He went on to reveal to his staff his intention to leave and get better.
“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,” he told his crew.
“So I’ve made a decision to leave the boat,” he explained. “One of my biggest problems now is I’m not able to observe.”
“I don’t know who’s doing what, it’s my job,” he added.
“They expect that out of me. There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first.”
Bravo has yet to confirm Rosbach’s exit officially, but with filming starting this week, the cabler probably won’t reveal anything until closer to transmission.
Captain Kerry became a fan favorite on Below Deck Adventure, which wrapped its freshman season recently.
There is no word on a second season, but the show didn’t go down as well as expected with viewers.
Then again, Below Deck Sailing Yacht started out terribly and became one of the best shows in the franchise after a revamp.
If we are getting a revamp, it will very likely include a new captain.
What are your thoughts on the news?
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
