Below Deck’s Captain Lee Rosbach has revealed the real reason he let Rachel Hargrove come back to work on My Seanna.
After a week of anticipating whether or not chef Rachel truly quit in a rage-filled mouth-fouled rant, fans learned she returned the next day. Captain Lee had no luck even reaching the company to request a new chef when Rachel showed up asking for a second chance.
The captain let Rachel come back just in the nick of time too. Charter guest Bryan Guarnieri, whose preference sheet sent Rachel off, and his friends were set to arrive in a couple of hours.
Why did Captain Lee let Rachel return?
Captain Lee explained during the Below Deck Season 8 After Show it was the best choice considering the not so great circumstances.
“A rock and a hard spot does not describe the spot we were in,” the captain revealed. “I mean, we were like four hours from picking up, and I got nothing. So I’ve got a big problem. So I have to put a lot of things ahead of what maybe I would ordinarily do or what I might feel I want to do.”
There was also the crew to think about, not just Captain Lee’s personal feelings regarding Rachel and the situation.
“I gotta think of the rest of the crew. I am almost to the point where if I don’t take her back, we’re going to cancel the charter. My options are really really limited,” he expressed.
Rachel’s saving grace
Despite being in an impossible situation, Captain Lee did admit there was one thing that would have prevented him from welcoming Rachel back.
“Is she had been the caliber of chef that Leon was, oh h**l to the no,” Captain Lee stated. “There is no way in the world that she would have come back. I wouldn’t have even let her on the boat to apologize. If she had been that caliber of a chef, but she wasn’t.”
The captain also admitted he half expected Rachel to come back after she walked off the yacht. Captain Lee has dealt with plenty of dramatic chefs throughout his career. He knows meltdowns and outbursts happen.
Now that doesn’t mean Rachel Hargrove gets a free pass or that Captain Lee Rosbach forgives her antics, especially how she spoke to him. The chef certainly has her work cut out for her in earning back the captain’s trust.
Rachel must do it through because Captain Lee has repeatedly praised the chef since the Bravo show began airing Season 8. The title used to belong to chef Ben Robinson.
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.