Captain Lee Rosbach has talked about his unexpected Below Deck Season 9 absence, sharing what it was like to be missing from the show he helped launch.
The OG captain isn’t just a staple for Below Deck. Captain Lee is the stud of the sea that kicked off the hugely successful franchise for Bravo. There have been constant crew changes over the nine seasons of the hit yachting show, including fan-favorite Kate Chastain leaving after six seasons.
However, Captain Lee has been the one constant from the beginning, until now.
Captain Lee talks unexpected Below Deck Season 9 absence
Viewers wait all year for Captain Lee’s Below Deck to hit the airwaves, tuning into spin-offs Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht to pass the time.
Last week Bravo released details for Below Deck Season 9, giving fans a shock they never saw coming. Captain Lee is missing from part of the season, and Captain Sean Meagher takes over the reins.
Now, the infamous captain is shedding more light on why he had to sit out a few weeks of filming. Captain Lee had a condition that kept him from joining the crew at the beginning of the season.
In an interview with E News, he declared his condition was not COVID-19 related, and that’s he’s doing much better now.
“I am much better,” the captain spilled. “The timing was mainly screwed up. Because we have such a tight shooting schedule, it was imperative that the guests’ charters start and end on time, so it didn’t have a domino effect and impact every charter after that.”
Fans will have to watch the upcoming season to learn exactly what was wrong with Captain Lee because he’s keeping those details quiet right now.
Captain Lee was anxious to get back to Below Deck
Just like with filming Below Deck Mediterranean Season 6 and Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2, COVID-19 played a significant factor. Captain Lee admitted Below Deck Season 9 had its own filming bubble that made it a unique year.
The one thing that helped the captain deal with his condition and the craziness of a unique year was simply being able to return to Below Deck. Even though he had to miss some filming, Captain Lee was thrilled he still got to be part of Season 9.
“It really felt good to get back on the water. When I finally got on board, I was the happiest guy in the world,” he expressed.
Captain Lee Rosbach may be out for part of Below Deck Season 9, but that doesn’t mean fans aren’t in for one wild ride.
Eddie Lucas and chef Rachel Hargrove are back with their baggage from Season 8, which had yet to be resolved. Fans can expect at least one heated confrontation between them.
Below Deck Season 9 premieres on Monday, October 25 at 9/8c on Bravo.