Why is Captain Lee not on Below Deck? That’s the question Below Deck fans are asking after the Season 9 premiere with Captain Sean Meagher at the helm.
The trailer for Season 9 gave Below Deck viewers a heads-up that Captain Lee Rosbach would be missing for a few episodes. It was the first time in history that the stud of the sea wasn’t there for an entire season.
Season 8 kicked off with Captain Lee at the hospital, forcing him to miss welcoming the crew to the My Seanna. The captain was released a few hours later, allowing Captain Lee to begin the season immediately.
This time around, the OG captain is off-screen for an undisclosed amount of episodes.
Why is Captain Lee not on Below Deck?
In the premiere, Below Deck, viewers learned Captain Lee called First Officer Eddie Lucas to reveal the captain wasn’t medically cleared yet for the show.
After the Season 9 trailer, Captain Lee shared that he was feeling much better now but missing part of the show was unavoidable. The captain also spilled his medical issue was not related to COVID-19.
Due to the COVID-19 safety protocols and strict filming scheduled, the producers couldn’t wait for Captain Lee to begin filming. Instead, Captain Sean took over the reins, something he recently talked about as the season premiered.
As for Captain Lee, so far, he’s keeping details around his medical condition quiet. There’s a good chance the OG captain will share more once he appears on-screen.
Yes, there is good news for Below Deck fans. Captain Lee won’t be out the entire season. Odds are the captain will only miss a couple of episodes, but only time will tell.
Below Deck fans miss Captain Lee
Twitter was on fire as Below Deck Season 9 premiered without Captain Lee. Not only were users reacting to Captain Sean, but they were also expressing how much Captain Lee was missed.
One user felt productions should have waited until Captain Lee was cleared to travel to begin filming.
It doesn’t work that way, though. Below Deck, Below Deck Mediterranean, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht are all on a specific schedule to ensure one of them is always on the air. Captain Lee understood that he knew he would be replaced, so the show go on as planned.
Along with promoting Below Deck Season 9, Captain Lee Rosbach has been gearing up to take on congress over stricter drug laws following his son Joshua’s death. The stud of the sea has also been setting the record straight on why he didn’t tip Rhylee Gerber for one charter during Season 7.
Captain Lee is not on Below Deck right now, but he will be back soon!
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.
Captain Sean gives me the creeps!