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Below Deck fans feel Bravo should have handled Captain Lee Rosbach’s exit better. Although the yachting series started airing on Bravo in 2013. Of all the crew members to ever grace the show with their presence, Captain Lee Rosbach stands alone as a class act. He made his debut on the show during its inaugural season and became the face of the franchise. During that time, he made quite an impression on fans — who dubbed him the “stud of the sea.” Captain Lee completely stole viewers’ hearts thanks to his looks, charms, and no-nonsense leadership approach. His presence on the show contributed vastly to its success, leading to the expansion of the Below Deck franchise with four new spin-offs.
Nevertheless, during season 10, Captain Lee had to take a leave of absence due to recurring health issues. Although Captain Lee assured fans his departure was only temporary, Bravo later confirmed Lee would not be reprising his role in Below Deck season 11. At the time, fans linked Lee’s retirement from Below Deck to his health. However, in a shocking twist, the 73-year-old recently revealed that he was not invited back for Below Deck season 11, contrary to reports that he quit the show or had retired.
Lee expressed his displeasure at finding out he was not returning to the show. He claimed he received the news over the phone during a call with one of the show’s producers. Although Lee also revealed he was still under contract with Bravo and hinted at a possible return if the ratings for season 11 dropped, fans were still enraged by the network’s treatment of Lee. They have since taken to social media to call out the network for disrespecting a Below Deck icon.
Fans Feel Bravo Disrespected Captain Lee
Captain Lee has been a staple on Below Deck for 10 seasons since he debuted during the show’s inaugural season. Since then, he has contributed immensely to the success and popularity of the franchise without ever putting a foot wrong. More importantly, he has never spoken badly about the network or gotten involved in controversies over the years.
For someone with such a rare impeccable service record, most fans feel he deserved much more respect from the network. If anything, he should never have received such news over a phone call. Since the interview surfaced online, Below Deck fans have gone wild online, slamming the network for lack of respect for Captain Lee.
On Twitter, some of the show’s viewers have expressed their total disgust at the network, with many even threatening to quit watching the show. One particular fan called out Bravo for trying to make it look like Captain Lee quit during the season 10 special they did in his honor. The user tweeted,
“Damn. They did that special as if he quit, and turns out they fired him. Wow.”
On Reddit, fans have also been airing their thoughts on the issue while reacting to a thread started by madsen1122. Many Redditors agreed that Captain Lee should have been told such news in a face-to-face meeting, given his years of service to the network.
They felt the actions of the producers were very disrespectful and didn’t show appreciation for what Lee brought to the franchise. Some other fans took the opportunity to emphasize that former Below Deck star Eddie Lucas was right when he accused Bravo of treating casts poorly. One particular user, chinacatsf, commented,
“It’s disappointing that Bravo didn’t show a little more class for Captain Lee because he’s been a class act through and through. He’s an icon in the franchise. They wouldn’t treat Theresa or Kyle this way, so I guess Eddie is right, they get sh** on despite contributing so much to the Bravoverse.”
Fans Wish Bravo Organised A Farewell Season For Captain Lee
In March, the network gave Captain Lee a farewell episode on Below Deck season 10 as he returned for one last hurrah on St. David. The 73-year-old captain took over the final charter for Below Deck season 10, and he showed no signs of being rusty as he handled the boat with the same class fans have come to expect of him through the years.
Nevertheless, the most significant moment of the episode was when a montage of Lee’s memories on Below Deck through the years played during the season finale. The scenes sparked an emotional reaction from the cast members and even viewers watching from home. In his farewell address, Lee reflected on his time on Below Deck while also hinting about his future. He said:
“I made a promise that I would come back. That’s a promise that I delivered. I want people to look at the job that I’ve done and go, ‘He set the bar high, and he kept it high.’ God d—, what a ride.”
He continued:
‘I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future, but the ocean’s always gonna be part of me. I’ve still got the best god d— job in the world.”
At the time, many of the fans believed he had to retire due to his health challenges. However, since Lee’s recent interview surfaced online, fans have slammed the network for putting up a rushed farewell for the reality star. Many of the show’s fans felt Lee should have received a farewell season dedicated to him. One user, realitytv12, wrote,
“I wish they chose a season where he’ll retire with his fav crew members. It would have iconic to have a season of “a blast from the past ft like Kate, Josiah, Connie, Eddie, etc. I think that would have been a great “farewell season.”
This is certainly not the last we will hear about Captain Lee Rosbach. He is still one of the most significant faces within the Below Deck franchise, and given all the fan support he enjoys, Bravo would be cutting themselves short if they didn’t find suitable engagement for him soon.