Is Captain Lee Returning to ‘Below Deck’? What He’s Had to Say About Not Retiring

Captain Lee Rosbach keeps giving Below Deck fans hope that he will once again be skippering super yachts around the Caribbean after it was revealed he wasn’t returning for season 11. With Captain Kerry Titheradge now at the helm, Lee has been vocal about where he stands with Bravo.

Is Captain Lee Returning to ‘Below Deck’?

After it was revealed that the “Stud of the Sea” wasn’t coming back for season 11 and had been replaced by Below Deck Adventure‘s Captain Kerry, Lee made some curious remarks that he could be returning to the franchise’s OG show.

As a montage of Lee’s most memorable moments throughout his 10 seasons on Below Deck played at the end of the season 10 finale on March 20, 2023, he ended his confessional by saying, “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but the ocean’s always going to be part of me. I still got the best goddamn job in the world.”

On March 27, Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen devoted a whole show to Captain Lee and Below Deck celebrating its milestone 10th season in place of a reunion episode. While highlights over the seasons played, Lee made no mention that he was departing the franchise. When a fan tweeted during the show, “Below Deck is Captain Lee the Stud of the Sea!!!!! Looking forward to many more adventures,” he responded, “Of course.”

What Has Captain Lee Said About Returning to ‘Below Deck’?

Lee live-tweeted throughout the final episode and made some very intriguing comments. When one fan told the Florida resident he was “way too young to retire,” Lee responded, “Amen.”

Another fan told Lee, “Thanks for a great season! We’ll miss you. Don’t stay away too long,” and he wrote back, “I’ll do my best.” One follower asked, “So, wait … no more Captain Lee on Bravo?!?!” and Lee told them, “Who said that, not me.” A user asked Lee, “Please say there is hope” that he’d be returning to the series, and he responded, “There is always hope.”

On March 24, a fan tweeted to the skipper, “Love love love Captain Lee! Best wishes on retirement, Below Deck will not be the same without all of your ‘ism’s,” to which he replied, “Who the hell is retiring? Do me a favor and wish them well.”

In an April 2023 interview with The South Florida Sun Sentinel, Lee revealed, “I did not quit. I did not retire. I was just not invited back.” As for what future seasons held, he said, “Maybe not this year, but who knows what next year brings?”

Lee reiterated the statement when he told fans in a May 29 tweet that he was not asked to take part in season 11 of the show he’d been with since its inception.

“I wasn’t invited back, which doesn’t mean I’m done, it means I wasn’t asked to be on S11,” Lee responded when a fan asked, “What happened? Nobody is explaining anything and it’s frustrating. We love you. Why can’t we have you back?” on Below Deck.

Why Did Captain Lee Not Appear in the Majority of Below Deck’s Season 10 Episodes?

Lee left the St. David early on in the St. Lucia charter season due to nerve and mobility issues that limited him to the bridge and his cabin. He used a cane or crutches during that time and eventually headed back to Florida for medical treatment.

“My injury, it’s getting worse. The left side of my body, I don’t feel anything,” he said in a confessional in the December 12, 2022, episode of the show.

“I expected a lot more progress than I’m experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can’t do a goddamn thing about it, and it’s hard,” he continued.

Lee was replaced by Below Deck Med Captain Sandy Yawn but was able to return for the final two charters of the season after getting treatment for inflammation in his sciatic nerve.

“I’m so goddamn glad to be back. I feel like I’m back where I belong,” he said upon his return to the show in the February 27 episode.