Captain Lee Rosbach is leaving the series that made him famous … for now.
The Bravo personality revealed he’d be stepping away from his duties on the hit series during Monday’s new installment.
Rosbach told his colleagues on the new episode that he wouldn’t be able to complete the charter season due to his health.
The star has been vocal about his medical issues on the show this season.
“My injury, it’s getting worse,” Rosbach said in a confessional.
“The left side of my body, I don’t feel anything.”
He continued, “I expected a lot more progress than I’m experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can’t do a god d— thing about it, and it’s hard.”
Rosbach told chef and friend Rachel Hargrove that “this has probably been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.”
Rosbach, who has been named “the stud of the sea,” realized that his ill health could be impacting his whole crew.
“The pain’s getting worse, not better. I owe it to my crew to do right by them. They expect that out of me,” he said.
“There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first because that’s your primary responsibility,” he added.
“As soon as you step on board, check your f—ing ego at the dock. That’s where you leave it.”
The shocking episode ended with Lee telling everyone about his decision to leave.
“As you guys know, I’ve been struggling with my mobility, and it’s been hard,” he said.
“And I’ve let you guys down, and for that I apologize. So I’ve made a decision to leave the boat.”
Rosbach was the first captain to grace our screens on the franchise when it launched in 2013.
Bravo has not confirmed who will take over as captain, but there’s a good chance it will be a franchise veteran.
Lee’s exit is not a big surprise; the Below Deck Season 10 trailer strongly hinted at his exit when it dropped earlier this year.
We’ve met plenty of captains throughout the franchise, thanks to spinoffs Below Deck Mediterannean, Below Deck Down Under, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, and Below Deck Adventure.
What are your thoughts on Lee’s exit?
Who do you want to take over as captain?
Hit the comments.
Catch new episodes Mondays on Bravo.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.