Captain Lee reveals he’s finally ready for comeback after Below Deck exit
YouTube/BravoCaptain Lee has been answering viewers’ questions on X (formerly Twitter) recently, as people are interested to hear if he’ll return for another season of Below Deck or if he’s planning on retiring.
Captain Lee was a fan favorite in the earlier seasons of Below Deck, but unfortunately had to skip out on season 10 due to nerve issues in his back following a bad fall in 2020.
After sticking it out to film all of the show’s 8th season, Captain Lee was missing for episodes one and two of season 9 in the fall of 2021. Although he eventually returned, fans were concerned about his absence at the time. His health issues continued onto season 10, where he was seen walking with a cane before disappearing from the show due to his injury.
When asked if he’s planning on retiring soon after not participating in the majority of season 10 of the show, Captain Lee replied: “Not retiring at all Dana, but I wish you all the best with yours.”
One viewer named Nicola then went on to ask the captain: “Don’t you have to retire at some point in the interest of safety? I mean in the last series you were barely able to get around, that can’t be safe.”
He wrote back: “There is no mandatory age for Captains to retire Nicola, I know you still have to pass the CG’s physical, can’t do that, can’t work. And yes, last year I did have a mobility issue.
“I can pass the physical, and my accident that caused the problem is gone. I no longer use anything to walk, and still hit the gym daily. I would never put anyone at risk, that’s why I left and came back when I could with the Doctor’s blessing.”
Captain Lee has previously revealed that, although he was ready, he was never invited to come back for season 11.
He said: “I did not quit. I did not retire. I was just not invited back.
“I guess I can see their point of view. They really couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone on how my health was.”
Fans delighted as they miss Captain Lee on Below Deck
Fans were ecstatic to hear what Captain Lee had to say and revealed they missed him in the previous season of the show, where he was replaced by Kerry Titheradge.
One person wrote: “We miss you and your dinner dates with the drunk single females. Yes we have the great Below Deck Down Under with dreamy Captain Jason but nothing compares to the hilarious and fun to watch OG.
Another said: “We need to see that handsome face for a few more years on Below Deck.”
“Some of the captains I work with that are teaching the next generation are in their 80s – and could run laps around those 1/2 their age,” a third person wrote.
To stay updated on Below Deck, make sure to check our page here.