Below Deck's Captain Lee Promises a "Wild Season"
Captain Lee Rosbach is speaking out on Below Deck Down Under's recent controversy.
After Bosun Luke Jones and Stew Laura Bileskalne were both fired for inappropriate behavior towards co-workers on the Bravo series' Aug. 7 episodes, the longtime Below Deck star spoke out in support of their terminations.
"Their behavior was despicable, both of them," Lee told Us Weekly on Aug. 10. "And I'm sure they'll be paying the price for it for a long time to come—as they should."
Captain Jason Chambers fired Luke after he drunkenly climbed into Stew Margot Sisson's bed while she was asleep and let Laura go for repeatedly trying to hook up with Deckhand Adam Kodra despite him telling her he was not interested. Lee said he's "impressed" with how production stepped in to stop the unwanted sexual advances and applauded Jason and Chief Stew Aesha Scott for "not getting rattled" amid the drama.
"I don't know if I would have had the wherewithal to remain as calm as Captain Jason did, but he certainly stepped up to the plate and did it right," the 73-year-old noted. "It's a tough spot to be in. When there's the captain, you're responsible for everything and anything that does happen. Jason handled it superbly."
During the episode, Jason made it clear to his crew that he had a zero tolerance policy when it came to non-consensual advances.
"We had an incident last night and I want to stress that this is a place that we respect each other," the captain told his reports before firing Luke and Laura. "Our cabin is our safety zone. That door is our boundary, that door is not to be opened unless it's consensual. To walk into someone else's room without consent, indecent, is my limit."
Laurent Bassett/Bravo
Following the drama, Jason shared his perspective on the situation, praising both his Chief Stew and the Bravo show's crew for intervening.
"I've had a flood of messages over the last 24 hours from people in similar situations—some not so lucky of the outcome—so my heart goes out to them," the 50-year-old told fans in an Aug. 9 Instagram video. "I like to thank the production team for breaking the fourth wall and stepping in. Then reforming and allowing Aesha to come to me in an authentic manner and us dealing with it as we would as captain and crew."
Below Deck Down Under airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock. Keep reading to see more of the most shocking firings in Below Deck history.
Laurent Bassett/Bravo
Camille Lamb
If there's one thing to learn from Camille Lamb's Below Deck firing, it's to not slack off on the job. That's exactly why the season 10 stew was let go by substitute Captain Sandy Yawn, as Chief Stew Fraser Olender continued to criticize Camille's behavior on board.
From being caught drinking while preparing for a new charter to partying at late hours and more, Fraser informed Captain Sandy that he had reached his "last straw."
"She's the common denominator in all of this," said Captain Sandy. "Great girl, great personality, but at the same time, we have to do what's best for the boat."
Chris Haston/Bravo
Kyle Dickard
Below Deck Adventure's Kyle Dickard was let go just three episodes into the reality franchise's latest series—which premiered in November 2022. After picking fights with his fellow deckhand Nathan Morley—as well as kissing crew mates in front of guests—Kyle was offered by Captain Kerry Titheradge the opportunity to resign so that his firing would not end up on his personal record.
Kyle took the Captain up on his offer and left the boat after just one charter.
Laurent Basset/Bravo
Raygan Tyler
Captain Sandy let bosun Raygan Tyler go during season seven of Below Deck Mediterranean, not only for causing the boat to take a small hit while docking, but also for not stepping up to the plate as a leader.
But Captain Sandy didn't want her firing to discourage the bosun, as she told Raygan, "If I had the time and I wasn't running a boat this size, I would train you. I would teach you."
Laurent Bassett/Bravo
Elizabeth Frankini
In addition to onboard romances and failing to follow directions, one of the biggest reasons behind stew Elizabeth Frankini's Below Deck firing was her infamous laundry room accident, during which made a toxic mess when combining bleach and laundry soap.
"Unfortunately, I didn't know that was so toxic and I feel so bad about it," she told E! News of the incident in December 2020. "You know, I do feel really bad, especially 'cause Francesca [Rubi] did say, 'Take it outside.'"
Laurent Basset/Bravo
Luke Jones & Laura Bileskaine
The bosun and stew were both fired by Captain Jason Chambers for inappropriate behavior after a night of partying with their fellow yachties.
Luke Jones was let go after getting into Stew Margot Sisson's bed naked while she was drunk and unconscious. Laura Bileskaine also made unwanted advances on Deckhand Adam Kodra despite him telling her he was not interested in hooking up.
Jason made it known that consent was a must, and sent both crewmembers packing.
Bravo
Lexi Wilson
Tensions between stew Lexi Wilson and Chef Mathew Shea came to a head during an explosive dinner fight on season six of Below Deck Mediterranean, during which Lexi told Matt that his parents "should've aborted you." That was the last straw for Captain Sandy, who fired her not long after the incident.
Laurent Basset/Bravo
Tom Pearson
Deckhand Tom Pearson said "bon voyage" to Below Deck Sailing Yacht after getting let go by Captain Glenn Shephard. Tom hit his last strike with the Captain after failing to report that the boat's anchor was dragging during heavy winds one night, causing a potential safety risk for everyone on board.
"It had to be done. It was such a grievous thing that he dropped the ball there, he had to go, and we had to just be man down and live with it, you know?" Captain Glenn said of the decision on Watch What Happens Live. "So, obviously, you don't want to do that, but yeah, it had to happen."
Laurent Basset/Peacock
Ryan McKeown
Some people are picky eaters, but Below Deck Down Under's Ryan McKeown was quite the picky chef, as he would judge guests' food requests and fail to take criticism from Captain Jason Chambers, as well.
Perhaps Ryan's Below Deck exit is one of the franchise's most memorable, as he mooned Jason and viewers on his way off the boat.
Laurent Basset/Peacock
Magda Ziomek
Below Deck Down Under stew Magda Ziomek's firing was another case of slacking on the job. After constantly being on her phone texting or video chatting with her boyfriend, Chief Stew Aesha Scott decided to replace Magda before the end of the charter season.
Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo
Peter Hunziker
Below Deck Mediterranean's Peter Hunziker was fired from the series in June 2020 after he shared an offensive post on social media.
"Peter Hunziker of Below Deck Mediterranean has been terminated for his racist post," Bravo wrote in a statement at the time. "Bravo and 51 Minds are editing the show to minimize his appearance for subsequent episodes."
Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo
Hannah Ferrier
Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier was let go by Captain Sandy on Below Deck Mediterranean after boson Malia White discovered her co-star possessed undeclared Valium and a vape pen, the former of which Hannah claimed was for her anxiety.
"If I could do it all over again, I would've just declared them as soon as I came on board," Hannah stated in an August 2020 interview with E! News. "It was definitely not something that was intentional. I wasn't trying to hide anything.
Laurent Basset/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Delaney Evans
Below Deck Mediterranean's Delaney Evans left just as quickly as she arrived. After initially being brought on during season six to help out Chief Stew Katie Flood, Katie determined that Delaney was doing more harm than good, choosing to let her go after just one charter.
"I think she was overwhelmed with the situation, and I think that, you know, in her mind, the best solution to the situation was just to go back to what they had before," Delaney told Bravo Insider of Katie's decision. "I think she was just overwhelmed with everything that was going on and all the feedback she was getting."
Laurent Basset/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Shane Coopersmith
Deckhand Shane Coopersmith was a bit in over his head on season eight of Below Deck, as he was let go for failing to know basic skills, reporting late for duty and taking naps on the job.
Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Leon Walker
Chaos in the kitchen led to Captain Lee Rosbach letting Chef Leon Walker go on season three of Below Deck. After an oven fire broke out, Lee placed the blame on Chief Stew Kate Chastain but was ultimately the one sent home.
Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Chris Brown
Like several of the franchise's stars, Below Deck's Chris Brown was fired during season five for failing to fully perform his duties. After being let go by Captain Lee, Chris shared some parting words as he left the boat, stating, "Who gives a s--t?"
Bravo
Mila Kolomeitseva
Chef Mila Kolomeitseva was fired by Captain Sandy on season four of Below Deck Mediterranean after failing to use her cooking skills to produce top-quality food for guests—including some not-so-nice nachos.
"Of course it makes me feel awful," Mila said of her departure. "People like me who have big egos sometimes have to be put down to earth a little bit. But it makes me feel like I want to work even harder."
BRAVO
Chandler Brooks
Sometimes people just don't work well together. That's exactly why Captain Lee fired Chandler Brooks during season six of Below Deck, telling the boson, "I don't think it's a good fit."
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)
Peacock is live now! Check out NBCU's streaming service here.