It was a little surprising that Kelley Johnson returned to Below Deck after a less than favorable appearance on season two. To put it mildly, people were not a fan of Kelley’s and no one was over him more than Captain Lee Rosbach. It’s tough to turn back once you piss off such a resolute figure like the Captain, but Kelley took that chance and decided to return for another season. He opened up about the reality check that he got watching himself on season two and why he actually decided to put himself in this situation again.
This season has only just begun, but so far it seems like Kelley made a good move returning to the show since he is getting a much more flattering portrayal this time around. Even the Captain is buying what Kelley has been saying.
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It had to be tough returning to Below Deck after all of the negative feedback Kelley has received in the past, but Kelley explained why he wanted to do it in an interview with Bravo’s The Daily Dish. Kelley explained, “It was all about redemption. I didn’t like the way Season 2 went for me. Once I got asked back, I just had to take this opportunity to show everybody out there and Captain Lee who I really am.”
I don’t blame him. If I thought that everyone had a poor view of me, I would do whatever I could to change their minds.
Kelley admitted season two was tough to watch: “Just watching myself, I cringed a lot during Season 2. And coming into this season, I just wanted to show [Captain Lee] what I could really do and what other boats had seen me do while I was working on them. I looked up to Captain Lee on Season 2 — it may not have shown through during that season — but I really do look up to Captain Lee, and so earning a good job from him is a very big deal to me.”
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Kelley explained that the poor perception of him from Season 2 did not stop him from working on a yacht. Kelley said, “I’ve been on a boat since I left Season 2. I have not taken, basically, any hiatus from yachting.” That’s good that he had been working on himself and his craft for a while before rejoining the show. That’s probably why he is doing so much better this time around.
Not only is Kelley better at the job, but it just seems like he has really made some great strides as a person. Kelley shared, “I’ve matured a lot. Watching Season 2 really helped me do that. It gave me a way to look at myself after something had happened and time had passed so I could look at it from, ‘I’m not so upset right now. And it’s allowed me to grow my leadership and my respect for authority on vessels. And it’s also allowed me to — when I do interact in a situation that maybe [is] not the best — I do it under a cooler head than I used to.”
Good for Kelley. It’s nice to see someone redeem themselves especially after such a public dislike of his antics in the past.
TELL US – DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING KELLEY A LOT MORE THIS TIME AROUND?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
