The Tragic Death Of Masterchef Junior Star Ben Watkins

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00:00MasterChef Junior, a fun spinoff of MasterChef, first debuted in the U.S. in 2013, offering

00:06young, aspiring chefs the chance to showcase their skills on national TV.

00:11It can be a humbling experience watching a 13-year-old dominate the kitchen, and while

00:16the show offers this awe-inspiring talent, it has also introduced viewers to some remarkable

00:21young humans, most notably Ben Watkins.

00:24Ben joined MasterChef Junior in Season 6 in 2018, and he was only 11 years old when

00:29he became a fan favorite.

00:31Shortly after he turned 13, Ben was diagnosed with angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, a rare

00:38soft tissue tumor.

00:39In fact, the illness is so rare that Ben was only one of six people in the world to be diagnosed

00:45with it, as TMZ reported.

00:46Ben passed away on November 16, 2020, at age 14, while staying at the Lurie Children's Hospital

00:53of Chicago.

00:54Ben is greatly missed by his family and the community that cheered him on during his time

00:58on MasterChef Junior.

00:59Here's everything to know about this remarkable young man.

01:03Ben Watkins learned to cook at his father's restaurant, Big Ben's Bodacious Barbecue and

01:07Deli, and he aspired to one day open a restaurant of his own.

01:11Ben's father, Michael Watkins, named the restaurant after his son.

01:15Ben's father and his mother, Leela Edwards, moved to Gary, Indiana in 2001 after leaving

01:20Chicago to get away from potential dangers in a big city.

01:23Ben worked for his father at his restaurant, running the register, taking orders, and even selling

01:28his own baking.

01:29Ben listed off his favorite things to bake to the Tribune, saying,

01:32"...cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, lots of other stuff."

01:36Leela Edwards was a stained glass artist and jewelry maker.

01:40Ben said of his mother,

01:41"...my mom taught me everything she knew, or I just picked it up by watching her."

01:44On September 16, 2017, when Ben was just 11, his father killed his mother and then killed

01:51himself.

01:52Police ruled the incident a murder-suicide, per the Tribune.

01:55Afterward, Ben was raised by his maternal grandmother and uncle, Donna Edwards and Anthony Edwards.

02:00It was following this tragedy that Ben joined MasterChef Junior, and audiences were even

02:05more amazed by Ben's kindness and ability after learning about his traumatic loss.

02:10Even after his death, it was Ben's kindness that people remembered most.

02:14Ben Watkins appeared on MasterChef Junior at age 11.

02:17During the premiere episode, he came out victorious with a white apron after wowing the judges with

02:22his peach cobbler, served with whipped cream and a caramel sauce.

02:26Ben made it to the top 18 of the show before being sent home, but he made a mark on audiences.

02:31On the MasterChef Junior Instagram account, Ben was commemorated with the following caption,

02:35"...Ben overcame so much in his life with a remarkably positive attitude.

02:39He was a tremendous role model for chefs of all ages and will be dearly missed."

02:44On GoFundMe, a page was set up for Ben called Love for Ben Memorial Fund, which has a statement

02:49from his maternal grandmother, Donna Edwards, and uncle, Anthony Edwards.

02:53It read,

02:54"...our Ben went home to be with his mother this afternoon after a year-and-a-half long

02:57battle with cancer.

02:59After losing both of his parents in September 2017, we have marveled at Ben's strength,

03:04courage, and love for life.

03:06He never, ever complained."

03:07The family also shared that Ben was, quote, so heartened by the outpouring of love he received

03:12after news broke of his cancer diagnosis.

03:15Ben was clearly loved by so many people, but celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was especially

03:20vocal about his grief after Ben's passing.

03:23Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who was the host of MasterChef Junior, shared his grief on Instagram

03:27after news broke that Ben Watkins had passed away.

03:30On November 17, 2020, Ramsay wrote,

03:33"...Ben, you were an incredibly talented home cook and even stronger young man.

03:37Your young life had so many tough turns, but you always persevered.

03:41I adored our time cooking and laughing together on set.

03:44Heartbroken today losing my little mate, sending all my love to Ben Watkins' family with this

03:49terrible loss."

03:50His comments were flooded with love from the MasterChef community.

03:54MasterChef Junior winner Logan Goulef wrote,

03:57"...oh man, so, so tragic.

03:59Retire that apron."

04:00Celebrity chef Andre Rush commented,

04:02"...this hurt to see and read.

04:04Cook easy up there, my young friend, and all blessings to his family."

04:07The entire MasterChef Junior community had previously made a video for Ben, released on

04:11August 18, 2020, offering support as Ben fought cancer, and the group consensus was obvious

04:17and clear.

04:19Everyone loved Ben.

04:20If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide

04:24Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK, 8255, or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

04:33Five inventory conditions were derived from the need for every month's teacher.

04:371985 One

04:414 Hopper

04:42END

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