Ben Watkins

Ben Watkins, MasterChef Junior contestant, departed the world of the living at the very young age of 14, on November 16, 2020. In a statement published by People, his grandmother Donna Edwards and uncle Anthony Edwards stated that Ben had gone “home to be with his mother,“ who together with Ben’s father, passed away in 2017. The aspiring chef was born in September 2006 to Michael Watkins and Leila Edwards. In 2018 he immediately established himself as one of the fan favorites in MasterChef Junior.

Although he was eliminated before the finals, Gordon Ramsay, the host of the show, claims to have been thoroughly impressed with the young man’s cooking skills. Ramsay paid tribute to his former contestant on Twitter, while their family’s lawyer and GoFundMe campaign manager, Trent McCain, tweeted that Ben received an “outpouring love and support” for three years.