Ben Watkins, who was a participant in MasterChef Junior in 2018, has passed away due to cancer. He was 14. After a long battle with cancer, Ben passed away on Monday. The Watkins family shared a statement via their attorney. “Ben suffered more than his share in his fourteen years on this Earth, but we take solace in that his suffering is finally over and in that, in the end, Ben knew he was loved by so many,” the statement read. MasterChef judge Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram to offer his condolences. He wrote, “We lost a Master of the @masterchefjunior kitchen today. Ben you were an incredibly talented home cook and even stronger young man. Your young life had so many tough turns but you always persevered. I adored our time cooking and laughing together on set. Heartbroken today losing my little mate, sending all my love to Ben Watkins’ family with this terrible loss.” Fox shared a statement that read, “It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Ben Watkins, a beloved member of the MasterChef Junior family. Ben overcame so much in his life with a remarkably positive attitude. He was a tremendous role model for chefs of all ages and will be dearly missed by everyone at EndemolShine North America and FOX Entertainment.”
