He Won Hearts on MasterChef Junior — Then Tragedy, Cancer, and Courage Defined the Short Life of Ben Watkins – 1415
The kitchen was Ben’s kingdom.
The sizzle of the grill, the comforting warmth of the oven, the intoxicating scent of spices—these were the notes of the symphony he conducted.
He was just eleven years old when he stood under the bright lights of “MasterChef Junior,” a tiny figure with a massive heart and an even bigger dream.
Ben Watkins, from Gary, Indiana, wasn’t just a contestant; he was a fan favorite, a boy whose cinnamon rolls tasted like pure, unadulterated hope.
His smile, wide and genuine, could melt the sternest judge, and his focus, razor-sharp when he was kneading dough or perfectly searing a scallop, betrayed his age.
He placed in the top 18 of the show’s sixth season, a monumental achievement for a boy so young, especially one who had already faced an unimaginable storm.
Ben’s journey to the MasterChef kitchen began years earlier, in the bustling warmth of Big Ben’s Bodacious Barbecue & Deli, the restaurant owned by his father.
It was there, amid the aroma of smoked meats and tangy sauce, that Ben truly came alive.
He wasn’t merely a child helping out; he was an integral part of the operation.
He took orders with the confidence of a seasoned waiter.
He worked the register, his small fingers flying across the keypad.
But his true contribution, his signature, lay in the glass case by the counter.
There, his homemade treats—cinnamon rolls that were legendary in Gary, rich cookies, fudgy brownies, and moist banana bread—were proudly displayed and swiftly sold.
He told the Chicago Tribune in 2017 that he didn’t just want to be a cook; he wanted to be a professional chef, and one day, he would open his own restaurant, just like his father.
This dream was his North Star, a promise to himself and to the man who had inspired him.
Then, the world shattered.
In September 2017, Ben, at the tender age of ten, lost both his parents in a tragic murder-suicide.
The sudden, brutal loss would have crippled most adults, but Ben, even then, displayed a strength that belied his years.
His maternal grandmother, Donna Edwards, and his uncle, Anthony Edwards, stepped in, wrapping him in a blanket of love and stability.
They knew the depth of his pain, yet they marveled at his resilience.
“After losing both of his parents in September 2017, we have marveled at Ben’s strength, courage and love for life,” they would later say in a joint statement.
He found solace not just in the love of his extended family, but in the familiar rhythm of the kitchen.
The mixing, the proofing, the baking—these acts were a form of meditation, a way to keep the memory of his father’s dream alive.
He was a survivor, a young man who had weathered the worst and still looked toward the light.
For a few precious years, life found a new, quieter rhythm.
Ben continued to grow, his passion for cooking undimmed.
He was a beloved member of his community in Gary, and the fame from his brief stint on television brought him recognition, but never changed the humble, determined boy he was.
Then, shortly after his thirteenth birthday, a new, monstrous darkness appeared.
Ben was diagnosed with an incredibly rare soft tissue tumor: Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma.
It was a cruel and rare form of cancer, one that primarily targets children and young adults.
It was another staggering blow, a test of endurance that seemed utterly unfair for a boy who had already suffered more than his share.
Ben began the grueling fight against the disease.
He underwent treatment, facing hospital stays and painful procedures with the same quiet determination he used to face the clock on “MasterChef Junior.”
His family established a GoFundMe page, originally created after his parents’ passing, and repurposed it to support his medical battle under the banner, “#Love4Ben.”
The updates on the page were heartbreaking, detailing the progress of his illness, but they always carried a consistent theme: Ben’s incredible spirit.
“He never, ever complained,” his grandmother and uncle attested.
“Ben was and will always be the strongest person we know.”
He faced cancer with the same remarkable positive attitude that had impressed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his fellow contestants.
When the news of his rare illness was shared with the world, the outpouring of support was immediate and overwhelming.
Love poured in from every corner of the globe, a global embrace for the young chef.
He was “so heartened” by this global display of affection, knowing that he was not fighting this battle alone.
Ben Watkins fought for a year.
It was a brutal, relentless battle against a disease that showed no mercy.
He was only fourteen, but the strength he exhibited was that of a warrior.
On Monday, the fight ended.
Ben died from the rare cancer, his young body finally succumbing to the illness.
The news sent a wave of profound sadness across the culinary world and the community that had adopted him.
Gordon Ramsay, the usually formidable host, mourned his passing publicly.
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Ben Watkins, a beloved member of the MasterChef Junior family,” the show posted on its Instagram page.
Ramsay himself took to Twitter, his words heavy with grief.
He called Ben an “incredibly talented home cook and even stronger young man.”
“Your young life had so many tough turns but you always persevered,” Ramsay wrote.
“Sending all the love to Ben Watkins’ family with this terrible loss.”
Ben’s family issued a final, poignant statement.
They reflected on his brief, turbulent life.
“Ben suffered more than his share in his fourteen years on this Earth,” they said.
But they concluded with a powerful note of peace and solace.
They took comfort in the knowledge that his suffering was finally over, and more importantly, that “in the end, Ben knew he was loved by so many.”
The money raised through the GoFundMe page, which had started as a means to support him after the loss of his parents and continued to fund his cancer treatments, would now be used to pay outstanding medical bills, as confirmed by the family’s attorney, Trent A. McCain.
Ben’s dream of a restaurant named after him, his enduring legacy as the “Cinnamon Roll King” of Gary, and his quiet, fierce courage will live on.
He was a boy who faced unimaginable tragedy, not once, but twice, and yet, he never complained.
His fourteen years were a testament to the power of perseverance, the resilience of the human spirit, and the comfort of a perfect, warm cinnamon roll.
His suffering was over, and Ben Watkins, the young chef who taught the world about hope, finally found his peace.