‘Below Deck Mediterranean’: Chef Ben is Back — And He’s Thrown Right Into The Fire

“Oh god. That face,” Hannah Ferrier mutters with a smile she just can’t help as she watches Chef Ben Robinson approach the yacht as he finally makes his mostly triumphant return to Below Deck Mediterranean.

So where’s he been since we last saw him on Season 1 of the show (and Season 4 of Below Deck)? He explains he has an exclusive catering company out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida but he couldn’t escape that yacht life just yet as he’s back to finish out this charter season on the show.

“You know I’ve worked with him before?” Hannah tells Aesha, and when asked what he’s like, she can only offer, “He’s interesting.”

“Ben is a great chef and the guests absolutely love him, but I’m really nervous. He’s all about extremes,” Hannah explains, going on to say, “He will have your back or he will stab you in it.”

Oh, and she’s not the only one that’s nervous. Even Ben admits, “It’s been so long since I’ve been on a boat I’m actually doubting myself right now. It’s just the toughest job in the world and I think I’ve had it really easy on dry land.”

And while he only has two hours to get used to the galley and get things in order, luckily he has Anastasia on hand to help him locate items and even make an olive tapenade while she’s around.

“You’ve gotta kill it on the first meal, it sets the stage. Otherwise, they’re gonna be kind of scrutinizing all throughout. It gives me anxiety,” he explained.

But the group of ladies chartering the yacht this time around are already in love, with one commenting, “With that accent and he cooks? That’s pretty hot.”

“Listen, ladies, I just got on, I’m not ready to get off,” Ben says, a line that sounds like it’s straight from Austin Powers himself.

Though it only takes a busted stove to break his good mood, as he says, “This is a beautiful reminder of why I attempted to leave yachting, it’s just unnecessarily difficult.”

“I forgot how different Ben’s energy is,” Hannah remembers. “He projects a lot of his stress on the people around him. If he’s happy, we’re happy, If he’s pissed off, were pissed off.”

But the beauty is right there in the dishes he’s creating — which only makes him more sad to see them coming back untouched. While Hannah guesses it could be due to the ladies’ intoxication levels, or their unwillingness to try the quail egg he’s prepared, Ben says, “Full plates coming back to the galley is heartbreaking. I’d rather the boat sink and they eat all their food.”

It’s undeniably fun that he’s back in the Below Deck Med mix. Yes, if you’re hoping to hear that infamous laugh, do not worry as he’ll be serving it up all episode long. He does bring a truly different energy to the yacht, one that the yachties may or may not be ready for. “Ben’s cool, he’s a little wacky,” Colin Macy-O’Toole told Decider. “He was put in a tough position: he showed up [right] before we left for the next charter, not knowing what food he has. But he kills it, obviously. He’s very in the zone.” If anything, he’ll certainly be keeping things on that boat interesting (and very tasty) for the rest of the season.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Monday at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo. 

Where to stream Below Deck Mediterranean