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Ben Watkins, 'MasterChef Junior' Star, Dies at 14
MasterChef Junior star Ben Watkins has died, TMZ reports. Watkins, who was 14 years old, had been undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer at Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital after being diagnosed with the disease, called called Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma, last year. He was one of only six people in the world with the rare illness.
“Our Ben went home to be with his mother Monday afternoon after a year-and-a-half-long battle with cancer,” Ben’s grandmother, Donna Edwards, and uncle, Anthony Edwards, shared on Watkins’ GoFundMe page today, per Us Weekly. “After losing both of his parents in September 2017, we have marveled at Ben’s strength, courage and love for life. He never, ever complained. Ben was and will always be the strongest persons we know.”
They continued, “When Ben’s rare illness was shared with the world, he was so heartened by the outpouring of love he received from every corner of the globe — especially here in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. We cannot thank this community enough for holding our family up in prayer and for all that you’ve done. Ben suffered more than his share in 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.”
Watkins appeared on Season 6 of MasterChef Junior in 2018 when he was 11 years old. He cooked for the judges for five episodes and soon became a fan favorite before leaving the show in March 2018. According to a Chicago Tribune column by Jerry Davich, who got to know Watkins personally after the death of his parents, the aspiring chef had big dreams for his future. “Ben would later dream of opening his own bakery or restaurant someday, just like his father did with Big Ben’s Bodacious Barbecue & Deli, named in honor of Ben, who worked there,” Davich wrote.
MasterChef Junior host and judge Gordon Ramsay paid tribute to the young cook on Twitter today. “We lost a Master of the @MasterChefJrFOX kitchen today,” he wrote. “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. Sending all the love to Ben Watkins’ family with this terrible loss.”
