This is beyond tragic. ‘MasterChef Junior’ star Ben Watkins was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer and has passed away at the age of just 14, three years after his parents died.
Ben Watkins had so many challenges in his young life, but cooking was his joy. The 14-year-old has passed away on Nov. 16 after battling a rare soft tissue tumor called angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, of which he was only diagnosed with in 2019. Ben competed on Gordon Ramsay‘s MasterChef Junior season six when he was only 11-years-old and quickly became a fan favorite. We’ve got five things to know about Ben.
1. Ben’s form of cancer was extremely rare. His uncle Anthony Edwards said that Ben was one of six people in the world to receive the rare diagnosis. The teen from Gary, Indiana immediately began undergoing treatment including chemotherapy at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
Ben Watkins competes on season six of ‘Masterchef Junior. Photo credit: FOX.
2. Ben lost both of his parents to a domestic violence incident. His mother and father Leila Edwards and Mike Watkins died in a Sept. 2017 murder-suicide. He was then left an orphan and raised by his uncle Anthony Edwards and grandmother Donna Edwards. They told the Chicago Tribune that they saw no warning signs and had no idea what caused Watkins to do such a horrific act.
3. Ben helped out at his parents’ restaurant, where he developed his love of cooking. Before his parents’ sad deaths, Ben worked at their Gary, Indiana restaurant Big Ben’s Bodacious Barbecue, Bakery & Deli. The couple even named the restaurant after their son. Sadly it closed within a month of his parents’ passing.
Ben Watkins has sadly died just a few years after competing as an 11-year-old on ‘Masterchef Junior.’ Photo credit: FOX
4. Ben made the top 20 during his season of MasterChef Junior. Of the 40 season six contestants who ranged in age from eight to 14, Ben took 18th place. While he missed out on the $100,000 grand prize, he won the hearts of fans.
5. Ben’s community rallied around him with a GoFundMe account following the death of his parents. It read: “The #Love4Ben campaign was originally intended to support Ben and his family after the passing of his parents in 2017. Due to the generosity of so many, we were able to establish a trust fund of nearly $30,000 at Peoples Bank in Munster, Indiana.” The family noted that Ben’s dream was to become an Engineer, or possibly pursue an education in the culinary arts. After his cancer diagnosis, the funds grew larger as money then went to help pay for his medical costs. It was at $190K at the time of Ben’s passing.
Sourse: hollywoodlife.com
