'MasterChef Junior' Ben Watkins dies after a year-and-half long battle against cancer

On November 16, MasterChef Junior star Ben Watkins died at the age of 14, after a year-and-half-long battle with cancer. A day after his demise, Bet Watkins’ relatives shared the news of his demise on social media via attorney Trent McCain. In the attorney, the aspiring chef’s grandmother and uncle wrote, "After losing both 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 person we know".

The statement also read, "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. 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". 

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Ben Watkins' passing nearly three years after his parents died in a murder-suicide. On the other hand, Watkins joined the 2018 season of MasterChef Junior when he was 11 years old. Throughout his time on the Gordon Ramsey-hosted show, Watkins created a range of dishes including fruit tarts and milkshakes. He, along with fellow contestant Gracie Howard, faced the chopping block during the season’s fifth episode titled “Recipe for Love". 

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Ben Watkins' death

After learning about the demise of MasterChef alum, chef Gordan Ramsay took to his social media handle and mourned over his death. In a brief tweet, Ramsay proclaimed that Ben was "an incredibly talented home cook". The celebrity chef also added that it is a "terrible loss" while extending condolence to Ben's family. On the other hand, Deadline has reported that  Watkins’ family has created a gofundme for his memorial fund. Ben is survived by his grandmother Donna Edwards and uncle Anthony Edwards.

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Meanwhile, as per Deadline, Fox also shared condolences in a statement, which 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".

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