Ben Watkins, the 14-year-old “MasterChef Junior” alum and fan favorite, died Monday following a year-and-a-half battle with cancer.
His grandmother Donna Edwards and uncle Anthony Edwards said, “Our Ben went home to be with his mother Monday afternoon.” They stated, “We have marveled at Ben’s strength, courage and love for life. He never ever complained. Ben was and always will be the strongest person we know.”
Ben Watkins came from just outside of Chicago and sharpened his fledgling culinary skills by working at his father Michael’s barbecue restaurant. Ben would handle the cash register and take orders, and also sold his own homemade cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls and banana bread. He was just 11 when he appeared on the sixth season of the hit culinary competition, becoming a favorite contestant of audience and making it to the final 18. Watkins listed his signature dish as fried chicken with mashed potatoes.
Shortly after his 13th birthday though, the newfound star was detected with angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma – a rare soft tissue tumour.
Post Your Comments