We Have Major Updates on Chef Ben Robinson’s Life Since His Last Below Deck Appearance
The Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean alum is about to enter a brand new chapter — get the updates on his life now.
Chef Ben Robinson is back! After serving as the chef in early seasons of Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean (more on that down below), the seasoned chef is making his return to the Below Deck franchise in a brand new way.
How to Watch
Watch Below Deck on Bravo Monday, June 2 at 8/7c and next day on Peacock.
Earlier this month, it was officially announced that Below Deck Down Under will be returning for Season 4 with some familiar faces. Ben will be serving as the chef this time, alongside Below Deck Sailing Yacht Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher and BDDU captain Jason Chambers. This is very special, as it’s Ben’s first time returning to Below Deck since his last stint on Below Deck Med Season 4.
Read on to learn more about Ben’s history with Below Deck, what his life has been like since he was last on TV, and how he feels about returning to the franchise, down below.
What seasons of Below Deck was Ben Robinson on?
Ben made his Below Deck debut during the first-ever season of Below Deck, which premiered on Bravo in July 2013. Ben returned for Below Deck Season 2, where he worked with chief stew (and soon to be long time friend) Kate Chastain for the first time.
Although he didn’t start out as the chef for Below Deck Season 3, Ben was called in to serve as the chef for the last three episodes after a surprise firing. Below Deck Season 4 was Ben’s last season, where he got to dock in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean was Ben Robinson on?
Ben wasn’t gone from Below Deck for too long, joining the crew as the chef during Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1 to sail along the Greek islands. After a firing during Below Deck Med Season 4, Ben was brought on during the later episodes of the season to come to the crew’s rescue as the new chef.
At the time the show aired, in 2019, Ben told The Daily Dish that he was ready to make his return. “I don’t think I had a whole lot going on at that point,” he admitted. “It was very serendipitous. It was a good thing. It needed to happen.”
Details on Ben Robinson’s Florida home
Since his last appearance on the Below Deck franchise in 2019, Ben moved to Florida, where he still worked in the food industry.
Ben’s current house in Florida is on the water, and features an open concept kitchen, which doubles as a “galley set” for him to film cooking videos in. It also seems like the perfect place for him to crash in between charter seasons and his busy career.
In a January interview with The Daily Dish, Kate noted that Ben has a particular eye for design. “Ben, for example, loves modern [interior design],” she shared. “I feel like it’s a little too cold and perfect.”
Inside Ben Robinson’s friendship with Kate Chastain today
After working closely together on Below Deck, Kate and Ben are still so close to this day, especially since they live in the same state. During a July 2024 interview with The Daily Dish, Kate opened up about her son, Sullivan Cay’s relationship with Ben.
“Actually, I took [Sullivan] over to Chef Ben’s house last week,” she said. “But, you know, speaking of a place that is not baby proofed, we didn’t stay long at all.”
But they are just friends. During Bravo Fan Fest 2024 in Miami, Kate appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she revealed if there was any chance that she would enter in a romantic relationship with Ben. “I mean, I wish,” Kate said with a smile. “It would be convenient, but we are just friends.”
Is Ben Robinson single?
According to Ben’s Instagram feed, he is single. The chef had previously been engaged to Kiara Cabral, but they ended their engagement in September 2024. Ben took to Instagram at the time, where he announced that he was “no longer getting married.”
“We have decided to go our separate ways, and I think that this is the best decision for the both of us,” he wrote in the caption of the post. “I would rather not discuss the reasons behind these decisions, but I feel it’s important for me to express my circumstance.”
Inside Ben Robinson’s post-Below Deck career
Before joining the crew for Below Deck Down Under Season 4, Ben continued to be incredibly busy with his cooking career. In addition to filming cooking tutorials in his kitchen, Ben partnered with Emerald Cruises earlier this year to give guests a cooking demo in the Caribbean. He also sells custom merchandise on his website.
See reactions to Ben Robinson’s return to Below Deck
Related
Kate Chastain Reacts to Chef Ben Robinson’s Below Deck Return
It’s safe to say that people are very excited for Ben’s return to the Below Deck franchise, including Andy Cohen. The WWHL host took to the comments of the Instagram post, where he admitted that this has been a long time coming.
Ben’s BFF, Kate, took to X, where she had one special request for this upcoming season. “Hi [Bravo] [51 Minds] I’d like to book a charter…” Kate wrote.
Daisy took to her Instagram Story, where she was just a little more realistic about the upcoming charter season. “So nobody annoy me for the next six weeks,” she wrote.
But Ben was just a little more optimistic about his own return to the Below Deck franchise. “Fresh as a daisy and ready for this challenge!” he wrote on Instagram on April 13. “Wish me luck because I’ll probably need it. Cheers!”
Look back at every Below Deck Mediterranean chef, and find out why Ben says it’s the “hardest job there is.”
