Below Deck: Who is Chef Ben and where is he now?

He’s absolutely loaded, claims to have played sports with royalty and still has his iconic spiky lid


Sure, the latest series of Below Deck is piped full of drama, but it’s got nothing on series one, first aired in 2013 and now on Netflix.

Remember when a hypnotist tried and failed to destress uptight Adrienne after she kept sparking up beef with fellow crew members?  What about when the absolutely jacked C.J. causes havoc by refusing to wear his shirt because it’s “too hot”. And who could forget when international photographer and Man Met graduate Johnny Eyelash and his entourage were found with coke and forced to return to port?

Yet, despite all this madness, one man pierces the bullshit with the rock-hard spikes of his overly-gelled lid.  I am of course talking of Chef Ben Robinson. But who is the man behind the frying pan and where is he now?

Ben has a net worth of $2.5m

Thanks to his post-Below Deck entrepreneurial ventures, Ben has a net worth of $2.5m.

A quick look on Instagram shows he’s really living the high life, mixing with celebs like Seth Rogan. In one video, taken last year, he puffs on a cigar and sips red wine, saying: “Turning 40 is not that bad, old sport.”

Ben’s father is a successful writer

Ben’s not shy when it comes to chatting about his privileged childhood. He grew up in the English countryside where he lived on a hunting estate and used have a regular supply of pheasants and rabbits to eat.

His father is bestselling author Patrick Robinson, who writes stories about the navy and non-fiction books about thoroughbred horses.  Patrick was the winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the year for “True Blue: The Oxford Boat Race Mutiny,” which he co-wrote with Dan Topolski.

Along with Ben’s American mother, Patrick moved to the USA and sent Ben to British boarding school Bradfield College. Ben spent his summers in the USA on Cape Cod, where he developed a passion for fishing.

Ben pictured with his mother

The Below Deck chef used to play sports with Wills and Harry

Ben even claims he’s brushed shoulders with royalty. In an emotional moment on Below Deck in which Ben suggests he is being unfairly treated for his posh upbringing, he said: “I used to play sports with Prince William and Harry. It was just ultra privilege.”

After seeing the episode, a fan took to Twitter to rinse him, saying: “You’ve hung out with Prince William & Harry, and made it on your own? That was a lot to hold in all these years on TV Love.”

He replied: “Yes it was.”

His mum taught him how to cook

Ben wanted to make something of his life, and pursued his passion for cooking which was initially ignited by his mum. The Below Deck chef told Cape Cod Life Publications: “I had an amazing relationship with my mother, and she taught me to cook. I knew all of my mother’s sauces—gravy, béchamel and vinaigrette—by the time I was five and a half.”

He trained with Heston Blumenthal

After school, he got himself onto an apprenticeship at Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin star restaurant, The Fat Duck. He then went on to work for Italian master chefs in Florence before becoming a head chef on Athena, which was at the time, the largest sailing yacht in the world.

In 2008, Ben was thinking about leaving yachting, but after a few drinks, responded to an advert for a job on Below Deck. “I wrote them this rather funny email, and the rest is history.” Ben said.

Since then he’s been on four seasons of Below Deck as executive chef. He also runs a successful catering business and is now a certified health coach specialising in conditions such as cancer and addiction.

Ben’s got a Cameo account which will set you back nearly £300

Despite Ben’s huge wealth and new-found fame, he still has time for his fans and even has a Cameo account.

It costs an eye-watering £299.99 for a video message from Ben, or just £2.99 for the privilege to send him a DM (there is no guarantee he’ll reply).

Just Ben saying weird things on Cameo

In one cameo video, he wishes someone called Elisa a happy birthday, adding: “Your Mum tells me that you’re beautiful and available. That is an amazing combination. So am I, baby!”

Since that cameo was produced, a lot has changed in Chef Ben’s love life.

Ben is taken!

After being single for the majority of his time on Below Deck, Ben fell in love with Emily Warburton-Adams while working on series four. “Emily’s got amazing energy. I enjoy her English company.” Ben said, giving an interview as part of the show.

They lived together for a year after that but later grew apart and broke up due to their hectic international schedules.Although the pair are still friends, Ben has since found a new lover in Kiara Cabral.

It’s unclear what Cabral does, but her Instagram indicates she likes fashion French fries and has a dog called Moofy.

Ben likes the dog. He also cooks the french fries.

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• How is Below Deck filmed? Here are all the show’s production secrets

• Ranked: This is how much the Below Deck cast actually earn